Slate Health

A Postlude for 'When We All Get to Heaven'

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:40:00 -0000

As When We All Get to Heaven wraps up, Christina sits down with series host Lynne Gerber and producer Siri Colum. They discuss how the church has changed, the value of fleeting queer spaces, and what a decade or more spent working on this story has meant to—and taught—them.

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Produced by Palace Shaw and Merritt Jacob.

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10: AIDS Isn’t Over | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:40:00 -0000

In the final episode of When We All Get to Heaven, we catch up on what’s happened in the many years between the emergence of effective treatment for AIDS in the late ‘90s and the fall of 2025, when we recorded this episode. We linger on a moment back in June 1999, when Jim was still pastor and called on the church to remember that AIDS wasn’t over. Because—advances notwithstanding—it still isn’t over.

For more on Gilbert Baker and the history of the rainbow flag see the Gilbert Baker Foundation.

For more on Prep see San Francisco AIDS Foundation, What is PrEP?

“The Path that Ends AIDS: 2023 UNAIDS Global Update” outlines a possible end to the AIDS epidemic.

The story of Jacob’s Ladder is in the book of Genesis chapter 28, verses 10-19.

The text for “This is the Day that God Has Made” is biblical with music by Leon C. Roberts.

“We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder” is a traditional hymn.

“This Little Light of Mine” – text traditional, music by Penelope Gneisen

“Song of the Soul” is by Cris Williamson and was sung by her at MCC San Francisco on April 24, 2000.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-10.

When We All Get to Heaven is produced by Eureka Street Productions. It is co-created by Lynne Gerber, Siri Colom, and Ariana Nedelman. Our story editor is Sayre Quevedo. Our sound designer is David Herman. Our managing producer is Krissy Clark. Tim Dillinger is our consulting producer and Betsy Towner Levine is our fact-checker. We had additional story editing help from Sarah Ventre, Arwen Nicks, Allison Behringer, and Krissy Clark. For a complete list of credits, please visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/credits.

This project received generous support from individual donors, the Henry Luce Foundation (www.hluce.org), the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (www.CalHum.org).

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

The music for this episode is from the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco’s archive. It was performed by MCC-SF’s musicians and members with Bob Crocker and Jack Hoggatt-St.John as music directors. Additional music is by Domestic BGM.

Thanks to Dr. Judy Auerbach of the University of California at San Francisco.

Thanks to Sue Fulton for permission to use “This Little Light of Mine.”

Thanks to Cris Williamson for permission to use “Song of the Soul.”

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

Some links to good groups:

The Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco – the congregation’s current website.

Metropolitan Community Churches – the denomination of which MCC San Francisco is a part.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation – a place to seek information about HIV.

POZ Magazine – a place to learn everything else about HIV (information included).

Save AIDS Research – their recent, epic 24 hours to Save Research conference with all the latest HIV research is available on YouTube through this site.

LGBTQ Religious Archives Network – the place to get lost in LGBTQ+ religious history.

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What Next: Healthcare Is Expensive. It’s About To Get Worse.

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

This week, Senate Democrats will hold a vote on extending expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits to try to prevent health insurance premiums from skyrocketing for millions of Americans. That vote is basically guaranteed to fail.

Where did these credits come from, and what’s likely to happen when they (almost) inevitably lapse?

Guest: Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News and host of the podcast “What the Health?”

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

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

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What Next | The Year of Vaccine Backsliding

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:20:00 -0000

Today, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee will be meeting to vote on recommendations for childhood vaccinations. But under RFK Jr.’s leadership, this committee looks much different now than it did a year ago.How is the impact from the HHS secretary being seen across America today?

Guest: Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

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

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9: AIDS Energy | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:40:00 -0000

In 1996 everything changed. With the introduction of antiretroviral medications called the “AIDS cocktail,” people started getting better – some dramatically – and surviving AIDS became a real possibility. In the wake of these changes, MCC found itself taking stock of what they lost to AIDS and using what they learned to address larger social issues– from medical marijuana to homelessness. Sometimes these political stances felt heroic and a way to use that collective energy, and other times it made the church very unpopular with the changing Castro neighborhood.

“Freedom is Coming” is by Anders Nyberg.

“All Things New” is by Rory Cooney.

“Blessed Assurance” is by Franny Crosby.

“Gloria (Angels We Have Heard on High” is a traditional Christmas hymn.

“The Potter’s House” is by V. Michael McKay.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-9.

Production credits:

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

Special thanks to Tom Ammiano, Tommi Avicolli-Mecca, Stuart Gaffney, John Lewis, Dr. Jen Reck, Matt Sharp, and Dana Van Gorder for their help with this episode.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

Some links to good groups

Lyric Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth

The Ali Forney Center

The Trevor Project’s 2022 report on LGBTQ youth and homelessness

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8: Conversion | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:40:00 -0000

In 1995 Rev. Jim Mitulski became HIV positive -- what's known as seroconversion. It was 14 years into the epidemic and people knew what HIV/AIDS was, how you got it, and how you could prevent it. And when Jim got sick, he got very sick. What was it like to become ill so publicly? How would the church and the community respond? And what could Jim possibly preach about on his first Sunday back?

“My Soul Doth Magnify” is from Camille Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio, Op. 12, 1858.

“The 23rd Psalm (Dedicated to My Mother)” is by Bobby McFerrin.

The biblical story of the death of the prophet Elijah is in Second Kings, chapter 2.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-8.

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

Thanks to Ed Wolf and Frank DePelisi for talking us through the issues around HIV status and sero-sorting in the mid-1990s.

And thanks to Bobby McFerrin and Linda Goldstein for use of “The 23rd Psalm (Dedicated to My Mother).” You can see McFerrin conducting his VOCAbuLarieS singers singing the piece here.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

Some links to good groups:

National Resource Center on HIV and Aging – resources for older adults living with HIV.

Surviving Voices – an oral history documentary project on how different communities have experienced HIV and AIDS. The most recent focuses on lifelong and long-term HIV survivors.

Let’s Kick Ass – AIDS Survivors Syndrome – support for long-term HIV survivors.

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Death, Sex & Money | “The Lord Is My Shepherd and He Knows I'm Gay”

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:40:00 -0000

When the Metropolitan Community Church was founded in the late sixties, it was one of the first gay positive churches in America. When AIDS hit, it became a refuge for people who were sick and those who were mourning them.

In this episode, Anna talks to researcher Lynne Gerber, about finding boxes of cassettes under the church floor in an MCC church in San Francisco, and how those recordings of sermons and songs became a podcast about finding community and comfort during a crisis.

Lynne Gerber is the host of the 10-episode series When We All Get to Heaven.

Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.

And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.

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What Next | How Planned Parenthood Got Defunded

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:20:00 -0000

Between the drastic budget cuts and provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill, the Trump administration has found a way to drain Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health centers and cut off access to abortion services—as well as any other health care those clinics provided.

Guests: Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, author of Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America.

George Hill, President and CEO of Maine Family Planning.

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

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Care & Feeding | How To Navigate Strained Relationships Around the Holidays

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000

On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen are joined by mother-daughter writing team Leslie and Lindsey Glass. They share their estrangement and reconnection that led to their book The Mother Daughter Relationship Makeover. They give advice for how to deal with toxic personalities around the dinner table and at parties, talk about when estrangement might be the answer, and more.

But first, they share their latest Triumphs and Fails. Lucy has an explosion (literally), Elizabeth is in a new country, and Zak learns the local bus routes.

This podcast is produced by Rosemary Belson and Cheyna Roth.

Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

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7: Dress Rehearsals | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:40:00 -0000

Scott and Bruce were the hottest couple in church. Scott, a hula dancer, seemed destined for Bruce, the hunky “lumbersexual,” and the church delighted when they got together. Their brief love affair sparkled before Bruce got sick and died. Their story is one of multiple “dress rehearsals”– when friends, family and lovers went through AIDS with their loved ones wondering who would be next and sometimes knowing it might be you.

You can see Scott perform in a 1992 InterPlay piece called “God, Sex and Power” here. He’s the one with the bandaids on his knees.

Singing Positive is a two-part documentary film about the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) and its experience with AIDS that spans 15 years. The first film, which featured Scott, was produced in 1992 and is hard to find online. The second film, produced in 2009, saw the filmmakers return to SFGMC to explore the impact of AIDS on the chorus over time. The 2009 film, with clips of Scott from the first film, is here. And you can watch some amazing SFGMC performances on their YouTube channel here.

Scott’s San Francisco hula school was Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu. They celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2025. Scott’s teacher and friend, Kumu Patrick Makuakāne is in the 2023 cohort of MacArthur Fellows. His recent work includes Māhū, a work by and with trans hula performers.

On the MCC in Hawai’i, see the Queer Histories of Hawai’i’s story here.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-7 .

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

“Spirit of the Living God” is by Daniel Iverson.

“In the Garden,” also known as “I Come to the Garden Alone” is by C. Austin Miles. It’s the favorite hymn of many a Christain mother, aunt, and grandmother. The soloist is Juliette Galuteria, Scott Galuteria and Brickwood Galuteria’s mother

“God Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary” is by Randy Scruggs and John Thompson.

Special thanks to the friends and experts who helped us think through this episode.

Frank DeLuca

William Salit and Stan Stone
Dr. Rachel Gross
Dr. Christopher Cantwell

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

Some links to good groups:

The Hawai’i Health and Harm Reduction Center – reducing the harm and fighting the stigma of HIV in Hawai’i.

International EMS and Firefighter Pride Alliance – courage over adversity.

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Death, Sex & Money | Tig Notaro's Documentary About Her Friend's Death Is Also Really Funny

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:40:00 -0000

Even though the documentary Tig Notaro produced won the Festival Favorite Award at Sundance, she did not spend the festival hobnobbing with industry types. Instead she stayed holed up at the Airbnb she rented with friends and the film's crew. "We were calling it Snuggle Down because we were all sitting around the fire and having tea and just laughing so hard." Among the people at Snuggle Down was the subject of the documentary, poet Andrea Gibson, who was dying of ovarian cancer.

In this episode, Tig describes meeting Andrea, what made them click creatively, and how making a documentary about the end of Andrea's life brought an already tight-knit group of friends closer together.

Watch: Come See Me In the Good Light

And we also want to acknowledge the passing of disability activist Alice Wong. She died on Friday in San Francisco at age 51. Alice and Anna first talked in 2020.

Listen here: Alice Wong On Ruckuses, Rage And Medicaid

Podcast production by Andrew Dunn

Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/DSM⁠

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Care & Feeding | How to Get Through (Or Help Someone With) Postpartum Depression

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000

On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen share their experiences with postpartum depression. Then, Elizabeth is joined by Danielle Learner to talk about Danielle’s experience with postpartum depression, her activism to raise awareness on the issue, and a lot of tips and advice for people who struggle with postpartum depression or know someone struggling.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

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Interlude: Tired of Dying | When We All Get to Heaven

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 09:40:00 -0000

The Sunday after Magic Johnson announced his HIV-status, Jim Mitulski preached a sermon on being tired of people dying. We’re sharing it as an interlude, a pause, and an immersion into one moment in AIDS’ bleak midwinter.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/interlude.

In the sermon Rev. Mitulski refers to ARC. That means AIDS-Related Complex, a diagnostic category meant to indicate an earlier stage of HIV infection than AIDS. It was common in the period to hear references to both AIDS and ARC.

“Old Devil Time” is by Pete Seeger. The AIDS verses are by MCC San Francisco congregant Paul Francis.

You can see Magic Johnson's press release, announcing his HIV status here.

The biblical passage Rev. Mitulski is preaching on is John 11:1-44.

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

Some links to good groups:

AIDS Healthcare Foundation – provides medical care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS and preventative care for people at risk for contracting it.

The Magic Johnson Foundation – founded to address HIV/AIDS. Expanded to include education and community engagement.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation – a place to seek information about HIV.

POZ Magazine – a place to learn everything else about HIV (information included).
Save AIDS Research – their recent, epic 24 hours to Save Research conference with all the latest HIV research is available on YouTube through this site.

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Care & Feeding | Help! Is My Kid Talking Enough?

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000

On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen are joined by Sydney Bassard from The Listening SLP to dig into everything you need to know about hearing loss, practical speech, language, and literacy with your kids.

But first, Lucy weighs in on the great flower girl controversy.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

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6: Attacked | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:40:00 -0000

San Francisco’s gay/lesbian community in the 1980s wasn’t just facing an AIDS crisis, they also struggled against ongoing anti-gay violence. In 1989, in the midst of a campaign to legally establish anti-gay violence as a hate crime, MCC San Francisco made headlines when their AIDS minister was attacked in her home. The city, the police department, and the LGBTQ community rallied around the church and the minister. And when they finally solved the puzzle of who did it, the answer shocked the church.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-6.

The voices from the service after the first attack include

Rev. Troy Perry, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches – “If you come for one of us, you come for all of us.”
Kevin Calegari, Dignity San Francisco – “Somebody by the name of Jesus…”
Harry Britt, San Francisco City Supervisor – “It hurts to be reminded of the power of evil.”
Gayle Orr-Smith, representative of the Mayor’s Office – “I am moved when I hear you say you are an angry people.”
Rev. Duane Wilkerson, United Methodist Church – “But in the event that doubt has crept into your mind…”
Rev. Troy Perry, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches – “And to the enemies who are attacking us…”

“The Call” is by George Herber with music by Vaughan Williams. The soloist is Bob Crocker.

“Nearer My God to Thee” is by Sarah Flowers Abrams.

Some links to good groups

Community United Against Violence – still working for safe communities for queer people.

National Alliance on Mental Illness LGBTQI Information Page

The Shanti Project - is a pioneering nonprofit that builds human connections to reduce isolation, enhance health and well-being, and improve quality of life. It innovated enduring models of attentive companionship to people facing the end of life through their work during the height of the AIDS crisis.

The Trevor Project – the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention non-profit organization for LGBTQ+ young people.

Production credits:

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

Special thanks to Kelsy Pacha, Dr. Janis Whitlock, and Dr. Mary Hunt for consulting with us about this episode.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

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Death, Sex & Money | Raising A Country Musician Through Swagger and Psychosis

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 08:40:00 -0000

Country musician Luke Bell had swagger, talent, and a career on the rise, opening for Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam. Then mental illness took over. His mother Carol shares what it was like raising Luke, the fine line between his bold personality and paranoid delusions, and navigating his years of homelessness and psychosis before his death at 32.

Listen to his posthumous album, The King Is Back. Proceeds go towards mental health treatment for people in Wyoming who can't afford it.

Song List:

The Great Pretender

Rattlesnake Man

Where Ya Been (Music Video)

Guitar Man

Sometimes

On Our Own

The Bullfighter

River

The King Is Back (Music Video)

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

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5: Healing Without a Cure | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 09:40:00 -0000

When Rev. Ron Russell Coons got diagnosed with AIDS he thought a lot about what healing meant when death was certain. He pursued it in his strained and broken family relationships and he preached about it from the pulpit. Though he knew, without a doubt, that he would die from AIDS, Ron claimed that he believed in and had experienced healing. What does healing mean when everybody knows it can’t mean survival? Maybe healing is one’s biological family and queer kin showing up and reaching for connection across those fractures.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-5.

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

“When the Roll is Called Up Yonder” is by James Milton Black.

“Give Me Jesus” is a traditional spiritual arrangement by Charles Ivey. The soloist is Maria Barnet.

“It is Well with My Soul,” also known as “When Peace, Like a River,” is by Horatio Spafford.

Thanks to

Ron’s family for speaking with us on and off the record. We know this was a stretch and we appreciate it.

Dr. Joseph Marchal, for helping us understand Ron’s “We Have AIDS” sermon and the biblical text it was based on. It’ll be a great special episode one day.
Steve Russell for sharing his memories of Ron and his brother, Chuck Russell Coons.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

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What Next | How Will We Feed Our Neighbors?

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Why SNAP benefits potentially won’t be replenished Nov. 1, and what happens to the people who depend on them to eat.

Guest: Dr. Lindsay Allen, health economist and policy researcher at Northwestern University.

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

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4: Friends in the Fire | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 08:40:00 -0000

As MCC grew as a denomination, they tried to figure out if and how to relate to other churches. Would any befriend a queer church? And if so, would that friendship help other churches shift their perspective on homosexuality? These questions got harder as AIDS numbers grew—it made people more afraid yet friendship more vital. But sometimes friendship emerges in the most unlikely of places. Like when a children’s choir visited an AIDS ward in San Francisco and sang for an MCC member there. That connection started a partnership between their churches that changed them both.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-4.

Production credits:

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

“Who Kept Us” is by Dr. Margaret Douroux.

“The Wicked Shall Cease” is by Jessy Dixon.

“Jesus is Here Right Now” is by Leon Roberts.

“Child of God” and “Walk Together Children” are traditional African American spirituals.

Special thanks to

Mary Clover Obrzut, Stephen’s sister, for insights into his life and for so much great audio.
Dr. Cheryl Townsend Gilkes for telling us about Stephen’s time at Union Baptist and connecting us with folks there.
Alfred Williams for helping us get connected to Double Rock.
Dr. April Parker and Mardy Coates for facilitating the use of “Who Kept Us.”
And to the folks at Double Rock Baptist Church, past and present, especially the beloved Minister of Music.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

Some links to good groups

Balm in Gilead – works to integrate public health and faith principles. It was founded by Dr. Pernessa Seale in to help Black churches address HIV/AIDS and support people and families living with AIDS.

Double Rock Baptist Church – is still worshipping and ministering in Bayview/Hunters Point. They were deeply involved in community support during the Covid-19 epidemic.

Love All People – is the ministry that introduced MCC to Margaret Douroux’s song, Who Kept Us, to MCC.

National Minority AIDS Council – works for heath equality and racial justice to end the AIDS epidemic.

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How To! | Stop Snoring

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 08:20:00 -0000

Andrew Zaleski couldn’t stop snoring. Fed up, he did what any good journalist would do: He started digging. On this episode of How To!, Andrew tells Courtney Martin about his investigation into sawing logs, his experiments with anti-snoring devices, and what he learned from sleep experts while reporting his recent story for Slate.

Episodes Mentioned:

How To Stop Snoring (and Breathe Easier)

How To Sleep Apart to Save Your Relationship

How To Sleep Like a Champ

Do you have a problem that needs solving? 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.

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Sophie Summergrad. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

Get more of How To! with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of How To! and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the How To! show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/howtoplus for access wherever you listen.

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What Next | Is the Peanut Allergy Dead?

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Thousands of children may be avoiding peanut allergies thanks to research indicating that early exposure to—rather than avoidance of—the legume is key. Now there’s reason to believe this is true for tons of allergens – and that the great “pandemic” of kid food allergies never needed to happen.

Guest: Dr. David Hill, attending physician with the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and The Hill Lab.

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

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3: “A Church with AIDS” | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 08:40:00 -0000

In the late ‘80s, two MCC San Francisco ministers wrote an article called “We Are the Church Alive, the Church with AIDS.” We wanted to know how a gay/lesbian church came to call itself “a church with AIDS.” The answers lie in the years before our audio archive begins. So we started asking people. We explore two stories in what’s likely a more complicated shift. One story is about a pair of religion geeks who learned to make queer church in New York during the early years of the AIDS crisis and then came to San Francisco to lead MCCSF. And the other is how an Easter Sunday ritual made the Christian hope of life through death viscerally real.

“We Are the Church Alive, the Church with AIDS,” by Kittredge Cherry and Jamies Mitulski was published in the Christian Century on January 27, 1988.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-3.

Production credits:

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

“We See You God” is a variation on the anonymously written hymn “We See the Lord.”

The soloist in “I Lift Mine Eyes Up” is Bob Crocker. It’s by Antonin Dvorak, Biblical Songs, Op. 99, no. 9 on Psalm 121.

“Hush, Hush. Somebody’s Calling My Name” is a traditional African American spiritual.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

Some links to good groups:

The Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco – the congregation’s current website.

Metropolitan Community Churches – the denomination of which MCC San Francisco is a part.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation – a place to seek information about HIV.

POZ Magazine – a place to learn everything else about HIV (information included).

Save AIDS Research – their recent, epic 24 hours to Save Research conference with all the latest HIV research is available on YouTube through this site.
LGBTQ Religious Archives Network – the place to get lost in LGBTQ+ religious history.

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Care & Feeding | Make My Kid Eat, Please!

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000

On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen are tackling picky eating. They’re joined by Jennifer Anderson from Kids Eat In Color to talk about helping kids navigate diet culture, how to tell if your kid is a “normal” picky eater or a problematic picky eater, why you shouldn’t try to sneak foods into foods they like, and more!

But first, they share their latest triumphs and fails: Zak got a puppy! Elizabeth loves Halloween now! And Lucy was a hero at Epic Universe park. You know what that means - it’s a Triple Triumph week y’all!

Mentioned in this Episode:Care and Feeding video episodes are now on YouTube! They drop on Fridays and are available here.

In which Elizabeth claims Halloween is the worst - Is It Creepy to Photograph Other Kids’ Costumes?

Elizabeth’s tricked out Halloween house - Instagram

Produced by Cheyna Roth

Listen to Opportunity Gap wherever you get your podcasts: ⁠⁠https://lnk.to/opportunitygapPS!careandfeeding⁠

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2: A New Gospel for Gay Sinners | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:45:00 -0000

Why would an out queer person in the Gay Liberation Days of the 1970s go to church? What church would they go to? And why would they stay? In the 1960s, and ‘70s, the separation between God and gays was not as vast as it seemed. Rev. Troy Perry started the first Metropolitan Community Church in his Los Angeles living room. Tired of flying to LA every week, a Navy veteran started the second one in a San Francisco gay bar. And the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco was there for a young lesbian as she navigated spirituality, coming out, and her increasingly conservative family. When her friend got sick, she tried to be there for him. Church helped.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-2.

Production credits:

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

Thanks to

Dr. Heather White, author of Reforming Sodom: Protestants and the Rise of Gay Rights.
Scott Bloom and Trogoidia Pictures for the use of clips from the film Call Me Troy.
The Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies at the Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union for the use of an archival recording of Troy Perry’s last sermon as the minister at MCC Los Angeles.
Kirke Machem for the use of his beautiful composition, “Blow Ye, the Trumpet,” from the opera, John Brown.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

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Outward | Making ‘When We All Get to Heaven’

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:42:00 -0000

As Outward proudly presents the 10-episode series When We All Get to Heaven, from Eureka Street Productions, Christina and Bryan had the privilege of sitting down with series host Lynne Gerber. Lynne explains how 1,200 cassette tapes became a wealth of archival audio that infuses this series with so much vitality, joy, and shared mourning of queer churches during a devastating epidemic.

Produced by Palace Shaw.

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1: Setting The Table | When We All Get to Heaven

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:40:00 -0000

In 1993, more than 10 years into the AIDS epidemic, the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco (MCC-SF) tries to remember all they’ve lost. We think about remembering too after encountering an archive of 1,200 cassette recordings of this queer church’s services during the height of the epidemic. Whether you’re a regular church goer or would never step into one, we invite you to spend time with this LGBTQ+ San Francisco church as it struggles to reconcile sexuality and faith in the midst of an existential crisis.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-1.

About the montage: The worship service in this episode was on February 28, 1993. The Dyke March proclamation was written and read by Rev. Lea Brown. Rev. Karen Foster read the statement that sexual orientation does not need to be changed. Jim Mitulski recalled his hospital visit with the man who recognized him by his shape. Paul Francis told strangers at a restaurant to get ugly lovers and Eric Rofes told his mother that he was going to stay safe and keep having sex. Cleve Jones had the vision of a thousand rotting corpses, Rev. Ron Russell Coons preached that we have AIDS as a community, and Rev. Troy Perry proclaimed a revival on Eureka Street. The other people heard in the episode are either unknown or did not want to be named.

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

Thanks to

Paul Katz and Henry Machen for permission to use “June in San Francisco” from their fabulous 1991 musical Dirty Dreams of a Clean Cut Kid.

The estate of Leonard Bernstein for the use of “Somewhere” from West Side Story.

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.

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How To! | Harness Your Anger

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:20:00 -0000

Contemporary women are primal-screaming and hitting rage rooms, but are these really the solutions to our personal and political anger? On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin talks with Soraya Chemaly, journalist and author of Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, about her own recent upsurge of anger. Soraya explains how to identify, understand, and harness what’s bottled up inside you—and use it for change.

If you liked this episode check out How To Make Imposter Syndrome Your Superpower and How To Be Lonely.

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Sophie Summergrad. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

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What Next: TBD | How Trump Got Obsessed with Autism

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Why would Donald Trump rush to announce that Tylenol is a potential cause of autism, a claim unsupported by the research?

