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Food Stamps Face Their Biggest-Ever Cut Mar 07, 2023

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The federal government ended the COVID-19 increase to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program this month. What does this mean for people who depend on SNAP to put food on the table?

Guests: Helena Bottemiller Evich, reporter and founder of Food Fix, a publication on food policy.

Jennifer Barnes, founder of Solidarity Sandy Springs in Georgia.

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The Fight To Return Native Remains to Their Tribes Mar 06, 2023

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The “Native American Graves and Repatriation Act” passed more than 30 years ago, with the goal of returning human remains, which were taken from native burial sites, back to their tribes. But museums and universities still hold the remains of thousands of people—UC Berkeley alone has nearly 10,000.

Guest: Mary Hudetz, Propublica reporter focusing on tribal issues throughout the Southwest.

Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

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The Hollywood Weight Loss Wonder Drug Mar 05, 2023

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The diabetes medication Ozempic has exploded in popularity, particularly amongst those in Hollywood looking to lose a few extra pounds. But a silver bullet for weight loss leads to a number of questions: Is “buying weight loss” via injection somehow worse than diet and exercise? Are so many people buying and using this drug that people who need it for its intended purpose are missing out? What happened to body positivity?

Guest: Matthew Schneier, feature writer for New York Magazine.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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 TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

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What Would Convince a Lab Leak Skeptic? Mar 03, 2023

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It was reported this week that the U.S. Department of Energy now believes, “with low confidence,” that the COVID-19 virus came from a lab. But is there enough evidence for the “lab leak theory” to convince those who believe the virus emerged from animals in a wet market?

Guest: Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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Will SCOTUS Kill Student Loan Relief? Mar 02, 2023

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President Biden’s student loan debt relief plan goes before the Supreme Court this week. Though the court’s conservative majority seems opposed to the program, debt-relief detractors are struggling to answer a major question: who does this program harm?

Guests:

Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer covering the courts

Alice Turner, hospital pharmacist and compounder

Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

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Why Insulin Prices Keep Rising Mar 01, 2023

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It’s a rare bi-partisan point of agreement: the price of insulin is too high—and it’s still rising. With the stakes literally life-or-death for millions of Americans, what can be done?

Guest: Bram Sable-Smith, Midwest correspondent for Kaiser Health News.

Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

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When Politicians Need Mental Healthcare Feb 28, 2023

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When John Fetterman checked himself into a hospital for clinical depression in mid-February, he was praised by both parties and public health officials for his bravery. But not long ago, being diagnosed with depression or taking time for your mental health were seen as disqualifying for those seeking public office.

Guest: Jason Kander, President of National Expansion at Veterans Community Project, author of Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD, and co-host of Crooked Media’s podcast Majority 54.

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Beijing’s Crackdown on Hong Kong Dissidents Feb 27, 2023

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When Beijing passed a new law that harshly penalized protests in Hong Kong, activists and dissident groups had to choose whether to shut down or get out. Now, 47 pro-democracy activists are facing charges and likely prison time, and a generation of dissent may be quelled.

Guest: Emily Feng, NPR’s Beijing correspondent.

CORRECTION (March 2, 2023): A previous version of this episode misidentified this trial as a closed trial.

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Is a 25-Year-Old’s Brain Mature? Feb 26, 2023

Show notes

New understandings of how our brains develop are changing how the law considers who is mature and who isn’t. But If our brains are still developing, when can the law treat us like adults?

Guest: Jane C. Hu, independent science journalist.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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Why A.I. Says the Darndest Things Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

Microsoft has been testing out their new artificial intelligence on their long-ridiculed search engine Bing. The results? A chatbot that lies brazenly and confidently, and has a penchant for manipulation. What are the risks and rewards of letting bots loose on the world?

Guest: Drew Harwell, Washington Post tech reporter covering artificial intelligence

Host: Emily Peck

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