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America’s $5 Trillion Grid Problem Jul 21, 2023

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To keep places like Phoenix habitable, we need to have air-conditioning. But to have air-conditioning, we need a functional, modern electrical grid. With America’s grid already aging—and more demand coming in the form of electric cars and more A/C for hotter weather—what will it take to keep it going as the weather gets more extreme?

Guest: Dr. Joshua Rhodes, research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin studying energy systems and how they interact with our environment, climate, and life.

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Judging the Supreme Court Jul 20, 2023

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The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering a code of ethics for the Supreme Court—but Chief Justice John Roberts doesn’t believe they have the right to impose one.

But with the Court’s legitimacy in question - and its popularity down the tubes - who should hold the Justices accountable?

Guest: Judge Jeremy Fogel, executive director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute.

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The Indefensible Defense Bill Jul 19, 2023

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Even with Congress famously gridlocked, it reliably passes the National Defense Authorization Act. But this year, hardline conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives added amendment after amendment that were less concerned with national defense and more in line with their own culture war grievances.

How can a government function when even the simple things become impossible?

Guest: Melanie Zanona, Capitol Hill reporter at CNN

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How Hollywood Shot Itself in the Foot Jul 18, 2023

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Actor Lea DeLaria knew Orange is the New Black was a hit. But Netflix made sure their paychecks didn’t reflect it. Fast forward ten years and this business model is the norm for nearly all working American actors.

So now, the actors are joining the writers on strike, something that hasn’t happened in Hollywood since 1960, when television was the new, upstart technology. Today the double strike is about streaming services and artificial intelligence.

Guests:

Alissa Wilkinson, Vox senior correspondent covering film and television.

Lea DeLaria, comedian and an actor best known for playing Big Boo on Orange is the New Black.

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Thousand-Year Floods, Annually Jul 17, 2023

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You can be forgiven for not thinking of Vermont as a place prone to catastrophic flooding. But as the climate changes, we have update our expectations—and our floodplain maps.

Guest: Anna Weber, senior policy analyst focused on the current and future effects of flooding and sea level rise at the NRDC.

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.

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America’s Killer Car Problem Jul 16, 2023

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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.

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Will UPS Workers Join "Hot Strike Summer?" Jul 14, 2023

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Contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS broke down last week and now a strike looms. With time running out, can both sides reach a deal?

Guest: Noam Scheiber, labor reporter for the New York Times.

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QAnon Goes to the Movies Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

Beat it, Barbie; outta the way, Oppenheimer—this summer’s biggest box office surprise is “The Sound of Freedom,” a low-budget search-and-rescue thriller that Hollywood doesn’t want you to see—or so the implication goes.

Guests:

Sam Adams, Slate senior editor

Will Sommer, media reporter at the Washington Post and author of Trust the Plan The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged 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.

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What Homelessness Is Really Like Jul 12, 2023

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Despite holding only twelve percent of Americans, the state of California is home to nearly one-third of the nation’s people experiencing homelessness. A landmark study from UCSF—the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness— produced an intimate look at who is living on the streets and in their cars in California, how they got there, and what actual aid would look like.

Guests:

Claudine Sipili, co-leader of UCSF’s Lived Expertise Advisory Board for the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness.

Ethan Ward, founder of HEATDRAWN Media, and the host of Reputation, a podcast which challenges preconceived notions about the homelessness crisis.

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Can’t Stand the Heat Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

The 4th of July was the hottest day yet—not just of the summer but of recorded human history. Between waves of Canadian wildfire smoke, malaria reappearing in the United States, and deaths from heat, this might be the year that we’re forced to reckon with what life will be like on our newly hotter planet.

Guest: Jeff Goodell, contributing writer at Rolling Stone and the author of the upcoming book The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet.

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.

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