Guest: Dan Diamond, White House reporter for the Washington Post.

Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest | Tough It Out, Pregnant Ladies!

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:30:00 -0000

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how Trump is using the powerful machine of government prosecution to reverse-engineer crimes supposedly committed by enemies, his diatribe against Tylenol at the disastrous press conference on autism, and the echoes of past Red Scares in today’s free speech climate with historian Beverly Gage, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the debate around Trump’s new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa workers: will it score points or be an own goal for US jobs?

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author and Yale professor Judith Resnik about her new book, Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy. They discuss the history of the prison system’s use of punishments like whipping, how the practice came to an end, and more.

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

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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

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How To! | Update: Losing Your ‘Virginity’ at 43

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 08:20:00 -0000

In this mailbag episode of How To!, we get an update from Elizabeth, the 43-year-old listener who contacted us for advice on her plan to have sex for the first time. Then, co-hosts Courtney Martin and Carvell Wallace get listeners’ takes on our most talked-about episodes of the year—and the staff holds an impromptu idea meeting for upcoming episodes.

Links Mentioned:

My Old Books

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sophie Summergrad. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

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Death, Sex & Money | From Brazilian Butt Lifts to Botox: Your Beauty Confessions

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 07:40:00 -0000

Over the past few months, we've been asking you to tell us stories about your beauty interventions. You told us about feeling caught between viewing appearance improvements as vanity and recognizing how much looking a certain way affects your relationships, career, and self-worth.

In this episode, Anna talks to listeners about their appearance choices: Asher, who spent $43,000 on plastic surgery and openly celebrates his investments; Caroline, who used fillers and Botox after her divorce but recently filed for bankruptcy and can no longer afford treatments; Alexandra, who stopped dyeing her gray hair at 38 despite pushback from family; and Nick, whose multiple cosmetic surgeries nearly ended his marriage and forced him to confront deeper issues.

Read Nick Dothée’s essay: What Plastic Surgery Couldn’t Fix

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/DSM⁠

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How To! | Use Hypnosis

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 08:20:00 -0000

Much of our common understanding of hypnosis has been gleaned from mind-control plots in Hollywood movies or hokey on-stage demonstrations. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Stanford University psychiatrist and researcher Dr. David Spiegel to talk about what hypnosis is (and isn’t), as well as its potential to address stress, pain, and even athletic performance. Plus, with Carvell wrestling with an ongoing major project, Dr. Spiegel tests our host’s hypnotizability—then leads him through an exercise aimed at confronting procrastination.

Learn more about Dr. Spiegel and his self-hypnosis app, Reveri. If you liked this episode, check out How To Stop Being Anxious and How To Quiet the Chatter in Your Head.

How To! is produced by Rosie Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sophie Summergrad, who produced this episode. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

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What Next | Can You Get a COVID Vaccine?

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as HHS Secretary has meant turmoil for the CDC: thousands of employees have either been let go, or are unclear on their employment status; leadership has been stepping down; and there was a shooting at their Atlanta building in August. The result is RFK being yelled at in the Senate, thousands of CDC employees calling for his resignation, and a country less prepared for the next pandemic.

Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter at the New York Times.

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

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Political Gabfest | CDC DOA

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what the spate of legal defeats for the Trump administration portends as cases wind toward the Supreme Court, the real world effects of RFK Jr. gutting the CDC with guest Dr. Josh Sharfstein, and whether Democrats should compel government shutdown or avoid it now that Congress is back.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss NASA Voyager’s journey through space as it reaches a new milestone and wax philosophical about the immensity of the universe and Earth’s place in it.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Jonathan Mahler about his new book, The Gods of New York. They discuss the unraveling of Mayor Ed Koch’s New York City; how the city’s current mayoral race is mirroring the past; and more.

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

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next | Could Artificial Blood Save Lives?

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Blood has a very short shelf life, even under the best of conditions—and you can picture the less-than-ideal conditions where blood is frequently needed—which is why scientists have been working on a blood alternative. The results are promising.

Guest: Nicky Twilley, host of “Gastropod” podcast and author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet and Ourselves.

Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other 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, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Trump Vs. Cancer Research

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

President Trump has proposed cutting $2.5 billion from the National Cancer Institute, which in addition to cuts to the National Institutes of Health and research universities almost makes you wonder: whose side is he on in the fight against cancer?

Guest: Angus Chen, cancer reporter for STAT news

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Amicus | Punished For Their Pregnancies

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Women were prosecuted for experiencing miscarriage or stillbirth even before the Supreme Court swept away the protections of Roe v. Wade. But these prosecutions have ramped up since, in both red and blue states. The stakes are ramping up too, with legislators introducing bills that would treat abortion as homicide, potentially subjecting patients to the death penalty. This week, Mark Joseph Stern talks with Karen Thompson, the legal director of Pregnancy Justice. They discuss what happens when the state decides a fetus, or even an embryo, has equal or greater rights than pregnant people. As fetal personhood legislation moves ahead in more and more red states, this concept is also seeping into the law in blue states. Women have been jailed because their pregnancies ended in a way the state disliked. Grandmothers have been prosecuted decades after pregnancy loss thanks to investigators using forensic genetic genealogy to hunt them down. As Thompson explains, a frightening frontier in the battle for bodily autonomy and reproductive rights is here, and it demands our attention.

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What Next: TBD | The CDC Under Fire

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Two weeks ago, a gunman fired over 500 bullets at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention building in Atlanta. Between the anti-public health rhetoric coming from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the top, personnel cuts and firings, and now a literal shooting, many employees are reaching their breaking point.

Guest: Lauren Weber, health science accountability reporter for the Washington Post.

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Death, Sex & Money | The Internet Taught Me to Diet, Then Saved Me With Weightlifting

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:40:00 -0000

Casey Johnston grew up in a family where being thin mattered. In college, the internet told her to eat 1,200 calories and do endless cardio if she wanted to lose weight. That habit followed her into her late twenties, until she came upon a Reddit post about weightlifting that changed her relationship to her body and just about everything else.

Casey Johnston is the author of Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting, and she writes the substack, She’s a Beast.

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

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ICYMI | Kendra Fell In Love With Her Psychiatrist—Then She Met TikTok

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:30:00 -0000

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario to talk about Kendra, the woman whose 25-part TikTok series about falling in love with her psychiatrist has captivated the internet. However, what viewers thought would be the next Reesa Teesa “Who The Fuck Did I Marry?” series turned out to be something much more complicated, as Kendra’s story went from suspicious to downright troubling. Now, TikTok is diagnosing Kendra with mental health issues, while still consuming her content like entertainment.

Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen.

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.

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How To! | Let Go of ADHD Shame

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 08:20:00 -0000

Jessi navigates life with ADHD using a complex web of coping strategies. She used to strive for absolute perfection, but feels overwhelming guilt when she forgets something or loses focus at work or at home. On this episode, How To! co-host Carvell Wallace introduces Jessi to Dr. Sarah Wheeler, an educational psychologist who specializes in ADHD. Dr. Wheeler shares her own experience with ADHD and helps Jessi chart a sustainable path forward to self-acceptance, minus the anxiety and shame.

Dr. Wheeler’s Resources and Recommendations

Joan Wilder’s site Help for Women with ADHD
Salif Muhamane’s Ted Talk, “ADHD Sucks, But Not Really”
Kate Weber’s Women & ADHD podcast
You’ve Always Been This Way: “Hello, I’m New Here,” by McSweeney’s columnist Taylor Harris

Check out: How To Navigate Adult Autism and our discussion of ADHD and organizing in How To Do Housework (and Not Hate It)

How can How To! help you?? 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.

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sophie Summergrad. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

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What Next | Trans and Shut Out in Trump’s America

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Trans rights and access to health care have been under attack on the state level for years, but the second Trump administration and the Supreme Court have accelerated a chilling effect at clinics across the country.

Guest: Grace Byron, author of “The Grim State of Trans Health Care” and “The Bureaucratic Nightmares of Being Trans Under Trump” for the New Yorker.

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

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What Next | Getting Anti-Vaxxers To Roll Up Their Sleeves

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Their son was immunocompromised and couldn’t get the measles vaccines. So his dad asked if everyone going to his school would get vaccinated.

And the thing is—people listened.

Guest: Carl and Rhett Krawitt

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

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Decoder Ring | Mailbag: Drug Names, Cow Abductions, and the “Ass-Intensifier”

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 07:50:00 -0000

In this episode we’re opening our mailbag to answer three fascinating questions from our listeners. How did “ass,” a word for donkeys and butts, become what linguists call an “intensifier” for just about everything? How do pharmaceuticals get their wacky names? And why do we all seem to think that aliens from outer space would travel to Earth just to kidnap our cows?

In this episode, you’ll hear from linguistics professor Nicole Holliday, historians Greg Eghigian and Mike Goleman, and professional “namer” Laurel Sutton.

This episode of Decoder Ring was produced by Willa Paskin, Max Freedman, and Katie Shepherd. Our supervising producer is Evan Chung. Merritt Jacob is Slate’s Technical Director.

If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281.

Get more of Decoder Ring with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of Decoder Ring and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Decoder Ring show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus for access wherever you listen.

Sources for This Episode

Bengston, Jonas. “Post-Intensifying: The Case of the Ass-Intensifier and Its Similar but Dissimilar Danish Counterpart,” Leviathan, 2021.

Collier, Roger. “The art and science of naming drugs,” Canadian Medical Association Journal, Oct. 2014.

Eghigian, Greg. After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon, Oxford University Press, 2024.

Goleman, Michael J. “Wave of Mutilation: The Cattle Mutilation Phenomenon of the 1970s,” Agricultural History, 2011.

Karet, Gail B. “How Do Drugs Get Named?” AMA Journal of Ethics, Aug. 2019.

Miller, Wilson J. “Grammaticalizaton in English: A Diachronic and Synchronic Analysis of the "ass" Intensifier,” Master’s Thesis, San Francisco State University, 2017.

Monroe, Rachel. “The Enduring Panic About Cow Mutilations,” The New Yorker, May 8, 2023.

A Strange Harvest, dir. Linda Moulton Howe, KMGH-TV, 1980.

“United States Adopted Names naming guidelines,” AMA.

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What Next: TBD | Hot Measles Summer

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000

It’s a record-breaking year for America: we’ve now had the most reported cases of measles since the disease was declared “eradicated” in 2000.

How did public health backslide so hard that it undid decades of progress—and is there any hope we can get back on track?

Guest: Dylan Scott, senior health correspondent at Vox.

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ICYMI | Encore: Is ChatGPT Your Therapist?

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:30:00 -0000

Candice Lim is joined by Dazed senior writer Laura Pitcher to discuss her piece, “Meet the people using ChatGPT as their therapist.” Since ChatGPT’s public release in late 2022, there has been a growing reliance on the artificially intelligent chatbot in people’s everyday lives. TikTok users are talking about the way they use ChatGPT as their therapist, their best friend, their life organizer, and more. But is reliant, daily use of an AI service worth possible consequences such as climate change, loneliness, and data privacy concerns? On today’s episode, ICYMI dives into the unexpected ways people have been using ChatGPT and whether we can predict its role in the near future.

This podcast episode was produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim, with production assistance from Alexandra Botti and Kat Hong.

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ICYMI | The Most Famous Facelift on TikTok

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 08:30:00 -0000

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay discuss an American woman in her 50s who is going viral for her plastic surgery journey. Michelle Wood is a mom who traveled to Guadalajara to undergo several procedures, including a facelift and a chin implant. She documented her journey before and after the procedure, creating intrigue, curiosity, and surprisingly positive responses online. TikTok reacted similarly when Kylie Jenner revealed the details of her boob job and broke the internet within the same week. So what do Wood and Jenner’s transparency say about the way women are talking about their bodies, and their surgeries, in 2025?

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay.

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How To! | Balance Mind, Body—and iPhone

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 08:20:00 -0000

Mary is juggling a busy career and family life and, like many of us, she feels guilty about the time she spends on her phone. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin talks with author and teacher Molly Caro May about how she’s helping others rethink—and rewire—their dependency on devices with an approach that’s focused on the mind-body connection.

If you liked this episode, check out How To Manage Your Kids’ Screen Time.

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

Want more How To!? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the How To! show page. Or, visit slate.com/howtoplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next | Vaccine Skeptics Just Scored a Big Win

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, accusing members of serving industry interests and never recommending against a vaccine. Their role, however, was advising on usage for vaccines that the FDA already approved.

As RFK Jr. restaffs the committee with his own “nonpartisan” members, where does that leave vaccines and the state of American health?

Guest: Noel Brewer, Gillings Distinguished Professor in Public Health at the University of North Carolina.

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

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Care & Feeding | C&F 101: Love and Baby Skin

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 18:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak and Elizabeth introduce a series-within-a-series called Care and Feeding 101 — where we’re walking you through all things baby, with the help of some truly amazing experts. Think of it like the baby book that we know you don’t have time to read.

In Volume One: Zak meets some seasoned sex and relationship coaches who just had a baby. And Elizabeth invites Dr. Sheilagh Maguiness to bust the top myths about baby skin.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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What Next | Will Israel Starve Gaza Into Submission?

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 09:20:00 -0000

In Gaza, two million people are at risk of starvation, as Israeli-controlled aid has been repeatedly interrupted and marked by violence towards aid workers and chaos at distribution sites.

Guests:

Mohammed Mhawish, journalist and writer from Gaza City.

Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, author of the 2017 book, Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine.

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

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What Next | Legally Dead—And Pregnant

Thu, 29 May 2025 09:00:00 -0000

Adriana Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she was declared brain dead in February—far enough along that her fetus showed cardiac activity. The hospital then refused to let her family decide whether or not they want to keep Smith on life support long enough for the fetus to be delivered.

Guests:

Imani Gandy, Editor-at-Large for Rewire News Group, covering law and courts and co-host of the podcast “Boom! Lawyered.”

Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis, author of Personhood: The New Civil War Over Reproduction.

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

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What Next | What Would You Pay to Stay Alive?

Tue, 27 May 2025 09:20:00 -0000

A Revlimid pill costs about 25 cents to make, and about a thousand dollars to buy—but it’s keeping him alive, so what choice does he have?

Guest: David Armstrong, investigates healthcare at ProPublica, author of “The Price of Remission.”

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

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What Next | Here’s How the GOP Cuts Medicaid

Tue, 20 May 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In a return to a classic party policy goal, Republicans want to add “work requirements” to Medicaid to offset costs in Trump’s “one big beautiful bill.” Work requirements for health insurance have been tried before, on the state level, and the end result is a lot of people—including working people—losing their health insurance.

Guest: Leo Cuello, research professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Children and Families and former Health Policy Director of the National Health Law Program.

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

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What Next: TBD | Online and Pregnant

Sun, 11 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000

The intimate and extremely personal experience of bringing a child into this world? There’s an app for that…and forums…and so much advice…that contradicts other advice…and a surprising amount of eugenics.

Guest: Amanda Hess, critic at the New York Times and author of the book “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age.”

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What Next | Will HHS Survive RFK Jr?

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:00:00 -0000

At his first press conference as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr. gave a glimpse of what the department will look like under his leadership: a smaller overall budget, relitigating settled scientific questions.

Guest: Kiera Butler, senior editor and reporter at Mother Jones and author of Raise: What 4-H Teaches Seven Million Kids and How Its Lessons Could Change Food and Farming Forever.

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

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Amicus | Playing Chicken With the Constitution

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Ever since March 15, when three flights carrying hundreds of men who had been afforded zero due process left United States airspace and landed in El Salvador, American democracy has been hurtling toward an internal conflict that the federal judiciary would very much prefer to avoid, but just keeps getting more unavoidable. On this week’s Amicus podcast, Mark Joseph Stern is joined by Leah Litman for the first half of the show. They discuss how, faced with a Trump administration that claims the ability to rewrite the Constitution on the fly, denies the ability to follow court orders, and dangles the possibility of extending its lawlessness to renditioning American citizens to a foreign prison, the federal judiciary this week did what the Supreme Court failed to do last week: explicitly call out the regime’s lawless actions. Aptly, Leah’s new book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes, comes out on May 13 and they discuss how the highest court’s enabling of Trump and MAGA more broadly has brought us to the constitutional precipice.

Next: In the six months since the re-election of Donald Trump, abortion and reproductive rights have been squished way below the fold, news-wise, obscured by an ever-mounting pile of terrifying headlines. But outside of the public glare, the legal landscape of reproductive rights has been shifting. Dahlia Lithwick talks to Mary Ziegler about her book Personhood: The New Civil War Over Reproduction. Together, they examine how notions of fetal and embryonic personhood are fueling punitive actions against women, physicians, and those who provide or seek healthcare related to reproduction.

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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What Next | Should Hospitals Drug Test New Moms?

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In an ongoing opioid epidemic, hospitals drug testing new mothers and their babies has an intuitive logic. But applied unequally, rife with false positives, and prone to disrupting those important early weeks, is it a best practice?

Guest: Shoshana Walter, investigative reporter for The Marshall Project

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

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Death, Sex & Money | Scorpion Venom and Coffee Enemas Didn't Cure My Mother's Cancer

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 07:40:00 -0000

At a time when skepticism about conventional medicine has become even more mainstream, we’re revisiting a story about the causes and effects of that mistrust. Archie Matlow’s mother refused to get a surgery that could have saved her life, which led to her and Archie trying to love each other while bitterly at odds.

You can listen to the full audio piece Archie made here, and you can order their memoir, Dead Mom Walking, here.

Also make sure to check out Archie’s New York Times piece, titled Why My Father Called Me Son, Daughter, He, She and It.

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What Next | How the Supreme Court Could Gut Planned Parenthood

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0000

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, a case that will determine whether South Carolina can cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

But with clear legal precedent stating that they can’t, how did this case even end up before the Supreme Court? And, given how far the court has gone to accommodate the MAGA agenda, is the outcome of this case in doubt?

Guest: Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent at Vox.

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

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What Next: TBD | This Is Your Brain On Ketamine

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Ketamine has gone from a recreational psychedelic to an approved treatment, and it has caught on in Silicon Valley in a big way. Are the long-term effects of using ketamine—recreationally or therapeutically—sufficiently known? Are we witnessing them right now?

Guest: Shayla Love, staff writer for the Atlantic.

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What Next TBD | Trump's War on Scientific Research

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0000

The National Institutes of Health is the primary engine of biomedical research around the world, which makes the Trump administration's dramatic cuts to its grant program both confusing and potentially incredibly harmful.

Guest: Katherine J. Wu, staff writer for the Atlantic.

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Care & Feeding | What Your Kid’s Skin Really Needs

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 18:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak, Lucy, and Elizabeth sit down with Dr. Sheilagh Maguinness — a board-certified pediatric dermatologist, an entrepreneur, and a social media star.

This episode is your one-stop shop for all things skin. We’ll talk about sun protection, rashes, acne, and whether our tweens and teens really need all of those Sephora products.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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How To! | Lose Your ‘Virginity’ at 43

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 08:20:00 -0000

For most of her life, Elizabeth was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which forbids having sex outside of marriage. But she recently left the Mormon faith, and now she’s ready to have sex for the first time—at age 43. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on Nicole Hardy, author of Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin to offer Elizabeth advice that’s relevant to anyone who’s ready to tap into their sexuality later in life—but unsure how (or where! or with whom!) to start.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Orgasm, How To Make Sexual Consent Sexy, and How To Be Free of Body Shame

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

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What Next TBD | Cracking the Egg Crisis

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Everyone’s talking about the price of eggs—so why are they so expensive? And when can we expect—if ever—the price to come back down?

Guests:

Dr. Jada Thompson, associate professor at the University of Arkansas

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Care & Feeding (After Dark) | Modeling Healthy Love

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak get together for our annual After Dark episode. This year, Lucy’s got a question about showing affection in front of the kids… and figuring out how to demonstrate what a healthy relationship looks like without making it weird.

If you want to catch up on last year’s After Dark episodes, do it: we talked about sex and did couple’s counseling.

And after that discussion, we’ll of course circle up for a round of triumphs and fails.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie, with special thanks to babysitter extraordinaire Rosemary Belson this week.

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How To! | Have the Best Sex of Your Life (Encore)

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Ever since she started taking a new medication a few years ago, Meme is worried that she’s lost her sex drive. She still has a great relationship with her husband, but she isn’t interested in sex the way that she used to be, and she’s worried it’s hurting her marriage. On this episode of How To!, we bring on sex educator Emily Nagoski, author of Come as You Are, to coach Meme through how to revamp her sex life. For busy couples, you should actually schedule a time on your calendar to be intimate. “Think of like when you were dating…that was date sex,” Emily reminds us. She then breaks down the myths that so many of us have internalized about sex, and shares surprising tips to help anyone—no matter their age or relationship status—have better sex.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Save Your Marriage.”

Podcast production by Derek John, Rachael Allen, and Rosemary Belson.

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Death, Sex & Money | After Sobriety, Chasing Goosebumps Instead of Highs

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:40:00 -0000

When the poet and writer Kaveh Akbar likes something, he really likes it. As a high school student, he got hooked on poetry. In college, it was alcohol. This week, Kaveh talks to Anna Sale about the factors that led to his sobriety, and he explains exactly how he manages a life that’s full of healthy, wonderful obsessions as well as problematic ones.

Kaveh’s critically acclaimed novel Martyr! is now available in paperback. You can read about his temporary fixation on collecting basketball cards in GQ.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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Dear Prudence | My Husband’s a Slob and I Want Out. Help!

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by Peloton instructor, author and podcast host Cody Rigsby. Together, they answer questions from someone who wants to end their marriage over housework, a person struggling to pronounce people’s names correctly, and someone navigating the grief of a homophobic bigot.

Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/prudie-plus to get access wherever you listen.

This week’s podcast is produced by Maura Currie, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Daisy Rosario.

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Culture Gabfest: Noah Wyle Lures Us Into The Pitt

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 08:20:00 -0000

On this week’s show, the hosts discuss Max’s new medical drama The Pitt – a show that we legally can’t call an ER reboot but does have Noah Wyle donning scrubs and handling the next bodily emergency yet again. Our regular hosts also discuss an article from the Intelligencer, The Cruel Kids’ Table about how young Republicans now feel empowered to bring cruelty back into public discourse. Finally, we welcome LA Film Critic Amy Nicholson to discuss the Oscar-nominated film September 5 about the hostage crisis during the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Also, we’re looking for a new Production Assistant! To apply, send us an email introducing yourself and give two ideas for segments to culturegabfestassistant@gmail.com.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel tackles the biggest luminary question of the year: Do you use ‘The Big Light’?

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements:

Dana: Just sort of a beautiful moment: Live wolf howls in Manitoba, Canada

Julia: Branded in Memory | Signs.com / Draw Logos From Memory – Test your recall and see if you can recreate popular brand logos

Steve: The Wired Starter Pack on bsky and Subscribe to Wired

Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry.

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Outward | Creating A Home for Trans Surgery Recovery

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0000

This week, Jules Gill-Peterson sits down with Owen Dempsey, the founder of Quest Healing House, a post-op recovery home providing safe, affordable lodging and wraparound support for transmasculine people. They discuss how Quest House, began, the urgent need for trans-led recovery spaces, and how the project has grown to meet community needs. Dempsey shares their vision for a future where no trans person has to heal alone—and why it’s so critical to talk about transition as an ongoing, years-long process.

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What Next TBD | RFK Jr. Is a Feature, Not a Bug

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Tapped by Trump for the role of health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presents himself as someone willing to say what other politicians won’t. But during his Senate confirmation hearings, both Democrats and Republicans questioned his previous statements about vaccines—and questioned whether he even knows what the job he’s trying to get entails. But his nomination signals that maybe it isn’t about vaccines - it’s about wanting to blow up the whole healthcare establishment.

Guest: Dan Diamond, White House correspondent for The Washington Post

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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How To! | Set Limits With an Ex

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Guillermo and his ex-wife divorced nearly a decade ago. They share custody of their son which, Guillermo says, lets her continue meddling in his life. He recently started dating someone and it’s getting serious, but he’s worried that his ex is going to destroy his new relationship. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Bill Eddy, author and co-founder of the High Conflict Institute. Bill explains how to set limits and impose consequences in truly difficult situations to preserve your peace of mind and foster happiness.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Do Divorce Right and How To Save a Friend from a Bad Relationship

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis.

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Care & Feeding | Should We Fight In Front Of the Kids?

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah talk about what to do when you’re arguing with your partner… but you have to do it in front of the kids. We’ll talk about how to model healthy disagreement — and when it’s time to hit pause.

We’ll also check in on where the hosts are this week – and then, if you’re coming to hang out on the Slate Plus Playground, the hosts are listening back to their 2024 resolutions and deciding if it truly was the year of “meh.”

If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how.

Jamilah’s check-in: everyone’s fine!

Elizabeth’s check-in: hot mess express!

Zak’s check-in: improv!

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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What Next TBD | The A.I. Will See You Now

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Artificial intelligence is coming to a doctor’s office near you—if it isn’t already there, working in an administrative role. Are you ready for generative A.I. to help your doctor diagnose you? Is your doctor ready to listen—with the necessary mix of humility and skepticism?

Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, Washington Post tech columnist.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Death, Sex & Money | Paid to Care: The Magic, and Mess, of Care Work

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Whether it's a nanny taking us to school or a home health aide helping us age in place, most of us will rely on paid caregivers at some point in our lives. For the next two episodes, we'll talk to professional caregivers about the emotional and economic reality of the intimate work they do.

In episode one, we hear from two eldercare workers: Rahn*, whose relationships with patients have helped heal emotional wounds from his childhood, and Tita Rose, a Filipina immigrant who uncovered exploitation at a nursing home. Plus Goldi, a nanny, recounts how she handled a father’s inappropriate advances and how that experience changed her approach to working for parents.

*We used first names or pseudonyms in this story.

Will you be in the Bay Area on January 31st? Anna is hosting Sketchfest, a comedy show at Club Fugazi at 7pm. Get tickets and more info here.

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

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Dear Prudence | My Husband’s a Nurse… and an Alcoholic. Help!

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by podcast producer Vic Whitley-Berry. Together, they answer letters from a concerned spouse over their husband’s drinking, a mom trying to get her daughter to apologize to her aunt, and someone who can’t avoid going down the rabbit hole of social media.

This week’s podcast is produced by Maura Currie, Daisy Rosario, and Anuli Ononye.

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What Next TBD | The Cost of Suicide Prevention Software

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Between a third and half of American schoolchildren have a form of “mental health monitoring” software on their school devices, which scans for and flags certain keywords.

While intuitively appealing, is it worth the false positives, privacy issues, and compromised trust?

Guest: Ellen Barry, mental health reporter for the New York Times.

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Well, Now: The Future of Wellness

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:10:00 -0000

After a year of nuanced conversations on wellness, we say goodbye by reflecting on how these discussions expanded what it means to live a full, well-balanced life.

We’re also joined again by longevity expert Dr. Darshan Shah to discuss what needs to change to make wellness more accessible for everyone.

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

The Well, Now team is grateful to every listener who’s sent us a note. We’re not sure how long the address will work, but if the show mattered to you, we’d love to read your emails: wellnow@slate.com

Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page.

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Care & Feeding | I’m Dreaming of a Full Night’s Sleep

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 19:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah and Zak help a member of the Slate Parenting Facebook group whose whole household is struggling with a little one’s sleepless nights. We’ll talk about how to help a kid settle, and stay settled… and why it might not be smart to watch the clock.

After that, of course, we’ll circle up to share some Triumphs and Fails.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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Well, Now: Is Longer Life Really Possible?

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 10:10:00 -0000

For eons, humans have been trying to find ways to live longer.

It’s a quest that’s inspired legends and myths across cultures and continues to fuel controversy in the health and wellness industry today.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with Dr. Darshan Shah to better understand longevity science and hear about his journey from performing surgery to creating the longevity clinic Next Health.

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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How To! | Exorcise Your Fitness Demons

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 09:20:00 -0000

Sandy is a former college athlete who knows how to exercise—at least, she used to. These days, she’s feeling lost without a coach, a workout plan, or much free time. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Danielle Friedman, author of Let’s Get Physical and a contributor to the New York Times Well section. Danielle explains how to embrace movement that you love, make it fit into your life—and actually stick with it.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Start Strength Training and How To Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrea.

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What Next | Why United Healthcare Is Easy to Hate

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO prompted an outpouring of glee online. A look into UnitedHealthcare’s business practices—and the American healthcare system as a whole—can help explain why.

Guest: Dan Diamond, national health reporter for The Washington Post.

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

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Well, Now: Staying Sober This Holiday Season

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 10:10:00 -0000

For many, the holiday season is both a joyful time with friends and family and a period of high stress with dangerous ways to cope. This can be especially challenging for people with substance use disorder.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita discuss addiction and recovery with Zac Clark. Reality TV fans may remember him as a contestant on The Bachelorette, where he opened up about his history with drug abuse and how his journey to sobriety led him to create Release Recovery, an addiction and mental health recovery program based in New York City.

If you liked this episode, check out: How Nick Cannon Got Celebrities to Open Up About Their Mental Health

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Amicus | The Right’s About-Turn on Parental Rights

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

When it comes to gender affirming care for teenagers, parents’ rights no longer matter. Doctors’ opinions no longer matter. Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in United States. v Skrmetti, challenging Tennessee’s ban on healthcare for trans kids, and upending half a century of gender protection doctrine.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, who will also be the first openly trans lawyer to argue at SCOTUS when he argues, alongside the Biden administration, representing the parents and physician of trans adolescents seeking care, in what will be the biggest trans rights case the court has ever heard. Chase and Dahlia dig through the doctrine to reveal the conservative legal movement’s deep hypocrisy when it comes to trans rights as compared to the rights of parents and doctors when it comes to abortion.

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Well, Now | More Than Hot Flashes: Breaking the Silence on Menopause

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:10:00 -0000

More than half the population will experience menopause if they’re fortunate enough to age. Yet so much of this full-body transformation remains a mystery.

Journalist and filmmaker Tamsen Fadal is out to change that.

Her new documentary The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause premiered on PBS earlier this year. In it, her team interviews patients and health experts worldwide about the lack of research into this important stage of life.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya ask her what can be done to better care for the millions of women experiencing it now and in the future.

If you liked this episode, check out: Michelle Obama Gets Health Advice From This Gyno. Now You Can, Too.

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with oversight from Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next: Which Came First, the Bird Flu or the Egg?

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

As Thanksgiving approaches the price of eggs is spiking again. But it wasn’t just inflation this time – it was also the rising number of cases of avian flu. How can the USDA, FDA, and CDC contain an outbreak in a country that both hates taking preventative measures and won’t tolerate any disruption in their food supply chain?

Guest: Marcia Brown, food and agriculture reporter at POLITICO.

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

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What Next | A New Strategy for Banning Abortion

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The Supreme Court threw out the last attempt to ban mifepristone, the “abortion pill,” because they couldn’t figure out who in the case was being injured. Now three states are claiming they are being harmed, because abortion access is preventing population growth for them

Guest: Linda Greenhouse, Supreme Court reporter for the New York Times from 1978 to 2008, author and winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize.

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

Disclosure in Podcast Description: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more.

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Care & Feeding | Can I Explain Germs To My Toddler?

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 08:10:00 -0000

On this episode: we’re weighing how to teach little ones about the dangers of germs… without making it sound too scary. We’ll talk about how to explain why eating off the floor is bad… without unlocking some new fears.

We’ll also check in on where the hosts are this week – and then, if you’re coming to hang out on the Slate Plus Playground, we’re calling a meeting of the C&F weed caucus to order.

If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how.

Jamilah’s check-in: let’s unpack that

Elizabeth’s check-in: bestie inbound

Zak’s check-in: out and about and car-free

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

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What Next: TBD | Is Sickle Cell Anemia…Cured?

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Last May, a 12-year-old with sickle cell anemia was the first person to receive a new gene therapy to treat the disease. The process is painful, expensive, and still frightening and uncertain, but biomedical researchers are cautiously calling it a “cure.”

Guests:

Gina Kolata, medical reporter for the New York Times

Deb and Keith Cromer, parents to Kendric Cromer, the first person in the world to go through a commercially approved gene therapy for sickle cell anemia.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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A Word | A Mother of a Crisis

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

A sizable number of pregnancies end in a loss, whether to miscarriage, still-birth or abortion. But until very recently, discussions of these losses were kept out of public—and policy—conversations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Colleen Long and Rebecca Little, co-authors of the book, “I’m Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America.” They share their own stories of pregnancy loss, and what they learned about the range of experience from dozens of interviews for their book. They also offer their insights about why reproductive rights remain popular, even when the politicians who champion them aren’t.

Guest: Colleen Long and Rebecca Little, co-authors of “I’m Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America.”

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Well, Now: Creating an Exercise Routine That’s Right for You

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:10:00 -0000

Regular movement is crucial for lifelong health, but finding a routine that fits well in your life can be challenging and overwhelming.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak to retired volleyball player Gabby Reece on transitioning out of professional sports and talk about ways to realistically bring performance-level fitness to every kind of exercise routine.

If you liked this episode, check out: Breaking Up With Diet Culture

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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ICYMI | Is ChatGPT Your Therapist?

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim, with production assistance from Alexandra Botti and Kat Hong.

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Well, Now: Being a “Likeable Badass” Could Improve Your Health

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 10:10:00 -0000

How do women gain social influence?

Understanding this is crucial because research shows they often face unique challenges in having their voices heard and their expertise recognized, even in highly qualified fields like medicine.

The consequences of this could be dire, both for female patients and their healthcare providers.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now, Kavita and Maya talk with psychologist Alison Fragale about the science behind effective social influence. Her new book is Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve.

If you liked this episode, check out: Who Cares for the Caregivers?

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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How To!: Man Up About Male Birth Control

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 09:20:00 -0000

Contraception is a huge burden for women and people with uteruses to bear. What would it look like—on a personal, cultural, and medical level—if more men took on that responsibility? Today on How To!, a conversation about gender equity for reproductive care, from changes in sexual education to more accessible vasectomies to the development of new contraception methods. Carvell Wallace welcomes two guests: Dr. Sarah Miller, a board-certified family physician and family planning specialist at Northeast Vasectomy and Family Planning, where she provides many vasectomies. And: Dr. Brian Nguyen, associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California, sub-investigator for a network of male-contraceptive clinical trials, and director of The EMERGE Lab.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Make Sexual Consent Sexy and How To Orgasm.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis.

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What Next: Protecting Abortion, Electing Trump

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Donald Trump’s position on abortion was opaque enough that even states that passed protections for abortion rights still voted for him by a large margin. But even if a national abortion ban—something JD Vance has spoken in favor of—is probably untenable politically, how else could the incoming administration restrict access to abortion across the country?

Guest: Caroline Kitchener, national reporter covering abortion for the Washington Post.

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

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Well, Now: Getting to the Heart of Hormonal Health

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:10:00 -0000

Hormones influence everything from mood and energy levels to fertility and long-term health.

Yet for many, hormonal health remains shrouded in mystery.

When women do seek guidance from their OBGYNs, they’re often told birth control is the only option for treating hormone-related issues like PCOS and endometriosis.

But that wasn’t going to cut it for Alisa Vitti.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya tackle hormonal health with the FLO Living CEO and see what other options are available when treating hormone imbalances.

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Well, Now: Weed’s Growing (and Alarming) Side Effects

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 09:10:00 -0000

Nearly half of states – 24 and Washington, D.C – have legalized recreational marijuana. As more people report regularly using it, physicians are seeing patients with alarming side effects related to their cannabis use.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya sit down with internist and pediatrician Dr. Brittany Tayler to better understand these conditions and who could most likely get them.

If you liked this episode, check out: Psychedelics’ Long Strange Trip to the Doctor’s Office

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

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Care & Feeding: Revisiting Modern Puberty, Explained

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We’re always getting questions about puberty. And even if we’re not dealing with a question explicitly about puberty, it seems like this topic always finds a way to come up anyway… like in last Thursday’s episode, for example.

And puberty is always in the news – just this year, the NIH published research about precocious puberty caused by chemicals in personal care products. And Harvard researchers developed an existing theory that socioeconomic factors might be linked to an early onset of puberty, too.

So we thought this might be a good time to re-share this great interview from last year — where Jamilah sat down with Cara Patterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, authors of This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained. They’ve got some amazing insights to share, and we’d love for you to hear them if you haven’t already.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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What Next: Abortion Is on the Ballot. Republicans Have a Plan.

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

When put to the voters, abortion rights have been winning over stricter restrictions even in places like deeply red Kansas. But Florida Republicans are working hard to defeat a ballot measure that would roll back the state’s six-week abortion ban—and they might have found a formula to win.

Guest: Grace Panetta, political reporter at The 19th.

We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.

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

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Well, Now | Puberty is Starting Earlier and Lasting Longer. Why?

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:10:00 -0000

Puberty is changing, and we’re not talking about developing Adam’s apples and growing hair in new places.

It starts earlier and lasts longer.

Regardless of when this necessary stage of life starts, youth and their adults need support going through it.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now puberty expert Vanessa Kroll Bennett discusses the biggest ways puberty has changed for today’s youth and how best to navigate it.

She’s co-host of the podcast This Is So Awkward with Dr. Cara Natterson and co-author of This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained.

If you liked this episode, check out: Can Kids Be Healthy at Any Size?

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted?

Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

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How To!: Cope With Forever Parenting

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

As the parent of five kids, Sadie is no stranger to feeling overwhelmed. Most of her kids have left the nest, but one adult daughter has severe autism and can’t live or work on her own. Facing the end of school-based support services, Sadie has to figure out what comes next for her daughter—and for herself. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Sarah Wayland, the founder of Guiding Exceptional Parents, to talk about parenting two autistic young adults and how to ask for help.

Links mentioned:

If you liked this episode check out: How To Hack Any Bureaucracy, How To Date With a Disability, or How To Fill an Empty Nest.

How To!’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrea.

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Gabfest Reads: Finding Happiness During This Election Year

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 07:05:00 -0000

Political Gabfest host John Dickerson talks with author Dan Harris about his re-released book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, And Found Self-Help That Actually Works – A True Story in light of the looming November 5 vote. They discuss the steps to coping with election anxiety, how to benefit from group dynamics (instead of letting the doom-scrolling get to you), 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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Care & Feeding: My Kid Really Doesn’t Want “The Talk”

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 18:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak and Elizabeth help a listener whose son is at the perfect age to learn about the birds and the bees. There’s just one problem: he really doesn’t want to know. We’ll help our listener with some strategies for communicating the important stuff, while still respecting a shy kid’s limits.

We’ll also circle up for a round of triumphs and fails.

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 Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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Well, Now: Can Kids Be Healthy at Any Size?

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 09:10:00 -0000

We live in a weight-obsessed world, and children are not immune.

From the moment a child is born, their weight and height are tracked and recorded. Then throughout their development, these metrics are used as one of the main factors to determine their health.

But as the Health at Every Size (HAES) philosophy continues to gain traction for some adults, is there use for it as a part of growing children’s well-being, too?

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita speak with pediatric dietitian Jill Castle and her approach to children’s health, which marries the traditional medical approach with a body-postive, HAES model.

Her latest book is Kids Thrive At Every Size: How to Nourish Your Big, Small, or In-Between Child for a Lifetime of Health and Happiness.

If you liked this episode, check out: Eating for Health

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next: Overdose Deaths Are Going Down. Why?

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

According to a new CDC report, the number of overdoses in America is finally dropping after rising for years. What’s behind this rare good news in the ongoing opioid crisis?

Guest: David Ovalle, reporter covering opioids and addiction at the Washington Post

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

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Death, Sex & Money | Search Engine: When Is It Time to Stop Drinking?

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 07:40:00 -0000

Anna talks to PJ Vogt, host of the podcast Search Engine, about his distinct writing and interviewing style. Then we share one of our favorite episodes of Search Engine, which leads with the question: When do you know it's time to stop drinking? In that episode, you'll hear PJ talk to A.J. Daulerio, who writes a newsletter about recovery called The Small Bow and writes an addiction advice column for Slate called Ask A.J.

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What Next TBD | 23andMe...And a Looming Data Disaster

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

How did 23andMe go from the peak of the double-helix to a death spiral? And if it goes, is all of the genetic data it collected at risk of leaking?

Guest: Kristen V. Brown, staff writer covering health for The Atlantic.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Well, Now: Are Supplements Actually Worth It?

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 09:10:00 -0000

Go to the supplement aisle at the grocery store, and the options are endless. Scroll through any Instagram or TikTok feed, and you’re bound to see videos of people claiming their latest supplement is life-changing.

Supplements can be used for health and wellness, but it’s important to know the facts before buying the next trendy capsule, pill, tincture, or gummy.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita give you helpful tools to decide what supplements are worth the hype and which are just out to get your money.

If you liked this episode, check out – Gut Check: How to Master Your Microbiome

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Death, Sex & Money: My Father Planned His Death. I Didn’t Stop Him.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 07:40:00 -0000

One day on his morning Uber route, Jason Armstrong got an email from his father. The message: at 85, he'd decided to end his life by stopping eating and drinking. Jason's first reaction? This was the "ultimate act of narcissism." But over the next few months, as Jason witnessed his dad's careful preparations, his perspective shifted. In this episode, Jason talks to Anna about processing his father's choice - from panic attacks on morning walks to a poignant final night sharing tiny sips of favorite drinks, and opens up about grappling with love, tenderness, and what it means to honor a parent's wishes, even when they're hard to accept.

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

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What Next TBD: Helene Proves Nowhere is Safe

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the idea of a climate haven has been upended. And as the climate change gets worse every year, fewer places will be safe from its devastation.

Guest: Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post climate reporter covering humanity's response to a warming world.

Keith Campbell, managing editor at the Asheville Watchdog

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Well, Now: What It’s Really Like to Take Ozempic

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 09:10:00 -0000

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, WeGovy, Mounjaro and others revolutionized weight loss and chronic weight management. But what does it feel like for the patients who take them?

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya talk with journalist and author Johann Hari. Over the course of a year, Johann dived into the research and history behind GLP-1 drugs and how they became the latest and most effective way to lose weight. All the while, he was also taking Ozempic himself.

His latest book Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs takes a personal and research-based look at the revolutionary, controversial rise of GLP-1 drugs for weight management.

If you liked this episode, check out: The Full Truth About Ozempic and Doctors Agree: Obesity is a Disease. The Public Needs to Catch Up.

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Death, Sex & Money: My Secret Life as a Hoarder

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 07:40:00 -0000

Elizabeth* has a secret life as a hoarder. None of her colleagues or family members know that her apartment is filled to the brim with garbage bags, discarded hobbies and beautiful writing paper. Instead, she hosts an anonymous podcast detailing her struggles and efforts to declutter. In this episode, she talks to Anna about her complicated relationship with objects, how it relates to money anxiety and sexual identity, and how she’s trying to be more honest with people in her life.

* Elizabeth is a pseudonym. Her podcast is called, That Hoarder: Overcome Compulsive Hoarding.

Also this week, a listener asked for recommendations on how to rekindle old friendships. Have thoughts? Send them to deathsexmoney@slate.com. Here are some links to episodes, and Slate advice, on friendship.

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

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How To!: Care for an Aging Parent

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The How To! hosts love helping listeners find the answers they need. But sometimes a host needs help, too. On this episode, Courtney Martin and her brother, Chris, open up about how their father’s dementia has led them to upend their own lives in order to become his caregivers. To help Courtney and Chris talk through what comes next, Carvell Wallace welcomes Dr. Allison Applebaum, whose book Stand by Me chronicles her own caregiving journey and her work at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Caregivers Clinic.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Help a Loved One With Dementia and How To Make Aging Easier for Everyone

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae.

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Dear Prudence: My Friend Keeps Disappearing and it Hurts! Help!

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Rachel Bloom (The CW musical comedy-drama series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Netflix’s Death, Let Me Do My Special) joins our Guest Prudie (Cheyna Roth) to answer letters from readers about how to handle a newly sober (and vegan) friend getting super judgy, what to do when you become friends with an ex-boyfriend and then that boyfriend gets a jealous girlfriend, and whether not wanting to listen to your friend group’s constant griping constitutes an intervention.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Cheyna Roth, Maura Currie, and Anuli Ononye.

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Well, Now: The Truth About IUDs

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Modern IUDs have been used for decades to prevent unwanted pregnancy and have been extremely effective at doing so.

But they’re not without side effects. With few places to turn, many patients have resorted to TikTok to describe their experiences of painful insertion and removal as well as cramping, changes in menstruation, and mood shifts.

But patients don’t have to be left in the dark. If there was more research into how different bodies react to IUDs, there’s a chance patients can get the care they need without as drastic of side effects.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita talk with Dr. Kavita Nanda, the Director of Medical Research for FHI360, on why there is so little research into IUDs, what we do know about them, and how you or a loved one can prepare for a conversation with your doctor about them.

If you liked this episode, check out: Michelle Obama Gets Health Advice From This Gyno. Now You Can, Too.

Further Reading: Why Is It So Hard to Get a Basic Question Answered About My IUD

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with help from Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola. Editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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A Word: Yvette Nicole Brown: Caring and Community

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Yvette Nicole Brown spent years working in Hollywood before she got her big break. Then she rose to fame with her comedic turns in Community and Drake & Josh. But her latest –and perhaps most important– role is as caregiver to her father. That experience is at the heart of her storytelling as host of the new podcast Squeezed, focused on the millions of Americans who find themselves balancing caregiving with careers. On today’s episode of A Word, Yvette Nicole Brown speaks with Jason Johnson about the caregivers who shared their stories on Squeezed, and what the rest of the nation –from neighbors, to friends, to political leaders– can do to support caregiving.

Guest: Yvette Nicole Brown, actress and podcast host of Squeezed.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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How To!: Rethink Screen Time

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 08:20:00 -0000

Ben has two sons in the fourth grade. Like a lot of kids, they love YouTube videos, gaming, movies, and other online entertainment. Before his sons begin using social media, Ben wants to ensure they develop a good relationship with tech—and he’s ready to recruit other families at their school to agree upon some rules of engagement. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings in Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education and ASCD. He’s also the author of Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World. He shares his refreshingly practical approach to tech, screen time, and social media.

Resources Mentioned:

Guide to create healthy conditions in schools

If you liked this episode check out: How To Face the A.I. Revolution and How To Help Teachers Thrive

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson and Sara McCrae.

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What Next: The Pandemic Lessons We’ve Forgotten

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Rather than coming out of the pandemic with a new toolkit of public health measures or even personal habits, the response to this summer’s long wave of COVID infections has mostly been to continue with business as usual. But business as usual seems inadequate with mpox and bird flu crises on the horizon.

Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter at the New York Times.

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

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Well, Now: How to Prepare for Back-to-School Season

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Summer is ending and school is officially back in session. For many, a new school year is the perfect time to create new goals and establish a routine.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by primary care pediatrician, Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez. She discusses the importance of navigating the back-to-school season as a family, highlighting how parents can support their children and prioritize health and wellness.

If you liked this episode, check out: Spring Cleaning Your Medicine Cabinet

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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How To!: Survive a Disaster

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 08:20:00 -0000

After a tree destroyed Tucker’s roof during a tornado, he felt lucky to be alive—and underprepared for the next disaster his family might face. On this episode, Courtney Martin welcomes back author and former How To! host Amanda Ripley to discuss emergency preparedness and how regular citizens can react smarter during a devastating event. Amanda’s newly updated book is The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why.

After listening to this conversation, seek out (and save) this information:

CERT Training
Your state’s homeland security website
Your county’s emergency management agency
Local emergency alerts

If you liked this episode check out: How To Keep Cool in a Crisis and How To Cope With Climate Anxiety. Also mentioned: How To Pick a College (and Actually Afford It) and How To Take a Gap Year

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae.

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What Next TBD: The Misguided Buzz About Mosquitoes

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

An outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis in the northeast made headlines, but as far as mosquito-borne illnesses go, EEE is serious but still rare. What’s getting way too common is the mosquito itself.

Guest: Amesh Adalja, doctor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Well, Now: What Drag Queens Can Teach Us About Healthcare

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Drag is one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment, and has been making its way into the mainstream in recent years. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by drag queen, actress, and trans activist, Miss Peppermint. She provides insight on self-advocacy, and how to navigate the healthcare system despite society’s tendencies to overlook transgender health.

If you liked this episode, check out: Ending Racism in Healthcare

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want more Well, Now? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Well, Now show page. Or, visit https://slate.com/wellnowplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Death, Sex & Money: The Weight of Love

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Your stories about how navigating weight and body size inside a relationship has sometimes made your partnerships stronger…and sometimes broken them apart.

Since we originally recorded this episode in 2021, the way we talk about weight loss has changed with drugs like Ozempic. We want to hear more of your stories about weight and love especially if you’ve taken new weight loss medications. How has the experience impacted your close relationships? Record a voice memo or write us an email and send it to us at deathsexmoney@slate.com.

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Working: An Artist’s Guide to ADHD and Getting Stuff Done

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Andy J. Pizza, an illustrator and creator of children’s books who’s also the host of the Creative Pep Talk podcast. In the interview, Andy explains what it’s like to be a working artist with ADHD, and he shares some strategies that have helped him channel his attention, accomplish tasks, and evolve in his career.

After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas talk about creating like a child and the importance of “useless” friends.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Andy discusses some of his favorite music.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

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 Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

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What Next TBD: Back To School… Without Phones

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Since the pandemic, schools have been reporting that their students are more anxious and having trouble learning. How much does simply removing cell phones from the classroom address these problems?

Guests:

Laura Meckler, national education writer for the Washington Post

Russell Shaw, head of Georgetown Day School and author of “Why We’re Banning Phones at Our School” for the Atlantic.

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Well, Now: Eating for Health

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Health at Every Size is an approach that shifts the focus from dieting and weight loss and instead promotes healthy eating and exercise patterns, regardless of body size and weight. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, Shana Spence, registered dietitian and nutritionist, provides insight on how to foster a healthy relationship with food.

If you liked this episode, check out: How Your Food Can Fight Climate Change

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com Want more Well, Now? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Well, Now show page. Or, visit https://slate.com/wellnowplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Well, Now: How to Reclaim Your Life After a Health Crisis

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Every year, millions of Americans experience a stroke. Though the focus is often on prevention and immediate care, many patients are left with long-term effects for years –or even a lifetime– afterward. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we dive into new approaches to overcome the cognitive and physical disabilities that often follow a stroke. Dr. Rajiv Ratan, executive director at Burke Neurological Institute, offers his insights.

If you liked this episode, check out – Gut Check: How to Master Your Gut Microbiome

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next TBD: The Rise of Off-Brand Ozempic

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are in high demand and short supply. The internet makes it easy for you to have a compounding pharmacy whip you up a batch—but should you?

Guest: Kate Knibbs, senior writer at Wired.

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Well, Now: Food Is More Than Fuel

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We all know the food we eat directly impacts our physical health. But that’s just the start of the story.

Food fuels our emotional well-being, connects us with one another, and fosters a key source of identity.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with award-winning food journalist Mary Beth Albright on her new book Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being.

If you liked this episode, check out: No, Netflix Isn’t Forcing You to Go Vegan

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Decoder Ring: The Hysteria Over Mass Hysteria

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

“Hysteria” is an ancient word carrying thousands of years of baggage. Though the terminology has changed, hysteria has not gone away, and in its most baffling instances it can even be contagious. The idea of a mass psychogenic illness can be hard to wrap your head around. A group of people begins experiencing physical symptoms, because of something that started in one of their minds? In today’s episode Dan Taberski, the host of Hysterical, a new podcast about mass hysteria, walks us through the past and present of this phenomenon, why it’s so stigmatized, and why it shouldn’t be.

This episode was written by Evan Chung and Willa Paskin and produced by Evan. We produce Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman and with help from Sofie Kodner. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Special thanks to Marialexa Kavanaugh and Alexandra Anderson.

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, we’d love for you to sign up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to listen to Decoder Ring and every other Slate podcast without any ads. You also get unlimited access to Slate’s website. Member support is crucial to our work. So please go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

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Death, Sex & Money: Miranda July’s Perimenopausal Thriller

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

When Miranda July entered her early forties, she noticed a grim feeling emerge. “It wasn't coming from me,” she said, “I guess it came from this lack of imagery, or stories, or even just basic medical information about what was going to happen next with my body.” The dearth of information and near absence of cultural mythology about perimenopause and menopause became the catalyst for her novel All Fours, which came out in May and quickly became a New York Times bestseller.

In this episode, Miranda talks about the unease that inspired the book and speculates about what the future could look like if more people openly discussed this crucial chapter of life. We also hear from listeners who share their experiences with perimenopause and menopause.

The interview with Miranda was recorded live in San Francisco for City Arts & Lectures.

You can check out a great profile of Miranda, which is referenced in the episode, here:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/05/20/miranda-july-profile

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram, and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, or critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.

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Care & Feeding: Why Is My Friend Body Shaming Toddlers?

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 18:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth and Zak help a listener who’s wondering why her friend is bodyshaming her own toddler so intensely — not to mention our listener’s kid, too — and what to do about it. These kids are still little enough to avoid lifelong damage to their relationships with food, and their bodies… but where’s the line when it comes to telling this friend to shut it and let the kids eat cake?

We’ll also debrief with a round of parenting Triumphs & Fails — and we'll share an update on the tricky question we tackled earlier this week about not liking your kid.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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What Next: The Olympics Meet the Culture Wars

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

How Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting—two women boxers fighting in the gender category they were assigned at birth—became the targets of trans panic and subject to another round of “but is she woman enough?” at the Olympics.

Guest: Rose Eveleth, reporter and host of the podcast Tested, from NPR and CBC.

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

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Well, Now: No, Netflix Isn’t Forcing You to Go Vegan

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Research going back decades shows adding more fruits, vegetables, and non-animal sources of protein helps us live longer, healthier lives.

A study featured in the Netflix docuseries You Are What You Eat: A Twin Study took that to the next level.

Stanford researchers asked 22 sets of identical twins to go 8 weeks eating a healthy, varied diet and regularly exercising. One twin ate an omnivore diet, the other vegan.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk to the lead researcher of the “twin study” Christopher Gardner on his findings and whether we really all need to go vegan to stay healthy.

If you liked this episode, check out: How Your Food Can Fight Climate Change

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Outward: Is Telehealth the Answer for Gender Affirming Care? with Sohini Desai

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

This week Jules speaks with journalist Sohini Desai about their latest article for Slate ‘Trans Health Care Is Under Attack. But Are Concierge Providers Really the Solution?’ Together they break down what these services offer and whether they can make a meaningful difference for trans people accessing healthcare across the country.

Produced by Palace Shaw

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Hear Me Out: The Olympics Are a Tool of Oppression

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: opening ceremonies (and a can of worms).

We come to you midway through the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. But amid the patriotism, athletic prowess, and sheer spectacle of these games — the most watched and streamed to date, by some measures — there’s also concerns about geopolitical power, human rights abuses, and the facilitation of facism.

MacIntosh Ross of Windsor University joins us to talk about the uglier facets of the Olympic Games.

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.

Want more Hear Me Out? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/hearmeoutplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next TBD: Why Are More Young People Getting Cancer?

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The age when you need to start being screened for cancers may need to be updated, as rates among younger people are on the rise. New testing methods could make the process a lot easier than, say, a colonoscopy - but they’re not perfect.

Guest: Dylan Scott, senior correspondent and editor for Vox.

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Decoder Ring: Standing Up for Sitting Down

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

If you’re lucky, it’s possible you’ve never thought much about sitting. It’s just something your body does, like breathing or sleeping. But in the last decade or so, sitting has stepped into the spotlight, as a kind of villain. In today’s episode, Slate’s Dan Kois tells us about his radical experiment to go without sitting for an entire month. Then to understand why sitting is under attack we look back at an earlier posture panic around slouching, and explore the role of hostile architecture.

This episode was written by Max Freedman and Willa Paskin and produced by Max. We produce Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd and Evan Chung. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

You heard “Sitting” by TJ Mack, aka Brian Jordan Alvarez, as remixed by Josh Mac. We’d like to thank Stephen Nessen and Rob Robinson. For some of the background on hostile architecture, we are indebted to the late Mike Davis’s book, City of Quartz, and in particular Chapter 4: “Fortress L.A.” Check out Dan Kois’ New York Magazine article about his exploits, “Sitting Is Bad for You. So I Stopped. For a Whole Month.”

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.

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Well, Now: How to Avoid Heat-Related Illness

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

It’s a fact that summers around the world are reaching record-breaking temperatures.

Heat-related illness and death have hit a crisis point, and staying cool is more important than ever.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with someone living in one of the country's hottest states.

Dr. Richard Carmona is a career first responder with more than 50 years of experience caring for people in crisis. A veteran of the U.S. Army as a special forces medic, Carmona also served as the 17th U.S. Surgeon General under President George W. Bush. Currently, Carmona is a professor at The University of Arizona in Tucson.

If you liked this episode, check out: How a Former Surgeon General Took on a $5,000 ER Bill

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Well, Now - Gut Check: How to Master Your Microbiome

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

A key component to wellness is gut health. But what determines if you have a healthy gut?

On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we dive into the fascinating world of the gut microbiome, a collection of bacteria and sometimes fungi that live in the human digestive system.

We are provided with insight from Dr. Colin Hill, professor of Microbiology at APC Microbiome Ireland on how to properly take care of your microbiome and why it is essential

If you liked this episode, check out – Doctors Agree: Obesity is a Disease. The Public Needs to Catch Up.

Well, Now is hosted by Dr. Kavita Patel and registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller.

Editing and podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Vic Whitley-Berry.

Editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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How To!: Date With a Disability

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Todd is looking for love, but he’s unsure about disclosing something in dating profiles: his multiple sclerosis. With symptoms that are increasingly visible, Todd feels compelled to be upfront about his disability with potential dates—but he doesn’t know when or how to discuss it. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Jessica Slice and Caroline Cupp, authors of Dateable: Swiping Right, Hooking Up, and Settling Down While Chronically Ill and Disabled. They give Todd guidance on having that talk, navigating ableism, and managing his own internal expectations.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Flirt With Confidence

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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Death, Sex & Money: What’s Missing From the Overdose Crisis Conversation

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

From a young age, James T. Morrison used drugs to help him feel better. He started with pills that were prescribed to him–medications like Xanax and Klonopin–but he soon moved on to basically whatever he could get his hands on. In this episode, James discusses his experience with substance use disorder, housing instability, and the criminal justice system. At a time when public officials and policy experts are debating ways to address the overdose crisis in the U.S., James discusses what humane drug policies could look like and how we as a society need to completely change the way we talk about drug use. We first learned about James’ story from an essay he wrote in Slate titled One More Day.

If you’d like to check out some of our previous episodes about substance use and recover, here’s a short list:

NOTE: We want to mention that this episode mentions suicide and self harm. If you or someone you love is struggling, please call 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews

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Well, Now: How Nick Cannon Got Celebrities to Open Up About Their Mental Health

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We all know about the mental health crisis wreaking havoc throughout the nation and world.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we’re continuing our ongoing discussions of mental health, and this time we’re tackling men’s mental health as a whole.

Prime’s new show Counsel Culture, hosted by Nick Cannon and medical professionals across the spectrum, invites men to open up about their histories with anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and more. Dr. Mike Dow is the resident psychotherapist for the program.

If you liked this episode, check out: Eating Disorders Are Rising Among Boys. Why?

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next TBD: The New World of DIY Medical Tests

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

“Home diagnostics” are a $5 billion industry—and growing. Spurred by social media, people are buying into at-home health tests, without input from their doctors, and often, not even the FDA.

Guest: Elizabeth Dwoskin, reporter for the Washington Post

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What Next: How to Survive This Heat

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Air-conditioning can feel like the only way to get through increasingly hot summers, but it’s an expensive, power-hungry way to keep cool.

How necessary is it? And how necessary is it to raise our thermostats up from 72 degrees?

Guest: Adam Clark Estes, senior technology correspondent at Vox.

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

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Well, Now: The Full Truth About Ozempic

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Few drugs in the last century have changed the landscape of healthcare and weight management like GLP-1 agonist drugs — drugs like Ozempic and WeGovy.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk with Harvard professor and clinician Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford.

Her research revolutionized obesity medicine and helped pave the way to get a diabetes drug approved for treating a condition millions have in the U.S.

If you liked this episode, check out – Doctors Agree: Obesity is a Disease. The Public Needs to Catch Up.

Well, Now is hosted by Dr. Kavita Patel and registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry.

Production assistance from Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

Editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Outward: What's A Gender Doula?

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Jules talks to Gender Doula Eli Lawliet. They break down what it means to offer non-medical support to people during transition, the long history of trans support networks, and the value of ritual and spirituality during transition.

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What Next: A Mom's Fight for a Fair Opioid Settlement

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Last week the Supreme Court ruled a $6 billion settlement between Purdue Pharma and victims of the opioid crisis could not move forward, because it granted immunity to the Sackler family, the principal owners of Purdue. For one of the litigants, a mother who has lost two sons to overdoses, the decision felt like “a sucker punch.”

Guest: Cheryl Juaire, part of the bankruptcy settlement with Purdue Pharma and founder of the non-profit organization Team Sharing, a support group for parents who have lost kids to overdoses.

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

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What Next: The Supreme Court’s Abortion Punt

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

When Roe v. Wade was overturned, a near-total abortion ban was triggered in Idaho, allowing for health exceptions only when “necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman.” But a case that found the ban in conflict with a federal law known as “EMTALA” went all the way to the Supreme Court, before being sent back to lower courts—neither overturning nor upholding Idaho’s ban.

Guest: Dr. Stacy Seyb, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in Boise, Idaho.

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

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Well, Now: Michelle Obama Gets Health Advice from This Gyno. Now You Can, Too.

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Women, girls, and people assigned female at birth make up more than half of the world’s population. Yet, many of them say they don’t feel supported, heard, or cared for in the doctor’s office — even in spaces designed specifically for their care like obstetrics and gynecology.

Dr. Sharon Malone, veteran OB/GYN, is on a mission to change that.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we speak with Dr. Malone on how to advocate for the care you deserve at every stage of life. It’s the subject of her new book Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy.

If you liked this episode, check out: How Doulas Make Childbirth Safer for Everyone

Well, Now is hosted by Dr. Kavita Patel and registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery. Production assistance from Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

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

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What Next TBD: Why Are IUDs Still a Mystery?

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The story of IUDs is a story of technology, reproductive rights, shortcomings in communication about women’s health, and politics.

Guest: Mia Armstrong-Lopez, managing editor at ASU Media Enterprise and author of a recent piece on IUDs for Slate.

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What Next TBD: Why Extreme Weather Keeps Surprising You

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Saying any one storm or heat wave or weather in general was “caused by climate change” is tricky—summer is, after all, usually pretty hot, and storms happen. But researchers are working on a model that brings “climate change” from abstract into the particular.

Guest: Daniel Swain, climate scientist at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, studying how extreme events are changing on a warming Earth.

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What Next: The OB-GYN Behind the Fight to Ban Mifepristone

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to uphold access to mifepristone left the door open for another case to be brought to ban the abortion pill. This physician is eager for another chance.

Guest: Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), associate scholar with the Charlotte Lozier Institute, a board member of Indiana Right to Life, physician member of the Abortion Pill Reversal Network.

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

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Well, Now: Psychedelics' Long Strange Trip to the Doctor's Office

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

For years, psychiatrists have been researching new methods to help people with treatment-resistant mental illness. These include severe cases of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other debilitating diagnoses.

One type of drug has seen some positive results in clinical trials: psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, and LSD.

In professional medical settings, they’re used as a part of a multifaceted approach to mental health treatment, including supervised therapy sessions while a patient is on a drug.

Recently the pharmaceutical manufacturer Lykos petitioned the FDA to approve the psychedelic MDMA as a part of caring for treatment-resistant PTSD.

Earlier this month, an advisory committee to the FDA released their vote of rejecting to approve the drug.

Now it’s up to the FDA to make the final call, but the odds are not in the favor of Lykos and many psychiatrists and patients who’ve seen positive outcomes as a result of these MDMA-assisted trials.

Psychiatrist and entrepreneur Dave Rabin is one of the doctors pushing to approve psychedelic-assisted therapy.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we ask him about the results of his trials using psychedelics in therapy as well as what he thinks the future holds for this field as we wait for the FDA’s final verdict.

If you liked this episode, check out: “As Little Regulation As Guns”: How Social Media Hurts Youth Mental Health

Well, Now is hosted by Dr. Kavita Patel and registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry, with support this week from Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

Editorial oversight from Alicia Montgomery, Vice President of Slate Audio.

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

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Dear Prudence: Revisiting Advice from Dr. Orna Guralnik

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from September 2023 with Dr. Orna Guralnik (host of Showtime’s Couples Therapy).

In this episode, Dr. Orna Guralnik joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about what to do when a friend is obsessed with misogynistic love and relationship podcasts, when your husband just can’t figure out birthday gifts, and when you’re wondering “Does therapy just not work for me?”

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

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What Next: Homelessness Before the Supreme Court

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The Supreme Court is soon expected to decide Grants Pass v. Johnson, a case where a town’s efforts to remove unhoused people from its parks became “cruel and unusual,” according to lower courts.

Guest: Dr. Bruce Murray, chief medical officer for the Mobile Integrative Navigation Team (MINT) in Josephine County, Oregon.

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

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Well, Now: Meet Gwyneth Paltrow’s Mold Guy

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Everyone knows the quality of the air we breathe directly affects our health.

As the summer rolls along and more people seek reprieve from the heat indoors, it’s important to be sure our indoor air is clean and toxin-free.

One pollutant to keep an eye out for is mold.

Mold inside a home could hurt your health both immediately and in the long term.

So to help us better understand how to spot mold in the home and how to get rid of it, we’re joined by air quality expert Michael Rubino, president of the Change the Air Foundation and the founder of HomeCleanse.

If you liked this episode, check out – Doctors Agree: Obesity is a Disease. The Public Needs to Catch Up.

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry, with support this week from Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

Editorial oversight from Alicia Montgomery, Vice President of Slate Audio.

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

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Death, Sex & Money: Mark Duplass on Making Money, Mental Health and Midlife

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Mark Duplass’s first big dream came true when he was 28: a movie he wrote and directed with his brother, Jay, got into The Sundance Film Festival. It was a major accomplishment, but Mark was miserable. “The week after Sundance was probably one of the worst weeks of my life because I realized I hit the top of the mountain. The top of the mountain didn't make me happy. So now what am I going to do?”

In this episode, filmmaker Mark Duplass talks about managing depression, what it’s like to have a creative partnership with his brother, and how they talk about making and spending money. “If I didn't have Jay as a partner, I would make a hundred mediocre movies a year, and if he didn't have me, he would die with two thirds of the greatest film ever made, not finished.”

Read: With Hollywood shedding jobs, here is help for coping with the slowdown

Podcast production by Andrew Dunn

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What Next; How IVF Became the GOP's Next Battle

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the Christian right seems to be setting its sights on banning in-vitro fertilization. But even though the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution against IVF, it’s a very popular and widely accepted procedure, which is why Senate Republicans signed a statement in favor of access to IVF, the same day almost all voted against protecting it by law.

Guest: Megan Messerly, health policy reporter at Politico.

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

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How To!: Start Strength Training

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Meg once was a terror in the world of roller derby. But these days, her sedentary lifestyle is making everyday physical activities a tad daunting. (We’re looking at you, groceries that need to be carried up four flights of stairs!). She wants to start lifting weights, but she’s unsure where to start—and whether she can avoid the bro-culture of many weight rooms. On this episode of How To!: Courtney Martin brings in writer and powerlifter Mikala Jamison, who was in Meg’s shoes not that long ago. She shares how she got started, why lifting is a lifelong journey, and what we can learn from the current zeitgeist for women’s strength training.

Resources mentioned:

Mikala’s Substack, Body Type

Book with simple lifting guide

Fitness trainer Meg Gallagher on Instagram

If you liked this episode check out: How To Be Free Of Body Shame or How To Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson and Kevin Bendis.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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Care & Feeding: Dads Can Suffer From Postpartum Depression, Too

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 18:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Lucy sits down with researcher and friend of the show Tova Walsh to talk about her work on dads who experience postpartum depression. Paternal mental health is a topic we don’t talk about nearly enough, so we wanted to give you some advice — and some resources to learn more and get help.

Tova wants to share the following:

Lucy, Zak and Elizabeth will also debrief on our week in parenting with a round of Triumphs & Fails — including ROLY-POLIES.

Listeners, we want your advice – and your questions – about how to prevent the dreaded summer backslide. You know where to find us (and if you don’t, keep reading).

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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What Next: Wait, Is JUUL Banned or Not?

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Two years ago, the FDA announced it was banning JUUL nicotine vapes from sale in the U.S.—and then quickly announced it was holding off on the ban to allow for review. How did regulating ecigarettes end up playing catch-up?

Guest: Jamie Ducharme, health correspondent at Time, author of Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul.

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

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Well, Now: Doctors Agree: Obesity is a Disease. The Public Needs to Catch Up.

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Ever since it showed up on the Body Mass Index, the label “obese” has been used to judge and often shame people with larger bodies.

Medical providers, family and friends, even strangers make assumptions about fat people’s health solely based on their size.

At the same time, excess quantities of fat can lead to poor health outcomes such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.

Over the decades, medical associations have evolved their understanding of obesity. The American Medical Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Obesity Society all classify obesity as a disease requiring medical treatment.

How does that change the way medical providers care for their obese and overweight patients? And does that mean people with fatter bodies can now face less discrimination?

As a part of a series of ongoing conversations on Well, Now on weight and health, we discuss the current medical definition of obesity and how to treat it with Dr. Angela Fitch, former Associate Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center.

If you liked this episode, check out: The Isolation of a Life-Threatening Diagnosis

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with oversight from Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Death, Sex & Money: My Shy Bladder

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Christopher Zara didn’t finish high school, and can sometimes feel like an outsider working in a field where it’s more common to have a college degree. Sometimes he’s able to push through his social anxiety, to put on a tough face. But other times his body won’t give him a chance to feel at ease – it seizes up, and in Christopher’s case that means not being able to pee even when he really, really has to.

“Imagine you’re unable to perform a basic function like move your hand or your leg,” Christopher said, “You're standing, in my case, in front of a urinal or wherever the bathroom is, and it just doesn't happen.”

In this episode, Christopher talks to producer Zoe Azulay about “paruresis,” more colloquially known as shy bladder syndrome, how it’s been disruptive to his life, how he thinks it's connected to class anxiety, and how it’s gotten better.

Christopher Zara’s memoir is called Uneducated: A Memoir of Flunking Out, Falling Apart, and Finding My Worth

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

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Well, Now: The Isolation of a Life-Threatening Diagnosis

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Each week, we’ve explored wellness from different perspectives, but we haven’t talked about what it means to live a full life while grappling with the real possibility of death.

Most of us hope for a full, long life with “good” health. But a serious, possibly fatal diagnosis changes everything: Our relationships with work, loved ones, and even the way we see ourselves.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with author, journalist, and artist Suleika Jaouad. Many learned about her work in the Oscar-nominated documentary American Symphony – which chronicled her marriage to musician Jon Baptiste as his career soared and her leukemia re-emerged.

But Suleika began documenting illness and identity long before starring in an award-winning film.

If you liked this episode, check out: “People Feel Like They’re Drowning”: The Long COVID Survivors Left Behind

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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How To!: Be Lonely

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Paula has a big family, lots of friends, and a girlfriend she adores. For most of her life, however, she has experienced an underlying and unshakeable sense of loneliness. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on Kristen Radtke, the writer and illustrator behind Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, to talk with Paula about an emotion that’s hard to talk about—and even harder to confront.

If you liked this episode, check out How To Find Your People and How To Survive a Silent Retreat.

How To! is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. Derek John is our executive producer.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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Death, Sex & Money: I Was Afraid of Losing Myself to Motherhood. I Found Myself Instead.

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Elissa Strauss always knew she wanted to be a mother, but she also knew she didn’t want motherhood to take over her personality. After all, she had spent years as a blogger making fun of anyone who took motherhood too seriously. She bemoaned the natural birth movement and people who made “mom friends.”

Then Elissa had a son, and her view of caretaking started to shift. “I had put so much energy into figuring out how not to lose myself to caregiving,” Elissa writes in her new book, “that I completely ignored the possibility that I might, in fact, find some of myself there.” In this episode, Anna and Elissa talk about why it feels uncool to talk about liking motherhood, the ways caretaking can take from us, but also how it can fill us up and engender “moral transformation.” Plus, the economics of care, and what really valuing care in society would look like.

Elissa’s book is called When You Care: the Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others. She also wrote a piece last month in Slate called “It’s Weird Times to Be a Happy Mother.”

Are you a paid caregiver? We want to hear from you for a future listener episode. Tell us some things you’ve taken away from the experience – wild stories, observations about class, lessons about the way you want your own loved ones to be cared for. Send us your thoughts and stories at deathsexmoney@slate.com.

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What Next TBD: Would You Buy Poop On the Internet?

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

“Fecal microbial transplants” treat someone’s unhealthy gut with poop from someone else’s healthy gut, and proponents of FMT claim it can help treat everything from IBS to autism. But if your doctor isn’t ready to fill you up with someone else’s poop, the internet will happily oblige.

Guest:

Luke Winkie, Slate staff writer who published “The Poop Broker.”

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Well, Now: How Doulas Make Childbirth Safer For Everyone

Wed, 29 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Everyone has a different birth experience.

Obstetricians and midwives are well-known members of the birth team. Along with the pregnant person, they are central to labor and delivery.

Doulas are lesser known, but they can provide essential support for pregnant women and their loved ones.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now: What to expect when working with a doula with Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow.

If you liked this episode, check out: Overcoming a Complicated Pregnancy

Well, Now is hosted by Maya Feller, CDN and Kavita Patel, MD.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Death, Sex & Money: Why You’re Not Having Sex

Tue, 28 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The dating app Bumble recently declared in advertisements that “a vow of celibacy is not the answer.” The ad campaign, which was met with a swift backlash, seemed to be responding to a prevailing notion that people are having less sex than they used to. Back in 2015, we asked our listeners why they weren’t having sex, and their reasons varied. Disability, religious beliefs, S.T.I.s, and differing libidos were all cited as factors. This week, we revisit those stories and reflect on sex and abstinence at a time when those things continue to spark debate.

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What Next TBD: Why Hospitals Keep Getting Hacked

Sun, 26 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Last year saw a record number of healthcare hacks with more than 700 separate incidents. And with a subsidiary of United Healthcare forking over a $22 billion ransom this year, the problem isn’t going away. With so much sensitive personal information on file, why aren’t hospitals and their ilk better prepared?

Guest:

Dina Carlisle, president of the local nurses union, OPEIU 40 in Michigan.

Justin Sherman, CEO of Global Cyber Strategies.

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ICYMI: The Ethics of the Therapist-Influencer

Sat, 25 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by internet culture writer and reporter Kate Lindsay whose recent Bustle article “My Therapist is a TikTok Star” explores the complicated dynamics that emerge when patients run into their therapists online.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

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Well, Now | “As Little Regulation as Guns”: How Social Media Hurts Youth Mental Health

Wed, 22 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Youth mental health has hit a crisis point.

Just last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory connecting young people’s use of social media with adverse mental health outcomes.

But Murthy and other public health leaders are fighting back, including New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan. He’s leading the charge against social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube through litigation and legislation.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now – holding social media companies accountable for the youth mental health crisis.

If you liked this episode, check out: Is it Burnout? Or, Do You Have a Busy Brain?

Well, Now is hosted by Kavita Patel, MD and Maya Feller, RD.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Death, Sex & Money: The Night Magic Mushrooms and Jam Bands Helped Me Walk Again

Tue, 21 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Before going on a kite-skiing trip to the Chilean mountains, Jim Harris and his longtime girlfriend broke up. She wanted to settle down, and he wanted to keep adventuring. On that trip, Jim broke his back and became paralyzed. After eight months of non-stop physical therapy his progress seemed to be stalled until one night at a concert he took magic mushrooms and noticed new movement in muscles that hadn’t worked since his accident. In this episode, Anna and Jim talk about his process of recovery, finding new identity, relationships, and ways to adventure and explore.

You can see Jim’s art and a portfolio of his wilderness adventures at PerpetualWeekend.com, and we first heard about Jim from an article in Outside Magazine.

Podcast production by Andrew Dunn.

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What Next TBD: The Dark Side of GoFundMe

Sun, 19 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In theory, crowdfunding sites offer an opportunity for anyone to give to any cause, including, say, strangers facing huge medical bills. In practice, crowdfunding suffers from many of the same inequities that led to someone needing to crowdfund to begin with.

Guest: Nora Kenworthy, author of Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare, associate professor at the University of Washington, Bothell.

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Well, Now: Is Biohacking a Scam?

Wed, 15 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

For many Americans, wellness is about mitigating and navigating disease. They’re looking for reliable ways to live healthier, longer lives.

But some are thinking even bigger than that and looking beyond what doctors view as the standard lifespan: 10, 20, 30, even 40 years beyond it. These people are often called “biohackers.”

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk to someone who’s considered the “Father of Biohacking” Dave Asprey on what exactly this movement is, and whether is it feasible for people who aren’t ridiculously rich.

If you liked this episode, check out: We Don’t Need to Cure Autism

Well, Now is hosted by Kavita Patel and Maya Feller.

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Death, Sex & Money: My Eating Disorder Turned Into an Obsession With Money

Tue, 14 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Vivian’s eating disorder started in college. She meticulously tracked calories and the number on the scale. Once she graduated she became less rigid with food, but her fixation with numbers took a new form: budgeting and saving money. In this episode, Anna talks to Vivian about her long and complicated relationship to mental math, how tracking calories and paychecks has helped distract her from painful loss, and how she’s managing with her money anxieties now as she plans a wedding and prenup.

Want to hear more about relationships and money? Check out an episode we made all about wedding costs last summer. And if you heard last week’s episode about a mobile health care clinic in rural Virginia, we have an important update from local reporting on the high levels of executive pay at the Health Wagon, which just prompted the Virginia legislature to cancel $800,000 of line item funding for the nonprofit. It's a developing story we'll be following.

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

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Well, Now: Overcoming a Complicated Pregnancy

Wed, 08 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

For many, pregnancy is a time of heightened and joyful anticipation. There are doctor’s appointments, tests, preparation…All with a focus on bringing home a healthy baby.

The other side of pregnancy–the complications–is not readily discussed.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss all of these potential roadblocks with economist Emily Oster. In her latest book The Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications, she arms patients with the data they need to advocate for themselves in their appointments.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out: How a Former Surgeon General Took on a $5,000 ER Bill

Well, Now is hosted by Kavita Patel, MD and Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Death, Sex & Money: Filling the Health Care Gap (and Filling Lips!) in Appalachia

Tue, 07 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Nurse practitioners Teresa Owens Tyson and Paula Hill-Collins have saved countless lives in rural Appalachia. They operate a mobile clinic called The Health Wagon that brings much-needed care to people who wouldn’t otherwise get it. Teresa and Paula have also been friends since they were 14 years old. They finish each other's sentences, crack jokes, and support each other through difficult times.

This week, Teresa and Paula join DSM to talk about their important work, their rock-solid friendship, and their exciting new side gig where they administer beauty treatments like botox and fillers.

We also hear from filmmaker Ramin Bahrani, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker who made a documentary about healthcare in the rural south called If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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What Next TBD: Bird Flu—It’s in Milk?

Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Bird flu isn’t new, you may even remember past outbreaks. But showing up in milk?

Is America ready if it leaps to spreading among humans?

Guest: Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist, senior advisor to the CDC

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A Word: A Decade of Disappointment

Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The city of Flint, Michigan made headlines in spring of 2014, after public officials recognized dangerously high lead levels in the water supply. After ten years and three presidents, many African American Flint residents say their health is still being compromised by their water, and civil actions aimed at compensating them have –so far– only enriched lawyers. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Adam Mahoney, the climate journalist for Capital B News. They discuss how the water crisis has affected everything from schools, to crime, to housing, and about ongoing efforts to make it right.

Guest: Adam Mahoney, climate reporter for Capital B News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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Well, Now: How a Former Surgeon General Took on a $5,000 ER Bill

Wed, 01 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Who hasn’t received necessary medical care and got a shockingly high bill for it weeks later?

Even with insurance, many Americans will experience this at some point–including one of the most recognizable doctors in the country: the U.S. surgeon general.

Earlier this year, Dr. Jerome Adams – who served as surgeon general for the Trump Administration – received a bill of nearly $5,000 after being treated for dehydration. What was his strategy for fighting it?

On this week’s episode of Well, Now: How to fight back when you receive a surprising medical bill.

If you liked this episode, check out: Ending Racism in Healthcare

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Money Talks: How to Get Fit Like the 1%

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Too busy running the rat race to…run? Former Wall Street Journal fitness columnist Jen Murphy has some advice. She chats with host Emily Peck about making time for diet and exercise and the value of investing in your health at any age and stage of life.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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AMICUS PREVIEW: Abortion Gaslighting is Back at SCOTUS

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:00:00 -0000

Listen to a preview of this urgent extra episode of Amicus. The full episode is available to our Slate Plus members. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

Wednesday morning, the court heard arguments in Moyle v. United States, the consolidated case tackling what levels of care pregnant patients can be provided in emergency rooms in states with draconian anti-abortion laws.

And on Thursday morning, the High Court will hear Trump v. United States, the case in which the former president - who is currently spending much of his time slouched at the defendant’s table in New York City - will claim a kind of vast sweeping theory of immunity that roughly translates as - “when you’re president, they let you do it. You can do anything”. In an extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern dig into what happened in the EMTALA arguments Wednesday morning and then look ahead to Thursday’s arguments in the immunity case.

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Well, Now: Living and Loving With OCD (feat. Allison Raskin)

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

A vital component of wellness is taking care of our mental health. But mental wellness is more than just drinking water, doing yoga, and going for a walk.

Author and podcaster Allison Raskin has lived most of her life with diagnosed mental illness.

By navigating her mental health journey over the years, she’s been able to find community and humor through her diagnoses, particularly by writing about her experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now – navigating wellness while living with mental illness.

Further reading: If My Mental Health Bothers You, I Understand

If you liked this episode, check out: Is it Burnout? Or, Do You Have a Busy Brain?

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Ahyiana Angel with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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How To!: Find Your People After a Mental Health Diagnosis

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

A few years ago, Leah was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Her condition has posed many serious challenges, including how to start and maintain friendships. She wants to build a rich social life, but her symptoms—and the stigmas surrounding mental health—often get in the way. When Leah does meet a new person, she struggles with how (and when) to talk about her diagnosis and feels intense pressure to be “the perfect friend.” On this episode of How To!: Carvell Wallace brings on psychotherapist Dr. Aleksandra Rayska for a frank conversation about managing expectations, celebrating new achievements, and just going easy on yourself.

If you liked this episode check out: How to Navigate Adult Autism.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson and Kevin Bendis.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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Care & Feeding: When – and Why – Are Teens Using Cannabis?

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak sits down with Dr. Nicole Schultz of UC Davis to talk about teens and marijuana. It’s a different world than when we were growing up — so we have Dr. Schultz share her understanding of why and how teens are using cannabis.

Elizabeth, Lucy and Jamilah also share a round of recommendations — and then, for Slate Plus, our mom-hosts circle up to talk about how they remember being talked to about drugs… and whether DARE worked on, well, anyone.

Elizabeth recommends: iHome Slim USB Wall Charger

Lucy recommends: Have your kids make a movie

Jamilah recommends: Jane The Virgin

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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ICYMI: How a Chinese Glycine Manufacturer Took Over TikTok

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice answer listener questions about the rapid rise of Donghua Jinlong, a Chinese company that manufactures glycine. Over the past few weeks, paradoxically deadpan and impassioned videos about the high quality of Donghua Jinlong’s products have taken over TikTok. Are teens actually consuming industrial grade chemicals? Or is something even weirder happening?

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

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Dear Prudence: My Wife’s Bipolar Diagnosis Is Creating A Rift in Our Marriage. Help!

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Bassey Ikpi (New York Times bestselling essay collection, I’m Telling the Truth but I’m Lying) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about an international sisters’ trip gone awry, a husband’s struggle to live with his wife’s mental health issues, and an uncomfortable situation between coworkers.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie.

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Care & Feeding: Ask A Weed Mom

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 18:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Jamilah answer questions from our Slate Parenting Facebook group about using marijuana as a mom. As 4/20 approaches, we decided there was no better time to tackle big-picture questions about substance use… and practical stuff too, like where to hide your stash with kids in the house.

We’ll also debrief with a round of triumphs and fails — including two different, unrelated fails involving birds.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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What Next: Is It Too Late to Escape “Forever Chemicals”?

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Man-made per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are found in all sorts of industrial and consumer products, including carpets, rain jackets, and makeup. They’re also in our drinking water—and in our blood.

The EPA has recently announced plans to regulate the amount of certain PFAS in our water supply. But will these rules do enough to control chemicals for which there is no safe level of exposure?

Guest: Esme Deprez, independent investigative journalist.

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

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Well, Now: We Don’t Need to Cure Autism

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and how we’ve come to understand autism has evolved over the past several decades.

For years, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was thought of as something that needed to be cured. Through better data and years of activism, that misunderstanding is changing.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss that evolution with Sara Luterman, caregiving reporter for The 19th.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Ahyiana Angel with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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What Next: Will Abortion in Florida and Arizona Decide the Election?

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

How will impending abortion restrictions in Florida and Arizona impact votes this fall?

Guests:

Anna Hochkammer, executive director of the Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition.

Grace Panetta, political reporter for The 19th.

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Death, Sex & Money: A Sociopath's Guide to Death, Sex, and Money

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Patric Gagne says being a sociopath is like having an emotional learning disability. In this episode, she talks about the good and the bad of having limited access to shame and guilt, how she overcame violent compulsions, and becoming a wife and mother.

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Hear Me Out: Legalize Weed, But Not Like This

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: blaze it.

Ahead of the honorary stoner holiday that is 4/20, we’re taking a look at the marijuana landscape. Public opinion has warmed considerably to legal weed in the past few decades – both medicinal and recreational – even though it remains a Schedule 1 drug on the federal level.

But some public health experts are still sounding the alarm, because this has all happened very quickly… and though hard-line illegality was harmful, what we’re doing now might be causing harm, too.

Dr. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, joins us.

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.

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What Next TBD: Is America Ready for Legal Psychedelics?

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

How the semi-legalization of marijuana has drawn a road map for legalizing psychedelics—and also provided a list of pitfalls to be avoided.

Guest: Jane C. Hu, science journalist and author of the newsletter The Microdose.

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Amicus: The Jurisprudence of Bleeding Out

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Get your tickets for Amicus Live in Washington DC on May 14th here.

We shouldn’t be surprised that we have to keep saying it, but here we are: the Supreme Court (notably trained as lawyers) will soon make decisions about how doctors (notably trained as doctors) can treat pregnant patients in the emergency room. Moyle v. United States - consolidated with Idaho v. United States - is the result of an Idaho lawsuit challenging EMTALA, a federal law requiring hospitals to do whatever they can to stabilize whoever comes through their ER doors with a medical emergency. Sometimes this requires abortion care, and for a faction of conservative advocates, this cannot stand.

Ahead of oral arguments the week after next, we wanted to get a sense of what healthcare looks like for pregnant women experiencing medical emergencies now, and how this case threatens to undermine that care in the future. This week, Dahlia Lithwick speaks with Dr. Dara Kass, an emergency medicine physician, about what EMTALA was built to do, what ER physicians are being asked to do, and what will happen should Idaho prevail in this case.

Later in the show, Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern joins to discuss the hullabaloo over when, if, and how Justice Sotomayor should be made to retire and the very gendered work of keeping SCOTUS from going off the rails (any more than it already has).

In today’s bonus episode only for Slate Plus members Dahlia and Mark discuss the outrageous ruling that creates (but really, revives) a de facto total ban on abortions in Arizona. They also explain why the EMTALA case from the show isn’t being talked about as much as the recent mifepristone case was. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Well, Now: Most Skincare Products are BS. Here Are the Facts.

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

As we approach the warmer months and start spending more time outside, healthy skin couldn’t be more important. So how can we best protect our body’s largest organ?

Feel free to stock up on all the products for a 10-step routine if you want. But the reality is healthy skin requires just three products. The rest is kind of BS.

This week on Well, Now we talk all things skin health with Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, a dermatologist and dermatopathologist based in New York City.

If you liked this episode, check out: Spring Cleaning Your Medicine Cabinet

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Ahyiana Angel with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Death, Sex & Money: From Indie Rockers to Full-Time Caregivers

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

When musician Johnny Solomon hit rock bottom, he turned to his mom for help. Then, as his mother’s health declined, he and his wife (and bandmate) Molly moved in with her to lend a hand. But caring for Johnny’s mother meant that their music careers were put on hold.

We first talked to Johnny, Molly, and his mom Nancy in 2018. This week, we revisit that conversation and get a fresh update from Johnny.

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Well, Now: Spring Cleaning Your Medicine Cabinet

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Spring is a time for fresh starts. For a lot of us, that means spring cleaning.

But don’t worry, we’re not talking about the whole house.

This week, the Well, Now team is spring cleaning our medicine cabinets. What are some medicinal must-haves, and what things should we definitely toss?

Joining us to help tidy up is Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, a board-certified physician in internal, emergency and obesity medicine.

If you liked this episode, check out: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’t

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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What Next: How a Democrat Flipped a Seat in Alabama

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Democrat Marilyn Lands will be sworn in to the Alabama House of Representatives this week, having won a special election in the deep-red state by 25 points. How did Lands do it—and what can the national Democrats learn from her victory?

Guest: Marilyn Lands, Alabama lawmaker who won a special election for the state’s House of Representatives.

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Slate Money: How to Escape the Invisible Factory

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

For this edition of Money Talks: Are you feeling trapped in Zoom/Teams/Slack purgatory? Author Cal Newport’s book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout has a way forward. Host Emily Peck speaks with him about how the digital office became an “invisible factory” and how you can take back control of your working life.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional discussion segment for every regular episode of Slate Money. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Death, Sex & Money: I Was In Debt. Then My Sister Offered Me $16,000.

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In 2021, we talked to a listener that we’re calling Tessa, who found themselves in $19,000 worth of credit card debt. When Tessa’s sister offered to pay a huge chunk of the debt, new problems arose. First, the offer didn’t bring instant peace-of-mind. Second, it wasn’t clear if paying off the debt right away was even the best solution. This week, we revisit the conversation with Tessa and her sister and reflect on what they learned about debt, family, and mental health.

If you're struggling with consumer debt, check out these resources.

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Well, Now: Eating Disorders Are Rising Among Boys. Why?

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Eating disorders are one of the most deadly psychiatric disorders.

But for decades, much of the criteria to diagnose one applied only to cisgender girls and those assigned female at birth – like a loss of menstruation. This meant that many cisgender boys and those assigned male at birth fell through the cracks.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now: The rise in eating disorders among boys and men with Dr. Jason Nagata, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco.

Maya and Kavita will discuss how eating disorders tend to manifest differently between boys and girls, and what signs to look for if you think you or someone you know needs care.

For more information on eating disorders, you can visit the National Eating Disorders Association’s website.

If you liked this episode, check out: Breaking Up With Diet Culture

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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Hear Me Out: Anti-Vaxers Aren’t Just Extremists

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: getting the jab.

Vaccine hesitancy is not a new phenomenon in the United States, but it is a growing one… particularly in conservative Evangelical circles.

At the same time, there’s a lot for all of us to dislike, and distrust, about the American healthcare system. So, for those of us who have a hard time working up any sympathy for the vaccine-skeptical crowd, it’s worth asking: what if this is a symptom of the problems we’re all experiencing?

Johanna Richlin of the University of Maine joins us.

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.

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Amicus: How The Mifepristone Case Reached SCOTUS

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Well, it happened again. The hIgHeSt CoUrT will hear arguments Tuesday in a case based on made up facts! This time it’s mifepristone, the abortion drug at the center of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v FDA.

The claim was that the FDA approval process (three decades ago), for mifepristone, one of two medication abortion drugs, was haphazard and slapdash.. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine also argued that the FDA’s 2021 decision to allow telemedicine abortion and mailing of abortion pills violates a 19th-century anti-vice law called the Comstock Act.

This week on the show Dahlia Lithwick speaks with Carrie N. Baker, Smith College professor and author of the forthcoming book Abortion Pills: US History and Politics. Baker says taking away the rights to access abortion pills in the mail could have catastrophic consequences for pregnant people, drug development, and privacy for all Americans.

In this week’s subscribers-only segment, Slate’s Trump Law correspondent Jeremy Stahl gives us the updates on some of the cases against the former president - including the “a lot ton” of money he owes in New York, like starting on Monday.

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What Next: How Anti-Abortion Laws Trap Domestic Abuse Survivors

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Experts say domestic violence tends to start or intensify during pregnancy. But since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, terminating a pregnancy—or even advising or helping someone to terminate a pregnancy—has been criminalized in several states which can leave survivors of domestic violence unable to separate from an abusive partner.

Guest: Julianne McShane, writer at Mother Jones covering the intersection of gender and inequity.

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Well, Now - "People Feel Like They’re Drowning": The Long Covid Survivors Left Behind

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

While most of the world moves on from Covid-19, millions of Americans remain in limbo: Those living with Long Covid.

Long Covid symptoms are vast and can impact all parts of the body: from gastrointestinal tract issues and fatigue to autoimmune inflammation and cognitive impairment.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now – Kavita and Maya talk with Dr. Wes Ely, an ICU physician based in Nashville, Tenn.

As the co-director of the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship Center, he is one of many doctors demanding our country’s leaders not to leave their patients behind.

If you liked this episode, check out: Life After Lockdown

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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Hear Me Out: You Probably Don’t Need Therapy Forever

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: talk it out.

Talking about therapy isn’t taboo anymore — and that’s great, because everyone deserves help when they need it. The question is… do you really need it?

Dr. Richard Friedman of Weill Cornell Medicine wrote a piece for The Atlantic last month, headlined ”Plenty of People Could Quit Therapy Right Now.” So why is that the case… and what are the consequences of getting therapy when you don’t need it?

Dr. Friedman joins us to discuss.

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.

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How To!: Help a Loved One With Dementia

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Forgetfulness. Repetitiveness. Confusion. Dementia is a long, painful road for both the person living with it, caregivers, and their additional loved ones. Mara’s mom just received her diagnosis and Mara is wondering what is next for their family. She turned to our host Courtney Martin for guidance—since Courtney is going through the same thing with her father.

On this episode of How To!: Courtney and Mara are joined by Tami Anastasia, author of Essential Strategies for the Dementia Caregiver. As a dementia consultant, Tami helps families support each other and find the beautiful moments in this painful journey.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Make Aging Easier for Everyone

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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What Next TBD: When Private Equity Gets in to Health Care

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Private equity firms have been buying up doctors’ offices and hospitals around the country. But if profits are the primary goal, what happens to the cost and quality of healthcare for patients?

Guest: Gretchen Morgenson, senior financial reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit and co-author of “These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs—and Wrecks—America”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.

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Well, Now: Life After Lockdown

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization named Covid-19 a pandemic, and public health around the globe changed forever.

Countries shut down their borders, businesses closed and furloughed workers, and millions of students went to remote learning. Two years in, more than one million Americans lost their lives.

This week on Well, Now we mark this grim anniversary by talking about what we have and haven’t learned about this world-changing virus with one of the epidemiologists who first began sounding the alarm about Covid-19: Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Well, Now: How the Food on Your Plate Can Fight Climate Change

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

It’s impossible to ignore the impact of climate change. Sea levels are rising, and natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires are increasing in strength and number each year.

A major contributor to a warming planet is the way we’re processing our food. So on this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss ways to eat a full, balanced diet while keeping the health of the planet in mind with registered dietitian nutritionist Chris Vogliano.

If you liked this episode, check out: Breaking Up With Diet Culture

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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What Next: Florida's Anti-Vaxxers Won. Then the Measles Surged.

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Measles happens, but this outbreak in Florida is unfolding in a post-pandemic world where mistrust in public health officials and vaccinations is practically the party line.

Guest: Lauren Weber, Washington Post accountability reporter focused on scientific and medical disinformation.

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Amicus: The IVF Decision We Should Have Seen Coming

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

It was a wild week at the High Court (another seven days crammed with a year’s worth of news). SCOTUS heard cases about bump stocks, and how Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would do as Facebook content moderators. The Supreme Court also finally found the time to put a thumb on the scale for serially indicted alleged insurrector-in-chief former President Donald J Trump. We’ll talk about all those things with Slate’s very own Mark Joseph Stern.

But what we’re really focused on this week is the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent decision finding that frozen embryos are children, and the unshakeable sense that the coverage of this so far has had a slightly myopic quality, as though this case is purely about IVF, and carving out IVF, when in fact the entire movement for fetal personhood sweeps in many more people and rights than just those seeking assisted reproductive technology. We’re joined by a preeminent expert on matters of law, medicine, reproductive health, and biotechnologies, Dr. Michele Goodwin. Dr. Goodwin is the author of Policing The Womb: Invisible Women and The Criminalization of Motherhood. She explains (again) why we should have seen this decision coming from miles (and centuries) away.

Want more Amicus? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

Later, in the Slate Plus segment, Mark returns to discuss this week’s SCOTUS arguments and the big news that legislative turtle and legal hellscape architect Mitch McConnell will be stepping down from his role as leader of Republicans in the Senate later this year.

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Well, Now: Ending Racism in Healthcare

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The U.S. healthcare system can split the country into two Americas.

Your zip code, education, class status and more all play a role in the outcome of your health as well as the kind of care you receive.

Fewer markers more clearly define these disparities than race.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita talk about racism in American healthcare with Dr. Uché Blackstock.

Her new book Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine gives a historical view of how racism has always played a role in U.S. healthcare.

This book is also a memoir of her own experience as a physician carrying on the legacy of her late mother, Dr. Dale Gloria Blackstock.

Health Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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What Next TBD: Alabama’s IVF Mess

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Fertility doctors and their patients trying to conceive via in vitro fertilization (IVF) were stopped in their tracks this week, as the Alabama Supreme Court declared that embryos have the same rights as people. The decision has left doctors wondering if they can be sued for carrying out standard IVF procedures, and experts worry the ruling could have ramifications for IVF around the country.

Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Constance, reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist in Omaha, Nebraska.

Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Check out Compiler here.

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Well, Now: Is it Burnout? Or, Do You Have a Busy Brain?

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Stress is all around us, but that doesn’t mean it needs to run our entire lives. According to Dr. Romie Mushtaq – a neurologist turned corporate wellness consultant – the main culprit behind our culture of stress is what she calls a “busy brain.”

This week on Well, Now Dr. Kavita Patel and Maya Feller, RDN talk with Dr. Mushtaq about curing our busy brains and her latest book The Busy Brain Cure: The Eight-Week Plan to Find Focus, Tame Anxiety and Sleep Again.

If you liked this episode, check out: What We Get Wrong About Love

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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A Word: Ghost in the Medical Machine

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The promise of artificial intelligence in medicine is that it can reduce the influence of human error and bias in health care. But there’s growing concern that A.I. in medicine –as in other fields– can reflect the biases and lack of diversity among its creators. And that can have life threatening consequences for African American patients. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Margo Snipe, a health reporter for CapitalB News. They discuss how A.I. can sometimes fuel medical racism, and reasons to hope that it can change.

Guest: Margo Snipe, health journalist for CapitalB News

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.

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Well, Now: What We Get Wrong About Love

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Well, Now’s ditching the flowers and grand romantic gestures we often see on Valentine’s Day.

There’s tons of research about how loving relationships contribute to wellness, as well as how lacking those relationships can play a part in adverse health outcomes. But what if our entire understanding of love is misguided?

Kavita and Maya talk with relationship expert Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh about what she says are the six components for creating real, long-lasting intimate relationships. Her latest book is called Love By Design: Six Ingredients to Build a Lifetime of Love.

If you liked this episode, check out: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’t

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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Care & Feeding (After Dark): Sex and Parenting

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth Newcamp, Zak Rosen, and Jamilah Lemieux talk about the birds and the bees.

Parents don’t often get to talk about their sex lives out in the open… So this Valentine’s week, we thought we’d open the door to all things romance.

First up: we answer a listener question about managing different sex drives and all the normal parenting stuff. Then you’ll hear from resident single mom Jamilah about the logistics of swiping and dating with a kid in the house.

We’ll also share a round of recommendations — and then, if you’re in the Slate Plus club, we’ll basically have a “hating Valentine’s Day” support circle.

Recommendations:

Elizabeth recommends: Super Simple Biology

Jamilah recommends: Grilling your PB&J

Zak recommends: Recording your kids' laughter and dating it.

Care & Feeding is sponsored by Betterhelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/CAREANDFEEDING today to get 10% off your first month.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie, with special thanks to Rosemary Belson.

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ICYMI: The Terminally Ill Influencers Posting Their Way Through Life—and Death

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On today’s show, Rachelle makes her triumphant return. She’s joined by A.W. Ohlheiser, a senior technology reporter and editor at Vox, who recently wrote about the complicated lives and deaths of TikTok’s illness influencers. As Ohlheiser wrote, “These stories — whether held in an archive of personal letters, a widely discussed lecture, or on the For You pages of millions — are all shaped by the expectations of the ‘well.’ Turning sickness into content can get views. And just like any content, not all people, or illnesses, have an equal chance of going viral.”

But first, Candice fills Rachelle in on what she’s missed online during her time off.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

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Well, Now: Football’s Pre-NFL Concussion Problem

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Super Bowl LVIII is this Sunday, amid decades of controversy surrounding football’s impact on traumatic brain injuries.

But for many athletes, these long-term effects can be felt well before making it to the pros: on high school and college teams.

On Well, Now this week: Maya and Kavita talk with physical therapist and concussion specialist John Doherty about the science surrounding youth contact sports and what we know about their relationship with brain injuries down the road.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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What Next: Inside a Gaza Hospital

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Pediatrician Dr. Seema Jilani’s work has taken her from Sudan to Afghanistan. Last month, she was in Gaza for two weeks, where she worked tending to the wounded in the besieged Al-Aqsa Hospital.

Guest: Dr. Seema Jilani, senior technical adviser at the International Rescue Committee

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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How To!: Be a Mindful Drinker

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Dry January has come and gone, but the conversation about alcohol—and rethinking our relationship with it—is still very much with us. This week’s listener, Natalie, wants to move past the abundance vs. abstinence debate and talk about a third option: thoughtful moderation. In this episode, Courtney Martin brings on journalist Rosamund Dean, author of Mindful Drinking: How Cutting Down Can Change Your Life and Well, Well, Well, a Substack about living better, for longer. She shares how she found moderation through mindfulness—and how you can too.

If you or someone you know is struggling with excessive drinking, consider contacting SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. You can also find a local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting by visiting aa.org.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer and our producer is Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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A Word: Revolutionary Recharge

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

A generation of activists –and well-meaning citizens– was pulled into intense social justice work by the murder of George Floyd in 2020. And the horrific crime, the fight for progess, and the backlash has taken a toll on their mental health. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and activist Ijeoma Oluo about her new book, Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World--And How You Can, Too. It’s the collected wisdom of activists across a range of issues about how to do the hard and emotional work of confronting racism without losing hope.

Guest: Writer Ijeoma Oluo

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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Well, Now: How ER Taught Thousands Of Viewers About Cervical Cancer

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

It’s award season in Hollywood, and it’s got the Well, Now team thinking about wellness and the entertainment industry. Can a medical drama really teach us accurate health information? Or is it all just high-stakes surgeries with beautiful actors?

Maya and Kavita talk this out with physician, showrunner and Harvard lecturer Neal Baer. He brought powerful, data-supported stories on HIV, emergency contraception, cervical cancer and more to hit cable shows like ER and Law and Order: SVU.

If you liked this episode, check out: Breaking Up With Diet Culture

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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How To!: Be Free of Body Shame

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

We’re constantly getting bombarded with messages about our bodies: They’re too big. They’re too small. They’re not muscular enough, not curvy enough, and so on and so on. Rebecca has lived in a bigger body all her life and she wants the messaging to stop. She’s done all the things—followed plus-size influencers, deemphasized weight from her health goals, tried to rewire how she thinks about weight. But it’s just not working. In this episode, Carvell Wallace brings in Ronald Young Jr., host of Weight For It. Ronald challenges the notion that we need to love our bodies and helps Rebecca navigate away from stigmatized “fixes” and toward a place of acceptance.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Eat Whatever You Want and How To Love Your Face.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer and our producer is Rosemary Belson. Special thanks to Kevin Bendis.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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Care & Feeding: Is My Toddler Having Panic Attacks?

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On this episode Elizabeth Newcamp, Zak Rosen, and Lucy Lopez help a listener whose toddler has suddenly developed what looks a lot like panic attacks at preschool. Nothing seems wrong at school… but the girl’s dad has been deployed for a while. What’s happening here, and how can you soothe someone so little about such big stuff?

Elizabeth wants to share these resources:

We’ll also share a round of recommendations — and then, if you’re in the Slate Plus club, we’ll play a round of parenting Would You Rather.

Recommendations:

Zak recommends: Life On Our Planet

Elizabeth recommends: Timeline Twist Cardgame

Lucy recommends: Orion and the Dark (out Feb 2 in the U.S.!)

Podcast produced by Maura Currie, with special thanks to Rosemary Belson.

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What Next TBD: Why Is Everybody Sick?

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Are we still paying off our pandemic-induced “immunity debt,” or is there another reason that it feels like we’re all sniffling and coughing and just feeling sick?

Guest: Keren Landman, senior health reporter at Vox

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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Care & Feeding: I Think I Smelled Weed On My 13-Year-Old

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 19:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak and Lucy help a listener who’s pretty sure they smelled marijuana when their young teen and a friend got in the car. The parent is wondering if they should have said something… but if so, what? And when is really too young?

We’ll also go over our week in parenting triumphs and fails — including an update on Henry’s solo trip in Tokyo — and share some listener mail we got about teenage tattoos.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie, with special thanks to Rosemary Belson.

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What Next: Biden Needs Abortion

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Democrats have found wins after standing up for abortion. But can they ride this issue to a second Biden term, when the administration isn’t offering a clear plan for reproductive rights—and Joe Biden has a history of ambivalence about the issue?

Guest: Grace Panetta, political reporter at The 19th News.

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Well, Now: Breaking Up With Diet Culture

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Well, Now, Maya and Kavita talk about practical ways to break up with diet culture with fitness instructor, speaker and educator Chrissy King.

She’s the author of The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom.

Chrissy also ties in how breaking up with diet culture is a piece of a larger conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion in the wellness industry.

If you liked this episode, check out: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’t

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/podcasts/well-now

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How To!: Stop Snoring and Breathe Easier (Encore)

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Andrew snores so badly that his cats won’t sleep in the same room as him. He’s desperate to sleep better at night, and breathe more easily during the day. On this episode of How To!, we bring on James Nestor, author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, to share the history of why we breathe the way we do. Turns out being a “mouth-breather” is more than just an insult, it’s harmful to our health. James gives Andrew some nasal breathing exercises to improve his snoring, anxiety, and overall wellness.

If you liked this episode, check out “How To Sleep.”

Do you have a problem you can’t get out of your head? 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, Rachael Allen, and Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

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Well, Now: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’t

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we get to the heart of what “wellness” actually means. Depending on who you ask, you get a lot of different answers.

So Maya and Kavita sit down with veteran journalist Isabel Burton to define the term. Burton was the executive editor of renowned health-and-wellness magazines Shape and Self.

If you liked this episode, check out: A Toast to Dry January

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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How To!: Make Small Talk Feel Big

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Small talk has a bad reputation. It’s boring, shallow, and awkward. Who really wants to talk about the weather, again? But, when done right, it can be a cornerstone of connection. In this episode, Carvell Wallace is joined by Susan McPherson, the author of The Lost Art of Connecting. Susan is going to help our listener, Bee, navigate the uncomfortable small talk that she endures everyday at school pickup. Along the way, we’ll learn what questions to have in our back pocket, how to turn small talk into big talk, and even how to extract ourselves from conversations that are going on too long.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Talk to Strangers and How To Make Humor Your Superpower

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer and our producer is Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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Well, Now: A Toast to Dry January

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On the first episode of Well, Now – Slate’s new podcast on health and wellness – hosts Dr. Kavita Patel and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Maya Feller tackle resolutions.

A popular one? Sobriety. Or at least Dry January.

With more people becoming “sober curious” Kavita and Maya visit a sober speakeasy in Brooklyn, hosted by the zero-proof cocktail maker Curious Elixirs.

They sit down with the company’s founder and CEO JW Wiseman over some drinks and talk about the rise of the “sober curious” movement.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with help from Kevin Bendis. Editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com. If you liked this episode, be sure to follow Well, Now wherever you listen to podcasts.

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How To!: Keep Caring Amid Endless Crises

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Sometimes reading our news feeds can feel like getting hit by a semi-truck of devastating information, without really knowing how to respond. We can’t always tune the world out, which means we need to figure out how to be an empathetic person within the chaos. In this episode, Courtney Martin is joined by public theologian and best-selling author, Nadia Bolz-Weber, as well as artist and activist, Jen Bloomer. Together they explore what it means to actually respond to tragedy and injustice.

LINKS:

Jen Bloomer’s artwork

Valerie Kaur’s book See No Strangers

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Have a Healthier News Diet: Part 1 and Part 2.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer and our producer is Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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Introducing: Well, Now

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

We all want wellness, but what does that mean exactly?

Is it achieving diet and exercise goals, or finally reaching a place where you’re happy with your body as it is? Is wellness the thing that will keep you out of the doctor’s office, or give you information you need to advocate for yourself when you get there?

No matter what you define as living a life of wellness, our expert hosts want to help you get there.

Every week, Dr. Kavita Patel and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Maya Feller talk with professionals from all over the wellness industry and people just like you who will share what they’ve learned on their way to wellness.

Follow Well, Now from Slate wherever you listen to podcasts. Our first episode drops Wednesday, Jan. 10.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Hear Me Out: Yes, You Can Self Improve Right Now

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… new year, new you?

If you’ve resolved to make 2024 your happiest, healthiest, most organized, most peaceful, etc. year yet? You’re not alone. And if you’re pretty sure the people who have made resolutions are doomed to abandon ship before January is over… you’re not alone, either. Nor are you wrong, exactly.

In the season of giving, getting, and evaluating self-improvement advice, there’s a line between over-optimism and self-limiting skepticism. And our guest wants to help you walk that line.

Zak Rosen, host of The Best Advice Show and co-host of Slate’s Care & Feeding, joins us.

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.

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How To!: Age Like an Elite Athlete

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

When he’s not working on How To! or coaching his daughter’s basketball team, our producer Derek John loves to play in pickup games with friends. But a serious on-court injury has kept him on the sidelines for months. Now, as he prepares to return to the sport he loves, Derek is seeking tips on how to prolong his playing days while avoiding another injury. In this episode, author Jeff Bercovici joins Carvell Wallace and Derek to share insights from his book, Play On: The New Science of Elite Performance at Any Age.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Trick Your Brain Into Running Longer.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer and our producer is Rosemary Belson. This episode was produced by Kevin Bendis.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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One Year: 1990 - The Angry Death of Kimberly Bergalis

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Before 1990, there had never been a documented case of a patient getting HIV from a health care worker. Kimberly Bergalis changed that. Her claim that she’d been infected by her dentist would captivate and terrify the country. And the dentist, David Acer, would be made into a villain without America ever knowing who he really was.

This episode was written by Kelly Jones and Josh Levin, 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 Olivia Briley.

It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director. We had mixing help from Kevin Bendis. We had production help this season from Jabari Butler.

Join Slate Plus to get a special behind-the-scenes conversation at the end of our season about how we put together our 1990 stories. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads.

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What Next: When a Miscarriage Becomes a Crime

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In September, Brittany Watts had a miscarriage at her home in Ohio. Prosecutors are now charging her with “abuse of a corpse,” a felony that could result in up to a year in prison.

When does a miscarriage become a felony? And could the anti-abortion movement be using this case as a step towards achieving “fetal personhood”?

Guest: Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis and author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession.

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Working: How An Artist Navigates the Health-Care System

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

This week, host Isaac Butler is joined by actor, writer, director Erik Jensen for a frank conversation about his recent cancer diagnosis and the challenges artists face holding on to health-care coverage, especially in the age of streaming. They go on to discuss Jensen’s continued creative activity, including a new film project he co-directed with his wife and acted in with his daughter. Later, Jensen explains some of the intricacies of the recent writers’ and actors’ strikes.

After the interview, co-host June Thomas joins Isaac to talk about the value of being candid about the financial realities of being a freelance artist. They also dive into creative collaborations and the importance of communicating clearly with the people you work with.

Learn more about Erik Jensen’s story and make a donation here.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews.

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Amicus: Texas Abortion Laws’ Cruel Outcomes

Sat, 16 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Earlier this week, the Texas Supreme Court said Kate Cox couldn’t have an abortion.Cox’s doctors had diagnosed the fetus with Trisomy 18, an almost certainly fatal genetic condition. On top of that, there were concerns about whether or not Cox would be able to have children again in the future if she continued with this pregnancy. None of this was enough for nine judges in Texas to allow Cox to have an abortion.

Cox’s story isn’t unique. Amanda Zurawski almost died after a Texas court said she couldn’t have an abortion. Today, she’s the lead plaintiff in Zurawski v. State of Texas. She joins Amicus this week to show the real, human effects of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Zurawski is joined by one of the lawyers representing her in the case, Jamie Levitt.

In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern talks about another made-up case that this time, won’t make it to SCOTUS.

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A Word: “Good” Hair; Bad Health

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In recent years, several states and localities have passed “crown” laws, statutes that keep employers from discriminating against African Amercans for wearing their hair in natural styles. That’s because, historically, having straight hair has often been a requirement for professional advancement for Black women in particular. But there is more science emerging that connects chemical relaxers with cancer. In today’s episode of A Word, reporter and cancer survivor Victoria St. Martin speaks with host Jason Johnson about the dangers of formaldehyde in hair relaxers, the history of marketing toxic cosmetics to African Americans, and consumer efforts to raise awareness.

Guest: Victoria St. Martin, Inside Climate News reporter

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.

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What Next: What Texas Abortion Laws Leave Unsaid

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Kate Cox’s fight to abort her pregnancy and save her fertility in Texas says a lot about America’s post-Roe, fractured approach to reproductive rights.

Guest: Selena Simmons-Duffin, health policy correspondent at NPR.

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How To!: Transition From Soldier to Civilian

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Dan enlisted in the Army in 2003 during the early phase of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He just retired after 20 years of service—and is adjusting to myriad challenges of civilian life while also managing PTSD, ADHD and new sobriety. On this episode of How To!, Bob Beard of Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination joins us to talk about a new program that’s helping veterans like Dan plan for the distant future using science fiction, conceptual art, and strategies employed by Fortune 500 companies.

If you liked this episode, check out How To Breathe Like a Navy SEAL.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson and Kevin Bendis.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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What Next: Pilot’s Hidden Mental Health Crisis

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

For pilots facing mental health problems, of almost any kind, the cost of getting help might be too much to bear. After a crisis on an Alaska Airlines flight, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are examining how to make the skies safer, while allowing pilots to get help.

Guest: Pete Muntean, pilot, flight instructor and CNN correspondent covering aviation and transportation.

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One Year: 1990 - Bush vs. Broccoli

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In March 1990, a story broke that shocked the nation: George H.W. Bush had banned broccoli from Air Force One. The frenzy that came next would change the fate of a vegetable—and maybe even alter the course of a presidency.

This episode was written by Olivia Briley and Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.

This episode was produced by Olivia Briley and Kelly Jones.

It was edited by Joel Meyer and Evan Chung.

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

Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

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What Next: The Supreme Court Takes On Opioids

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The Sacklers were set to pay $6 billion in exchange for immunity from any future lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis. But the Supreme Court will now decide whether bankruptcy law can be wielded in this manner to protect the very wealthy—and trump the very-American right to sue for damages.

Guest: Brian Mann, reporter on addiction at NPR.

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What Next: Mental Health Treatment—by Court Order

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

California’s new “CARE courts” are designed to help people struggling with psychotic disorders to get the help they need. But is having judges mandate treatment a step in the right direction?

Guest: April Dembosky, health correspondent for KQED.

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Hear Me Out: Psychiatry Alone Can’t Heal You Completely

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… great, but not enough.

Mental health is on a lot of minds as we enter the holiday season — a time when we know many people struggle.

So this week, we talk candidly about what it means to treat mental illness… and what it should mean, if we want that treatment to be effective, long-lasting, and sensitive. Spoiler: psychiatry and psychology are not the panaceas you might think.

Erin Grimm, author and mental health advocate, joins us.

** NOTE: This episode contains candid discussion of mental health crises and treatment. Listener discretion is advised; if you or a loved one need help, you can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by calling or texting 988. You can also visit the lifeline online, and explore more resources from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

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.

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The Waves: How To Get Through Menopause

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Hot flashes, fatigue, and vaginal dryness were some of Katie’s first clues that her body was changing. Half the population will experience menopause, yet misinformation still abounds—with doctors ill-prepared to talk to patients about this major life transition. On this episode of How To!, journalist Susan Dominus joins us to share the knowledge she gained from working on her viral magazine piece, “Women Have Been Misled About Menopause.” She explains why women’s pain has been ignored for so long, where to look for information, and how to connect with others during this confusing phase of life.

Resources mentioned:

“If Men Could Menstruate” by Gloria Steinem

What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You by Heather Corinna

The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Dr. Jen Gunter

Hot Flash Sonnets by Moira Egan

Alloy

Midi

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Make Aging Easier for Everyone.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Jabari Butler.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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What Next TBD: Bedbugs Are Back, Baby!

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The bedbug break-out during Paris fashion week this fall was obviously horrifying, but the bad news doesn’t stop there. Bedbugs are on the rise—and on the move.

Guest: Benji Jones, senior environmental reporter at Vox.

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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How the Autistic Community Lost Its Online Haven

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Patrick Marlborough to discuss their recent essay for Slate, “The Death of the Internet as a Haven for People With Autism.” They wrote, “Things began to shift, if imperceptibly at first, with the advent of social media, and the steady corralling and corporatization of that otherness, weirdness, fun, and joy.” On the show, Marlborough describes what they see the internet what they see the internet shifting away from and what it’s shifting towards and what that shift means for all of us.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim.

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How To!: Get Through Menopause

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Make Aging Easier for Everyone. Do you have a problem that needs solving? 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.

Resources mentioned:

“If Men Could Menstruate” by Gloria Steinem

What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You by Heather Corinna

The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Dr. Jen Gunter

Hot Flash Sonnets by Moira Egan

Alloy

Midi

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Jabari Butler. By the way, Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds! Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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What Next: Abortion on a Red-State Ballot

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights have remained popular among voters—even in red states like Ohio. As the state votes today on whether to add the right to an abortion to the state constitution, the Ohio GOP has been trying to reframe the issue.

Guest: Carter Sherman, reproductive health and justice reporter at The Guardian.

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How To!: Build a Marriage That Lasts

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

To celebrate their third wedding anniversary, Anjali and Rahul are each selecting a surprise activity to do together. This happy couple loves spontaneity, so they’re concerned about someday growing bored in their relationship. They’re also feeling pressure to mark the traditional milestones of marriage, including having kids. On this episode of How To!, authors Caryl and Jay Casbon join us to share the wisdom they gained from interviewing other married couples for their book Side by Side. The Casbons draw upon their own 22-year marriage to urge Anjali and Rahul to face conflict with openness and focus on individual “inner work”—in order to grow together.

Learn more about Caryl and Jay Casbon here. If you liked this episode, check out an episode that Anjali loved: How To Decide Whether to Have a Baby with Wild author Cheryl Strayed.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Jabari Butler.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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What Next: Can Threat Assessment Stop Mass Shootings?

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

After mass shootings, one refrain becomes, “We don’t need gun control to treat a mental health problem.” But in a case like the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, there were mental health interventions and red flags raised by the military and the shooter’s family. Why didn’t it work—and what’s a better way forward?

Guest: Mark Follman, national affairs editor at Mother Jones and the author of Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America.

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What Next: Abortion Providers in the Line of Fire

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Before the new abortion clinic even opened in Casper, Wyoming, it was set ablaze. But to the clinic’s founder, property damage and violence aren’t new.

Guest: Julie Burkhart, founder of Wellspring Health Access

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Mom & Dad: Modern Puberty Explained

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux is joined by Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, authors of This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained. They explain how puberty has changed over the last few decades, what these shifts mean for today’s kids, and how caregivers can guide these young adults through this transition. If you want to check out more of Cara and Vanessa’s wonderful advice, they also host The Puberty Podcast.

Recommendations:

Elizabeth: Clubhouse Games (Nintendo Switch)

Zak: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Jamilah: You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

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Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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The Waves: The Case For Taking A Sabbatical

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves: the case for taking a sabbatical.

Host TK Dutes speaks with author and former television writer Patty Lin on her latest book End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood. Lin worked in some of the most notable writers' rooms like Friends, Freaks and Geeks, Desperate Housewives and Breaking Bad. But when she hit a breaking point, she made a big change and stopped working for an entire year. After that? Her relationship with work–and everything else–transformed.

In Slate Plus: Patty Lin on how her closest relationships changed after going on sabbatical

If you liked this episode, check out: Female CEOs Can’t Save Us

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

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

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Slate Money: Is Ozempic Eating Into Snack Profits?

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about how Ozempic affects food buying habits, the rise in mortgage and interest rates, and the decrease in stock buybacks.

In the Plus segment: The correlation between life expectancy and having a college degree.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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Mom & Dad: My Kid Is Neurodivergent. Do We Need a Formal Diagnosis?

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 18:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth Newcamp is joined by Dr. Sarah Wayland, founder and owner of Guiding Exceptional Parents and co-author of Is This Autism. Together they answer a parent whose child is exhibiting neurodivergent behaviors and, as such, their pediatrician recommended an evaluation. The letter writer is nervous that an evaluation will mean that their child will be seen as a diagnosis, not for the person she is.

We also go over our week in triumphs and fails — and then, if you stick around for Slate Plus, we talk about what your kid actually means when they tell you ‘no.’

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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Hear Me Out: Walks Are Boring, Nay, Agonizing

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… stretching our legs.

We know we like to bring you deep conversations about the biggest topics in the news. But today? Let’s go for a walk.

Lots of us picked up this new healthy habit over the course of the pandemic. But walking is still one of those things you either love or really, really hate. So we took our host — an enthusiastic walker — and sat her down with someone who hates it.

Our guest is Lucy Lopez, media personality and host of the Mamacita Rica podcast.

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.

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What Next TBD: Who Will Pay For A COVID Vaccine?

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

After years of being a rare spot of universal, American-government-funded health care, this fall’s new COVID-19 vaccine is hitting the commercial market for the first time. So far, the rollout has been mired by hiccups and confusion.

Guest: Jen Kates, senior vice president at KFF

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Anna Philips.

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Dear Prudence: Should I Donate Sperm To My Ex? Help!

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Amy Aniobi (best known for her work on HBO's Insecure) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about donating sperm to their ex, whether you should decline to be a bridesmaid because you feel ugly, and if you should be concerned that your partner is obsessed with murder stories.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

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One Year: 1955 - The Cutter Incident

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine transformed America and the world in ways that seemed unimaginable. But in 1955, there was a moment when everything was in doubt. This week, Josh Levin talks with Dr. Paul Offit about the medical mystery that threatened to derail one of history’s most important scientific breakthroughs.

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

This episode was produced by Kelly Jones, Evan Chung, and 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 episode 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.

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Mom & Dad: Squeamish Feelings About a Sex-Ed Book

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux, Zak Rosen, and Elizabeth Newcamp are joined by Slate writer, Aymann Ismail, to talk about his piece, Closed Book. He tracked down one of the most challenged books—a health and sexual education book called It’s Perfectly Normal—to see why it’s being banned. It’s “particularly blunt and graphic” yet Aymann was surprised at the feelings of embarrassment and shame surfacing as he read the book. They talk about parent’s squeamish feelings when it comes to sexual education, why age-appropriate education is so important, and what these involuntary reactions have to do with book bans.

Recommendations:

Zak: Slow-Cooker Cauliflower, Potato and White Bean Soup

Elizabeth: Make your own ‘choose your own adventure’ game.

Jamilah: Connections

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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Amicus: SCOTUS Is Not Done With Guns and Abortion

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Ryan Busse, a former gun-industry executive turned gun-safety advocate, who is now running for governor in his home state of Montana. As the right to bear arms for domestic abusers is set to be argued at SCOTUS this term, Dahlia and Ryan discuss how gun culture has been radicalized in order to… sell more guns. They also examine how that radicalization has reached the Supreme Court, and threatens our safety, and our democracy.

Next, Dahlia is joined by Alison Block MD, a family doctor and abortion provider who is also executive producer and host of The Nocturnists podcast’s Post-Roe America season. The season lifts the voices of healthcare workers and abortion providers around the country, scrambling to survive in the confusing legal landscape created by Dobbs. The conversation highlights the impossible bind for red state abortion providers forced to choose between caring for patients and criminalization, and how providers in neighboring states are trying to keep up with unquenchable demand for care.

In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern to discuss why they never ever want to go to the all-male rich dude Lord of the Flies camp that is Bohemian Grove, why it’s pretty shocking that Justice Clarence Thomas did, and how the latest Propublica reporting shows the scheme in sharp relief: interest groups founded and funded by billionaires wanted to end the regulatory state, and they found a justice ready to change his mind and do just that. Dahlia and Mark also discuss why the abortion pill banning Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is all of a sudden so worried about misogyny.

Dahlia’s book Lady Justice: Women, the Law and the Battle to Save America, is now out in paperback. It is also available as an audiobook, and Amicus listeners can get a 25 percent discount by entering the code “AMICUS” at checkout.

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What Next: The Case For Harm Reduction—And Beyond

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Following “The Call,” our series on the opioid epidemic continues in Seattle.

Harm reduction focuses on meeting people where they are, including enabling them to use drugs safely when experiencing addiction. But some advocates are asking, what happens when you think bigger?

Guest: Lisa Daugaard, criminal justice reform activist and director of the nonprofit organization Purpose. Dignity. Action.

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The Waves: Incompetent Cervix - The Misogynist History Behind Naming The Female Body

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow welcomes back author and science journalist Rachel E. Gross to talk about the misogynist origins of many names and diagnoses in the female reproductive system. Gross is the author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage and the New York Times column Body Language.

In Slate Plus: Rachel E. Gross’s thoughts on the documentary Every Body about intersex people

If you liked this episode, check out: The Vagina et Al., an interview with Rachel E. Gross and Slate’s Shannon Palus about Gross’s book Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus.

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ICYMI: Inside the MLM to Life Coach Pipeline

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Jane Marie, the host of the award-winning podcast The Dream which recently released it’s highly-anticipated third season all about life coaches. The two discuss the rise of life coaching and it’s connection to the MLM universe, how the internet has accelerated the life coach boom and what exactly the American Dream has to do with any of this.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. With special thanks to Vic Whitley-Berry.

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Slate Money Criminals: TheraNOPE

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Criminals series, the gang talks with Rebecca Jarvis, host of “The Dropout” about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Who were the real victims of Holmes’ crimes? How did her lofty goals drift into scandal? And where does she sit on a scale of “one to evil”?

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.

Podcast production by Patrick Fort.

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Mom & Dad: Talking to Kids About Climate Change

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak Rosen, Jamilah Lemieux, and Elizabeth Newcamp talk about climate change and kids with Anya Kamenetz. Anya is a journalist who covers the intersection of the climate crisis and parenting in her newsletter, The Golden Hour. She is a former NPR education reporter and author of many books including, The Stolen Year. She has lots of wonderful information and advice for any caregiver who will be helping a kid navigate this crisis.

Recommendations

Jamilah: DenTek floss picks

Zak: Cleaning the dishwasher

Anya: YouTube karaoke

Elizabeth: Spyrogliphics

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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What Next TBD: Can Politicians Keep Kids Safe Online?

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act has noble-sounding intentions, but has been called one of the most dangerous bills in years by the digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Guest: Richard Blumenthal, senior United States senator from Connecticut.

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 Next: The Case Against Harm Reduction

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Following “The Call,” our series on the opioid epidemic continues in Harlem. Inside a safe-consumption site, addiction is destigmatized—outside, however, the neighbors feel differently.

Guest: Syderia Asberry-Chresfield, co-founder of the Greater Harlem Coalition and a former Vice President for JP Morgan Chase.

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What Next: Fighting “Disaster Fatigue”

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

It feels like we live in a world of near constant environmental disasters. Whether it’s living through an emergency, or consuming coverage in the media, collective trauma takes a mental toll. What steps can we take to be ready—for ourselves, our communities, and to help the recovery?

Guest: Dr. Tara Powell, associate professor, School of Social Work, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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What Next/This American Life: The Call

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0000

As the opioid overdose crisis continues, a group of volunteers started a hotline with one mission—not to encourage people to go to rehab, not even to discourage them from using—just to keep them alive for one more day.

A collaboration with This American Life.

Guests:

Stephen Murray, paramedic and overdose researcher at Boston Medical Center.

Jessie, a registered nurse who answers calls on the Never Use Alone hotline.

Kimber, a caller to the hotline.

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ICYMI: Are Green Powders a Pyramid Scheme?

Sat, 09 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice field a listener question about Bloom, the green powder nutrition company that’s popping up all over TikTok. They’re joined by health and wellness writer Julia Craven to talk about Bloom’s virality and what we should know before jumping on the green powder bandwagon. But first, they break down Tinder’s latest villain: the Tabi Swiper.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

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What Next TBD: Bad Air, Worse Vibes

Sat, 09 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

COVID’s still here but the public’s appetite for masking, social distancing, or remote learning is long gone. One palatable way to stop the spread: improving air circulation indoors.

Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter for the New York Times

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 Next: Our Aging Congress Is a Problem

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The problem with a Congress that is statistically so much older than the country it represents is systemic and—like almost everything in Washington—much of the issue can be traced back to money in politics.

Guest: Walt Hickey, Deputy editor for data and analysis for Insider who worked on their “Red, White, and Gray” reporting project.

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

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How To!: How To Find Your People

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Katie was ready to graduate from college when the pandemic interrupted everything. Unceremoniously cut-off from her group of friends, she’s now in a new chapter of her life but struggling more than ever to find her people. Katie’s friendships at work feel surface-level and she’s anxious about opening up too much for fear of rejection. On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings in friendship coach Danielle Bayard Jackson. Don’t worry about finding your next BFF, Jackson says. Instead if we focus on making deeper, more lasting human connections with those around us, genuine friendships will naturally occur.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Make Friends as an Adult

Do you have a question we can help you solve? 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.

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Hear Me Out: Harm Reduction Saves Lives

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… preventing the preventable.

At best, the rate of epidemic of drug overdose deaths in this country is slowing — but by many metrics and in many jurisdictions, the situation remains as dire as ever.

Which begs the question: what tactics will work to prevent these deaths, if nothing has yet?

Laura Guzman, Executive Director of the National Harm Reduction Coalition, joins us to say that harm reduction strategies like clean needles, clean pipes, and Narcan distribution are the way forward… because criminalizing drug use isn’t.

RESOURCES FOR PREVENTING OVERDOSES:

Access guidance and emergency mental health support via Overdose Lifeline.

Find Naloxone near you here.

You may be able to receive Naloxone through the mail; check here.

Find harm reduction centers near you here.

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.

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How To!: Navigate Adult Autism

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

It’s a family joke that Dave and his 13 year-old son are the same person. So when his son found out he is autistic, Dave realized that he, too, is on the autism spectrum. The label is a comfort—a reassurance that his personality “quirks” have an explanation. But, at the same time, it’s led to all of these questions like should he tell people? What does this change, if anything? And how does he learn to navigate a neurotypical world? On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings in journalist and podcast host, Lauren Ober. Lauren documented her own autism journey on The Loudest Girl In the World. She has lots of advice for living life as a newly diagnosed neurodivergent person.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Love Your Face

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.

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Best of What Next | The Diagnosis Was Fatal. She Couldn't Get an Abortion.

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on March 30. What Next will resume regular programming next week.

Two weeks after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Lauren Hall found out the baby she was carrying had a fatal condition: her head and skull weren’t properly developing. Texas’s three overlapping bans on abortion forced her to fly to Washington to terminate the unviable pregnancy. With the Center for Reproductive Rights, she became one of thirteen plaintiffs suing the state, so no one else will have to go through what she did.

Recently, a district court judge decided in their favor, but the state of Texas immediately appealed, leaving pregnant Texans in limbo until the appeals process finishes.

Guest: Lauren Hall, plaintiff suing the state of Texas over its abortion bans.

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.

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The Waves: America’s Dangerous Obsession with Trans Women

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, why can’t celebrities and sports organizations leave trans people alone? On the heels of the International Chess Federation excluding trans women from competing, and some terrible statements from singer Ne-Yo (remember Ne-Yo?) Waves host Scaachi Koul wants to know why everyone is so obsessed with trans people. She talks with cartoonist and author of the graphic novel, Boys Weekend, Mattie Lubchansky about why celebrities can’t help but get involved, why trans women continue to take the brunt of these types of attacks, and what hope there is for the future of trans rights.

In Slate Plus: It’s the season finale of And Just Like That…season 2.

If you liked this episode, check out: How a Drag Queen Recreated the American Dream

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Scaachi Koul, Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Additional help from Victoria Whitley-Berry.

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

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/thewavesplus to help support our work.

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Mom & Dad: Family Meditation Made Easy (and Fun)

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak Rosen, Jamilah Lemieux, and Elizabeth Newcamp help a parent who wants to give their youngest some mindfulness tools to help with their nighttime anxiety. They share a ton of resources—so you’re bound to find something that will work for your family!

This week’s non-meditation recommendations:

Jamilah: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Elizabeth: Cino Linko

Zak: Goodles

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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Dear Prudence: I Had Postpartum Depression, My Husband Did Nothing. Help!

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Lori Gottlieb (advice columnist and co-host of the Dear Therapists podcast) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about postpartum depression, wedding-planning anxiety, and what to do when you think neurodivergent people are getting away with way too much.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

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How To!: Cope With Climate Anxiety

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

As the massive Caldor fire blazed towards South Lake Tahoe in 2021, Joyce knew she had to get out. “The sky was red. It was like hell on earth,” she remembers. Her family got to safety and her house was miraculously spared. But, even now, it can be jarring to remember the fire. Climate-related extreme weather events are on the rise and another disaster is seemingly right around the corner. Especially with freakish flash floods, a scorching heatwave and wildfire smoke blanketing much of the country. On this episode of How To!, guest-host Cheyna Roth brings on Dr. Britt Wray, author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose In an Age of Climate Crisis. Dr. Wray explains why we need to treat climate anxiety differently and how we can create resilience both internally and within our communities as we face climate change, together.

Resources Mentioned:

Climate Psychology Alliance

Climate Psychiatry Alliance

Good Grief Network

Climate Awakening

Gen Dread Substack

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Save the Planet (And Still Use a Plastic Straw)

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.

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What Next TBD: Another Summer of COVID

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

After a quiet spring, COVID is surging back for the fourth consecutive summer. So, is this just life now?

Guest: Katherine Wu, staff writer at the Atlantic

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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How To!: Show Up For a Friend With Cancer

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

When Gwendolyn found out her friend was diagnosed with cancer, she knew she wanted to help. She just didn’t know how. Her friend lives hundreds of miles away. How can she help in a way that’s more meaningful than sending a meal and a few encouraging texts? On this episode of How To!, guest-host Courtney Martin brings on Mia Birdsong, author of the book How We Show Up. Mia went through her own cancer journey and figured out structures of support that not only helped her but made supporting easier for her friends.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Solve Your Own Medical Mystery

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.

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How To!: Deal With a Difficult Parent

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Every year J. and her parents fly thousands of miles, meeting in the middle for their family vacation. A vacation that often leads to shouting and tears. J. and her father have a rocky relationship. Little disagreements often lead to her dad yelling and dredging up the past. It would be easy, in theory, to cut off the relationship before it got even more toxic. But J. wants to make it work. The question is, how? On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings on Nibarna Kannathasan, a psychotherapist who has helped people navigate tricky intergenerational conflict, especially when factoring migration and differing cultural expectations. She helps J. parse what she really wants from her father and figure out a way to start down that road while protecting herself along the way.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Walk Away From an Impossible Parent.

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.

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Mom & Dad: Is My Child a Monster?

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak and Jamilah are joined by Leslie Cohen-Rubury — therapist and host of the podcast Is My Child a Monster? They start by talking about lessons from therapy and how Leslie’s show is helping to make therapy advice and resources more accessible. They also help a listener whose kid pulled a disappearing act after a fight during family vacation.

Recommendations:

Jamilah: Suits

Leslie: All That Breathes, An Immense World by Ed Yong and an ‘awe walk.’

Zak: Hunting seashells and making jewelry.

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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Dear Prudence: How Do I Tell My Kids I've Had an Abortion–Twice? Help!

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Jessica Valenti (a feminist columnist and author) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer readers’ letters about whether it’s okay to ghost friends who don’t respect your reproductive choices, how to deal with a spouse who is a slob, and when to tell your kids you’ve had an abortion.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. This week she answers a question about what to do when a grandparent food-polices a toddler.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

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Mom & Dad: My Kid Refuses Therapy. I Think She Needs It.

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 18:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak and Jamilah are joined by Leslie Cohen-Rubury — therapist and host of the podcast Is My Child a Monster? Together, they help a listener who’s worried that her daughter’s meltdowns might be a sign of depression.

They also discuss their week of triumphs and fails — and then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, we muse on the awkward institution that is the middle school slow dance.

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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How To!: Make Aging Easier for Everyone

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Caregivers provide an estimated 600 billion dollars in free labor each year, according to the AARP. This week’s listener, Dani is one such caregiver. She and her partner found themselves navigating the confusing world of Medicare and Medicaid, estate planning, powers of attorney, etc. All in the hope of helping their loved ones stay healthy and comfortable until they need an end-of-life plan. This experience has her worried—who is going to look after her when the time comes? On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings on Amy Goyer, AARP’s family and caregiving expert and has quite a bit of personal experience. She cuts through the confusion on how to caregive, how to care for caregivers, and how to prepare to be cared for yourself. Because we’re all going to need it, sooner or later.

If you liked this episode, check out: How To Fight With Your Parents, which is about parenting your parents.

Resources mentioned:

Caregiving Guides

Livable Communities

Local Resource Connections

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

Five Wishes Document

Aging Life Care Association

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.

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What Next TBD: America’s Killer Car Problem

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

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.

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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Political Gabfest: The World Is Burning

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 18:00:00 -0000

This week, John Dickerson and David Plotz are joined by Vox’s Marin Cogan @marincogan to discuss the extreme weather, heat, and floods that are wreaking havoc across the United States and around the world; the social media phenomenon of Threads; and the American love-hate relationship with cars.

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

Cara Buckley for The New York Times: “To Help Cool a Hot Planet, the Whitest of White Coats”

Jonathan Erdman for The Weather Channel: “America’s Top Weather Killer Is Not Tornadoes, Flooding, Lightning Or Hurricanes – It’s Heat”

Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar

Antonio Pequeño IV for Forbes: “Zuckerberg Vs. Musk: Everything We Know About The Possible Cage Fight”

These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore

Insider Intelligence: “US Social Network Ad Revenue Growth, 2021-2023”

Marin Cogan for Vox: “The impossible paradox of car ownership”; “The deadliest road in America”; and “Cars transformed America. They also made people more vulnerable to the police.”

Tracy Chapman: “Fast Car”; Luke Combs: “Fast Car”; and Emily Yahr for The Washington Post: “Tracy Chapman, Luke Combs and the complicated response to ‘Fast Car’”

Henry Grabar for Slate: “Why More Americans Are Using Fake License Plates and Getting Away With It”

Gersh Kuntzman for Streetsblog NYC: “Paris Mayor Enters Fray Between E-Bikes and Pedestrians – By Fighting Drivers”

Here are this week’s chatters:

John: Hannah Hartig, Andrew Daniller, Scott Keeter, and Ted Van Green for Pew Research Center: “Republican Gains in 2022 Midterms Driven Mostly by Turnout Advantage”

Marin and David: Tour de France on NBC Sports; Tour de France: Unchained on Netflix

Listener chatter from Dan Kirkwood: Claire Stremple for The Alaska Beacon: “Angoon students name, launch first dugout canoe since 1882 Bombardment”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Marin discuss traffic enforcement, the need for it, and the harms it causes.

In the latest edition of Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Monica Potts @MonicaBPotts about her book, The Forgotten Girls: A Memoir of Friendship and Lost Promise in Rural America.

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

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

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Big Mood, Little Mood: Anxious Surrogate

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 18:00:00 -0000

Danny Lavery welcomes Leslie Cohen-Rubury, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and host of “Is My Child a Monster?”, A Parenting Therapy Podcast.

Lavery and Cohen-Rubury offer advice to someone who’s parents might interfere with her decision to be a surrogate mother for her friends. Another letter writer is wondering how to tell their mom about being abused by their teacher when they were 16. Also, a listener's response to the “Fairweather Friend Group” letter.

Resources mentioned in today’s show:

Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD - https://cptforptsd.com/cpt-provider-roster/
Dialectic Behavior Therapy - Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE) - https://dbtpe.org/find-a-therapist
The Body Keeps Score - A book by Bessel Van Der Kolk

Need advice? Send Danny a question here.

Email: mood@slate.com

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 Big Mood, Little Mood. Sign up now at Slate.com/MoodPlus to help support our work

Production by Phil Surkis

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What Next: Can’t Stand the Heat

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

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.

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Mom & Dad: Car Seat Safety, Explained!

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth Newcamp is joined by Jamie Grayson, who you may know as ‘the baby gear guy.’ As we’re in the midst of summer road trip season, it’s time to revisit car seat safety. Luckily, Jamie is here to cut through the confusion while actually making safety fun. He explains how to pick the right seat for you, when to move from a carseat to a booster to the front seat, and even when it’s time to trade in your old seat.

Recommendations:

Elizabeth: LOL 101: A Kid's Guide to Writing Jokes

Zak: CYB (Choose Your Battles)

Jamilah: Dave

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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A Word: Trouble the Waters

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

It can take years for a water crisis in a predominantly Black city or town to make national news. But contaminated water often harms communities for generations. Beyond the ongoing health threats, dirty water can stifle business and economic development, driving down educational achievement, property values and investment. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Adam Mahoney who has reported extensively on how undrinkable water in hurting Black communities across the rural south.

Guest: Reporter Adam Mahoney of Capital B News

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.

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What Next TBD: The Never-Ending Cancer Drug Shortage

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

A shortage of basic chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer is jeopardizing the care of hundreds of thousands of patients. The drugs aren’t expensive, or patented—so where are they?

Guest: Ed Yong, science journalist at The Atlantic.

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 Next: Why We Have to Take RFK Jr. Seriously

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s politics, such as they can be parsed, are a mix of conspiracy theories and vibes. But in a post-Trump landscape, and with RFK polling at 20 percent among Democratic presidential candidates, cranky contrarians have to be taken seriously—right?

Guest: Vera Bergengruen, investigative correspondent at Time magazine.

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What Next TBD: Can Ozempic Cure Addiction?

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Semaglutide, otherwise known as Ozempic, has been making headlines as a weight loss drug – despite only having FDA approval to treat diabetes. Now, some say it doesn’t just quell cravings for food – it helps quiet cravings for alcohol, drugs, and other compulsive behaviors. For years, researchers have been studying Ozempic’s effectiveness as an addiction cure in animals. What have they found? And – does it actually work?

Guest: Sarah Zhang covers health and medicine for The Atlantic

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

Podcast production by Evan Campbell.

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The Waves: A Year Without Roe

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, one year after the Supreme Court decision that set off a national crisis in reproductive health care, we’re taking a look at what the end of Roe has wrought. Countless lives have been affected: There's the people who've traveled across the country to get their lives back, the people who've been forced against their will into pregnancy and childbirth, and those who've been denied life saving medical care because their doctors are afraid of the law. There's also the people doing what they can to mitigate the damage—with ballot measures, and abortion funds, and the tools and knowledge to help someone manage an abortion on their own.

Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci talks with Diane Horvath and Morgan Nuzzo, who opened an abortion clinic in Maryland just as Roe fell. She also sits down with Elaina Ramsey, who leads a faith-based pro-abortion group in Ohio that’s been charting new ways to use the specific assets of faith communities to help people get abortions, and Jessica Valenti, a journalist who’s been tracking the warp-speed rollback of abortion access across the country, and telling the stories of people whose lives have been upended because of it.

Some of Christina’s Writing on Abortion:

Birth Control Is Next

You Will Still Be Able to Get a Medication Abortion—Even if This Barbaric Ruling Stands

What Anti-Abortion Advocates Really Think of Women’s Lives

If the “Abortion Pill” Gets Banned, There’s Still One Good Move

The Religious Left Has Found Its Mission

If you liked this episode, check out: What the F*** Do We Do Now?

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.

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/thewavesplus to help support our work.

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What Next: Is Planned Parenthood Stepping Up?

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of the end of Roe – a historic decision that’s led to long lines, clinic closures, and a flood of abortion bans across the country. Planned Parenthood has always been in the political crosshairs… but now, their role is arguably more important than ever. What does America’s largest abortion provider look like in the post-Roe era? We sit down with its CEO to find out.

Guest: Alexis McGill Johnson, CEO of Planned Parenthood

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

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A Word: More Than A Hashtag

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Police killings of Black men have their own grim, but established, rituals in American society. But what happens to those who survive police violence? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Leon Ford, who survived being shot multiple times by Pittsburgh police more than a decade ago. In his new memoir An Unspeakable Hope, Ford candidly describes his legal, physical, and mental health challenges, and why he eventually dedicated himself to working with police, including reaching out to the man who shot him. He also discusses The Hear Foundation—his non-profit group that builds partnerships between the community and police—and his complicated views of politics, gun violence, and activism.

Guest: Activist Leon Ford, co-founder of The Hear Foundation, and author of An Unspeakable Hope: Brutality, Forgiveness, and Building a Better Future for My Son

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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The Waves: Your Period Deserves Respect

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about menstruation. Period. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author and anthropologist Dr. Kate Clancy. Kate recently published her extensive study on menstruation, Period and they dig into why Western culture has constantly looked at menstruating bodies with shame, how this impacts scientific studies and healthcare for women and gender minorities, and how we can overcome the embarrassment.

In Slate Plus: Why language matters in science.

If you liked this episode, check out: The Hustle of Being Beautiful

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Amicus: How SCOTUS Enabled The Explosion of Anti-Trans Laws

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.

On this week’s Amicus, a sobering interview between Dahlia Lithwick and the ACLU's Chase Strangio. Chase is deputy director for Transgender Justice with the ACLU’s LGBT and HIV Project and a nationally recognized expert on trans rights. . The sheer number and breadth of proposed new laws targeting trans people is breathtaking, and they are coming from some familiar quarters if you follow the Supreme Court and abortion law. This conversation helps to set the stage for the end of the Supreme Court’s term by looking beyond the cases being decided this month at One, First Street, and toward the legal landscape, and the systems and groups that are shaping that landscape for the rest of us. In the second half of the show, Dahlia is joined by her jurisprudential co-pilot Mark Stern. They talk about why everyone on Twitter hates Mark (hint: people have strong feelings about Justice Alito’s recusal ethics), the labor case that was not as bad for unions as maybe could have been (but is still NOT GREAT), and Mark floats his theory that Supreme Court Justices just don’t want to go back to the office full time and that’s why we’re getting a dribble of decisions now… And might get a firehose of them later this month.

In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, we return to Washington DC and our Full Court Press live show at Sixth and I, where Mark and Dahlia were joined by Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia’s 4th District. Rep. Johnson is the ranking member of the House Judiciary subcommittee that oversees the federal courts, including the Supreme Court. They talk court reform and modernizing the judiciary, and why term limits and court expansion are vital to both.

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The Waves: The Hustle of Being Beautiful

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about the beauty industry. Senior writer and editor at New America, Julia Craven is joined by author and NPR host-at-large Elise Hu. They discuss Elise’s new book, Flawless - a remarkable investigation into the Korean beauty world. They also unpack the hustle culture inherent in beauty, how Eurocentric beauty trends are everywhere, and more.

In Slate Plus: Is Shiv Roy from HBO’s Succession misunderstood?

If you liked this episode, check out: Who’s Getting Rich Off Menopause?

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.

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/thewavesplus 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.

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What Next: After They Testified: The Trans Pharmacist Who Went Viral

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

As the fight for trans rights, including gender-affirming medical care, heads through state legislation, activists and medical providers are stepping up to testify. While explaining her perspective as a medical professional, a Little Rock pharmacist, who is trans, was asked about her genitalia in the middle of the Arkansas general assembly.

This is the first installment in What Next’s Pride Month series. “After They Testified” is about the Americans who’ve shown up in the last year to speak out against anti-queer legislation, how it felt to do so, and what came next.

Guest: Gwen Herzig, owner and pharmacist at Park West Pharmacy in Little Rock, Arkansas, president and executive director of The Prism Foundation.

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.

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How To!: Sleep Apart to Save Your Relationship

Tue, 30 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Sleep is objectively worse when splitting a bed. Yet that’s the default for most couples. But that doesn’t mean sharing the covers is easy. Especially when one person is having trouble falling or staying asleep. On this episode of How To!, the second in a two-part series, co-host Carvell Wallace continues the conversation with Dr. Wendy Troxel, author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep. Dr. Troxel explains how couples can experiment with sleeping arrangements in a way that makes everyone feel safe, and why sleeping apart might be the key to saving your relationship.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Stop Snoring (and Breathe Easier).”

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.

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What Next: Republicans' Stealth Plan to Ban Abortions

Wed, 24 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

A national ban on abortion remains so unpopular that even Republican presidential candidates won’t commit to one. However, a law from the 1870s, depending on how it's interpreted and enforced, could ban both abortion pills and the procedure across America.

Guest: Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis and author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession.

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How To!: Sleep Like a Champ

Tue, 23 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Vanessa isn’t a night owl. Yet, often, you can find her lying awake desperately trying to turn off her brain. When her partner stays over she often resorts to the couch just to get some rest. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace brings in Dr. Wendy Troxel. She is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in sleep medicine and the author of the book, Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep. On part one of a two part series—Dr. Troxel explains how insomnia disrupts sleep, how to avoid it, and why a good night’s rest starts with your environment.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat the Dreaded Midday Slump.”

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.

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What Next: How the Next Pandemic Starts

Mon, 22 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Bats have been linked to a “greatest hits” list of infectious diseases—not just COVID-19, but SARS, Marburg, and even ebola. And now, 1.8 billion people are living in “jump zones” where the next viral spillover may occur.

Guest: Ryan McNeill, London-based deputy editor for the Reuters global data-journalism team.

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What Next: North Carolina’s Rush to Restrict Abortion

Thu, 18 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

When a Democratic pro-choice representative defected from her party, North Carolina Republicans instantly secured a veto-proof supermajority in the state legislature. Then, they quickly sent a bill that restricts abortion to their Democratic governor’s desk, and overrode his veto, ending North Carolina’s time as an abortion destination in the southeastern United States.

Guest: Rebecca J. Kreitzer, associate professor of public policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and expert on abortion politics and policy.

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The Waves: Why Medical Mysteries Plague Women

Thu, 18 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re unpacking medical mysteries. Science writer and Slate contributor Eleanor Cummins is joined by Allison Behringer. Allison is the host and creator of the KCRW podcast, Bodies. Now in its fourth season, every episode of Bodies digs into a person’s medical mystery. Eleanor and Allison talk about Allison’s own ‘body story,’ why female bodies contain so many mysteries, and what we can do to solve them.

In Slate Plus, using social media to connect people with illnesses.

If you liked this episode, check out Who’s Getting Rich Off Menopause?

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.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus.

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How To!: Deliver Bad News Better

Tue, 16 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

‘I’ve got bad news’ is a sentence no one wants to hear. But at some point, all of us will either have to deliver bad news or will be on the receiving end. So what can make these gut-wrenching conversations go less horribly? On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Dr. Robert Arnold, co-founder of Vital Talk, and Maura, a social worker at a level one trauma center to talk about how to better communicate serious news. Because just about all of us can get a lot better at it — once we learn how.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Solve Your Own Medical Mystery.”

Do you have a human-sized problem that needs solving? 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.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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.

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Mom & Dad: Let Kids Eat Cake

Thu, 04 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux sits down with journalist Virginia Sole-Smith to discuss her new book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture. This conversation is a special collaboration with Slate’s The Waves podcast. Virginia talks about the body shame kids face, reclaiming the word ‘fat,’ and supporting kids in the bodies they’re in. They also talk about how parents, grandparents, and other figures in kids’ lives can dismantle fatphobia and other learned behaviors that perpetuate our current culture.

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Rosemary Belson with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

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How To!: Raise Kids in a Nation Full of Guns

Tue, 02 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Guns are now the leading cause of death for children in America. Each tragedy can be visceral, whether it’s in your community or across the country. And it’s especially heartbreaking when your kid voices that fear directly, as our listener Allison recently experienced. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Melinda Wenner Moyer. Melinda is an author and science journalist with years covering gun violence and parenting issues. She’s also the author of the substack, Is My Kid the Asshole? where she shares science-based approaches to lower the possibility of gun violence, help kids feel safe, and, ultimately, change the environment.

If you liked this episode, check out: “My Kid’s Anxiety Is Giving ME Anxiety! How Do I Fix This?”

Do you wonder how best to use your time? 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.

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.

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A Word: Autism Beyond Awareness

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance month, and might be the only time of year when many Americans think about neurodiversity. But for many families, receiving an autism diagnosis for a child can set off an all-consuming search for doctors, therapists, and education that can work for their kids. That’s more complicated for African-American families, who have to overcome systemic racism in schools and health care to get the right help for their children. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. Ashley Wiley-Johnson. She’s the vice president of The Los Angeles Speech and Language Therapy Center. She’s also the co-author of Autism Spectrum Disorders from Theory to Practice: Assessment and Intervention Tools Across the Lifespan. She explains how finding help that focuses on life-long skills for autistic people can lay a foundation for them to have happy, healthy futures.

Guest: Dr. Ashley Wiley-Johnson, vice president of The Los Angeles Speech and Language Therapy Center

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

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What Next: Fighting for the Right to Die

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

A self-described activist had late-stage, fallopian tube cancer. She didn’t live in one of the 11 jurisdictions that allows terminally-ill patients the choice to medically end their own lives. But rather than relocating, she argued Vermont’s residency restrictions were unconstitutional.

Guest: Lynda Bluestein, a 75-year-old woman seeking to end her life on her terms, who successfully sued Vermont over their residency requirement in their “Patient Choice At End of Life” law.

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Hi-Phi Nation: Love in the Time of Replika

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0000

We explore the lives of people who are in love with their AI chatbots. Replika is a chatbot designed to adapt to the emotional needs of its users. It is a good enough surrogate for human interaction that many people have decided that it can fulfill their romantic needs. The question is whether these kinds of romantic attachments are real, illusory, or good for the people involved. Apps like Replika represent the future of love and sex for a subpopulation of people, so we discuss the health and ethics of the practice.

Host Barry Lam talks to philosophers Ellie Anderson and David Pena-Guzman of the Overthink podcast about what theories of love would say about these kinds of relationships. AI lovers include Alex Stokes and Rosanna Ramos. Original scoring by Aaron Morgan.

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A Word: Home is Where the Hurt Is

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the African American community has a complicated relationship with corporal punishment of kids. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Stacey Patton, a writer, child abuse survivor, and the author of Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America. She debunks myths about spanking, including the idea that physical discipline of children has roots in Africa. They also discuss the emotional and psychological damage caused by spanking, and by the new phenomenon of parents sharing videos of punishing their children on social media.

Guest: Stacey Patton, author of Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America

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.

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What Next TBD: Will Banning Social Media Help Kids?

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

A new law in Utah that goes into effect next year states that anyone under 18 needs parental permission to use social media. Is it a necessary step to protect children from harms associated with social media, or are we blunting a tool of expression for the youth?

Guest: Dr. Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at American Psychological Association

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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Amicus: Anti-Abortion Lawyers Love this Zombie Law

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

There’s a terrible legal Easter egg in Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk’s ruling on the abortion medication, Mifepristone. And that same Easter egg makes an appearance in the Fifth Circuit’s partial stay. It’s the Comstock Act - a mostly forgotten 19th century vice statute that is suddenly the anti-abortion movement’s favorite zombie legislation. On a special extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mary Ziegler, an expert on the law, history, and politics of reproduction, health care, and conservatism in the United States from 1945 to the present. Together, they tackle the chaos upon chaos of the past week’s medication abortion cases, and take a long hard look at the next steps in the anti-abortion movement’s fight for a nationwide ban.

In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern to discuss the “quid pro Crow” of Justice Clarence Thomas’ real estate deals with GOP mega donor, and avid court-watcher, and amicus-brief-funder Harlan Crow.

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Political Gabfest: That Shoddy Abortion Pill Ruling

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This week, David Plotz and Emily Bazelon discuss the federal court rulings on the F.D.A.-approved abortion medication mifepristone, the expulsion of two Democratic representatives by the Republican-supermajority state legislature in Tennessee, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ latest ethics problem.

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

Adam Unikowsky for Adam’s Legal Newsletter: “Mifepristone and the rule of law, part II”

Allison McCann for the New York Times: “Inside the Online Market for Overseas Abortion Pills”

Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, and Alex Mierjeski for ProPublica: “Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire”

Sylvie McNamara for the Washingtonian: “Clarence Thomas’s Billionaire Benefactor Collects Hitler Artifacts”

Chenjerai Kumanyika for This American Life: “Ghost Industrial Complex”

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Vladimir: A Novel by Julia May Jonas

David: The D.C. Sing-Along; The Dropout on Hulu; Air (Amazon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Listener chatter from David Foreman: Rosemary Mosco for Audubon: “Meet the Little Brown Bird That Holds a Mirror Up to Humanity”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David and Emily discuss the Hitler memorabilia collected by Harlan Crow, Texas billionaire and friend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Email your questions and chatters to gabfest@slate.com or tweet us @SlateGabfest. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next: Do Abortion Pills Actually Need FDA Approval?

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Last week a federal judge in Texas refuted the FDA approval for mifepristone, a pill used for medication abortions, which would suspend that approval across the country.

But some experts say - plenty of drugs don’t have FDA approval, and are still widely distributed… from baby formula, to multivitamins.

Guest: Rachel Rebouché, dean and James E. Beasley professor of law at the Temple University Beasley School of Law and faculty fellow at the Center for Public Health Law Research.

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What Next: Narcan Over the Counter

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The FDA just approved a version of Narcan, the most commonly used version of the overdose prevention medicine naloxone, for over-the-counter sales. The move comes in response to overdose deaths steadily rising since the late ‘70s and around 100,000 Americans dying from overdose just last year. What took so long?

Guest: Nancy D. Campbell, department head at Rensselaer’s department of science and technology studies, author of OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose.

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How To!: Breathe Like a Navy SEAL

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

John has spent years training to become a Pararescueman, a member of Air Force Special Warfare tasked with recovering downed military personnel around the globe. He has pushed himself past countless obstacles and trials, except one — holding his breath in the pool. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace is joined by free diving expert and founder of the Performance Free Dive Academy Kirk Krack. Kirk has spent decades mastering the art of lowering his heart rate and increasing his capacity to hold his breath. He has advised everyone from Navy SEALs to the cast members of Avatar 2: The Way of Water. He even helped Sigourney Weaver go without a gulp of air for over 6 minutes! Kirk gives John tips for extending his breathholds under water and explains why all of us should be more conscious of how we breathe.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Withstand Pain”

Do you wonder how to push yourself past your limits? 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.

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Hi-Phi Nation: The Digital Future of Grief

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0000

When Justin’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, he knew he wanted to keep talking to her after she died. So together they made an AI version of her, training it on her speech patterns and memories. Now he is scaling his findings so that anyone can continue their relationships with loved ones after their deaths. Justin even believes this can one day lead to digital immortality.

Grief experts are only now dealing with bereaved people who create digital versions of their loved ones. We look at what they say about the phenomenon, and what philosophers think about whether the best AI version of a person can actually be them.

Guests include Alexandra Salmon, Justin Harrison, CEO of You, Only Virtual, Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor, and Dr. Debra Bassett.

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What Next: Preventing Preventive Care

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

A federal judge has struck down a provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring private insurers to provide preventive care—screenings and the like—at no cost to patients.

But preventive care is a good investment for insurance companies and for national health. It’s something Americans already don’t get enough of — but is anyone willing to step in and save it?

Guest: Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent Kaiser Health News, host of the “What the Health” podcast

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Hear Me Out: Childbirth Should Be Free

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the right to life and socialized healthcare walk into a delivery room.

Writer and journalist Liz Bruenig joins Celeste to discuss her vision for a United States where childbirth costs nothing. In a nation with skyrocketing healthcare costs, attacks on reproductive rights, and potential rollbacks on preventive care, we tell birthing people that not only do they have to give birth — they have to court financial ruin in order to do it.

Liz says it doesn’t have to be this way… and yes, we can pay for it. Moreover, it might be the rare issue where both sides of the aisle can find some common ground.

Podcast production by Maura Currie

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Mom and Dad Are Fighting: Gender-Affirming Care For Kids

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Zak and Jamilah are joined by Evan Urquhart. Evan covers anti-trans propaganda on Assigned Media, writes for Slate, and manages Slate’s comments section.

Today we’re going to be talking with Evan about his recent piece, There Are Two Sides to the Debate on Health Care for Trans Kids. Here’s What You’re Missing About One of Them. People and resources mentioned: Julia Serano, Assigned Media, and Trans Safety Network.

Recommendations:

Jamilah recommends the Dear Culture podcast.

Evan recommends the Washington Post-KFF Trans in America survey.

Zak recommends letting kids watch TV during breakfast on school days.

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 Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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The Waves: We Need to Talk About Postpartum Psychosis

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by New Yorker editor Jessica Winter to talk all about postpartum psychosis. They dig into how the medical world is failing new moms during one of the “worst psychiatric emergencies” and why we need to talk about it more. After the break, Cheyna and Jessica talk about how movies and television have depicted postpartum depression and psychosis.

In Slate Plus, are “influencer parents” really new?

Articles Mentioned

What We Still Don’t Understand About Postpartum Psychosis by Jessica Winter

The Many Violations of the Violent Birth Scene by Amanda Hess

Women’s Heath Care is Underfunded. The Consequences Are Dire by Jessica Grose

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.

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What Next TBD: When A.I. Denies Your Health Care

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

As Medicare Advantage plans have increased their reliance on software to determine what their customers require—and, therefore, receive—elderly patients are being denied coverage for care they need. What happens when an algorithm — not a doctor — decides how much care you need and it’s not enough?

Guest: Casey Ross, national technology correspondent at STAT

Host: Emily Peck

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 Next: The Diagnosis Was Fatal. She Couldn't Get an Abortion.

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Two weeks after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Lauren Hall found out the baby she was carrying had a fatal condition: her head and skull weren’t properly developing. Texas’s three overlapping bans on abortion forced her to fly to Washington to terminate the unviable pregnancy. With the Center for Reproductive Rights, she’s now one of five plaintiffs suing the state, so no one else will have to go through what she did.

Guest: Lauren Hall, plaintiff suing the state of Texas over its abortion bans.

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What Next: Why Is Adderall So Hard to Find?

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Since last summer, it’s been difficult to fill an Adderall prescription. The shortage is driving some people to try other ADHD medications—causing shortages of those medications too—while others are sourcing their medication on the “gray market.”

Why is such a common drug nowhere to be found?And why has the FDA been so mum on the subject?

Guests:

Ike Swetlitz, health journalist for Bloomberg News

Sheila McClear, writer for Los Angeles magazine

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The Waves: Two Feminists Talk Weight Loss

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus talks with longtime health and foodwriter Tamar Haspel about her views on weight loss, and why it’s important for feminist to not shy away from the topic. They dig into why crank diets don’t work and often fail in trials, how Tamar changed her mind about “just lose weight!” being good, blanket advice, and how to make conversations about weight empowering—or, at least, less fraught.

In Slate Plus, a discussion about the latest weight loss drug, Ozempic.

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.

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What Next: How Anti-Trans Legislation Cost Rural South Dakota a Doctor

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has made anti-trans legislation a trademark of her term, but singling out trans people—and those who provide them medical care—comes at a cost to the state and its residents. It left the tiny rural town of Webster with only one physician.

Guest: Mayson Bedient, a family medicine and gender-affirming care specialist in Fargo, North Dakota

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What Next: A Disability Rights Icon’s Long Legacy

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

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.

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What Next TBD: When Meta Tells Law Enforcement About Your Abortion

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Just weeks before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a Nebraska woman and her daughter were charged with performing an illegal abortion, thanks to information that law enforcement uncovered by going through their Facebook accounts.

Guest: Johana Bhuiyan, senior reporter on tech and surveillance for The Guardian

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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How To!: ‘Chaos Cook’ With Samin Nosrat

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Cooking is one of the most basic human activities. We’ve probably been doing it since the discovery of fire and, yet, it’s more than just fuel. It’s culture. It’s comfort. It’s increasingly content. The problem is when we have such high expectations for something so simple and vital, we can find ourselves, well…paralyzed with doubt. Not to mention hungry. On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings on Samin Nosrat, author of Salt Fat Acid Heat, who talks with food writer, Rachel Baron, about managing emotions in the kitchen. They dive deep on what it means to manage (and harness) feelings of chaos, how to stop comparing yourself to Instagram chefs, and how to feed not just yourself, but your soul.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Stress-Bake with Claire Saffitz” and “How To Cook One Perfect Meal.”

Do you wonder how best to use your time? 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.

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.

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What Next TBD: The Hollywood Weight Loss Wonder Drug

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

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 Next TBD: What Would Convince a Lab Leak Skeptic?

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

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

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 Next: Why Insulin Prices Keep Rising

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

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.

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What Next: When Politicians Need Mental Healthcare

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

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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What Next TBD: Is a 25-Year-Old’s Brain Mature?

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

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

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 Next TBD: The Baby-Sleep Industrial Complex

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0000

The tech-laden, luxury bassinet “Snoo” has been presented as preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, helping babies sleep longer, and a totally reasonable way to spend $1,700. Is any of that true?

Guest: Kate Taylor, senior features correspondent for Business Insider

John Collins, Lizzie’s husband.

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 Next: Will Abortion Pills Be Banned?

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

A judge in north Texas is considering a lawsuit that could make access to abortion pills more difficult across the country. While anti-abortion activists can point to a string of recent successes, the existence of another, widely-used abortion medication would make medical abortions nearly impossible to ban outright.

Guest: Christina Cauterucci, Slate senior writer and host of Outward.

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What Next: The Mass Shooter Database

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Why does someone become a mass shooter? Researchers are interviewing perpetrators and their victims—and those who narrowly averted committing a mass shooting—and discovering a common thread of psychological despair. Can their work be applied to the prevention of future violence?

Guest: Jillian Peterson, forensic psychologist, violence researcher, and author of The Violence Project.

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ICYMI: Is Weight Lifting a Diet Culture Escape Hatch?

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 10:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle speaks with writer and cultural critic Casey Johnston about weight lifting. They discuss what led Casey to pick up the barbell, how she found her way into the online weight lifting space and the following she built there, and the ways weight lifting might be able to break us out of diet culture’s torturous cycle.

This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder and Rachelle Hampton.

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

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The Waves: How ADHD Disorients Women

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by stand-up comic Blaire Postman to discuss their journeys as women with ADHD, from receiving a diagnosis to the many ways it affects their everyday lives.

In Slate Plus, how Blaire navigated living with ADHD in the pandemic-era social media boom of all things ADHD content.

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.

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Slate Money: The Drug that Debunks Free Will

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

This week, former Slate Money host Cathy O’Neill joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss the technical glitch at the New York Stock Exchange. They also talk about a new study that found the IRS disproportionately audits Black taxpayers, and about Ozempic, a shockingly effective – and expensive – weight loss drug.

In the Plus segment: a debate over Slack etiquette.

Podcast production by Anna Phillips.

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What Next TBD: How COVID Changes Our Immune Systems

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Last fall it seemed like everyone got sick—not just with COVID, but from a slew of respiratory diseases, from the mild to the severe. Researchers are trying to untangle how our immune systems have changed in the COVID era, and if we’re paying back an “immunity debt” or are victims of “immunity theft.”

Guest: Tim Requarth, contributing writer to Slate.

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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How To!: Love Your Face

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Earlier this year, our listener, Rell, nearly failed a promotion. Not because she was unprepared or unqualified, but because she didn’t maintain enough eye contact with the interviewers. Rell’s eye hasn’t been fully receiving information since she was born, a condition that’s outwardly visible and known colloquially as a “lazy eye.” It’s beginning to affect her self-confidence and is this “ugly thing [she] can’t let go of.” On this episode of How To!, new co-host Carvell Wallace brings on Sarah Ruhl. Sarah is an award-winning playwright, and author who wrote about her experience with Bell’s palsy in her recent book, Smile: The Story of a Face. Sarah has some wonderful advice for letting go of your inner rage, making interactions with strangers less painful, and even finding people who light up your mirror neurons.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Dress with Confidence.”

Do you have a question without an answer? 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.

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The Waves: Who’s Getting Rich Off Menopause?

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 17:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Money co-host Emily Peck is joined by New York Times writer, Amy Larocca to discuss, as Amy says, the “menopause gold rush.” They dig into when exactly menopause starts, how younger women embracing their bodies has trickled up to their moms, and the companies that have started aggressively targeting menopausal women - for better and for worse.

In Slate Plus, how telehealth and online medicine have changed the menopause game.

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.

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How To!: Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 17:00:00 -0000

January is barely two weeks old and already some of our ambitious New Year’s resolutions may be starting to fade. No shame! Approximately 90% of resolution makers don’t reach their goal. Which means there’s gotta be a better way. Our listener this week, Emily, is discouraged about her unhealthy eating and lack of exercise and wants to form better habits that last long after the new year. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Maya Shankar. Maya is a cognitive scientist and host of the award-winning podcast, A Slight Change of Plans. Relying on decades of research, she helps Emily (and all of us) set ourselves up for success based on what works for actual humans.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Eat Whatever You Want” and “How To Lose Weight and Keep It Off”

Do you have a question without an answer? 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, and Kevin Bendis.

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.

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What Next TBD: An Antivax Dog Whistle Goes Viral

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The idea that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to sudden deaths among young people has no scientific support, but the theory nevertheless has a lot of traction on social media.

How can public health officials educate the public—especially on subject like vaccines, where their effectiveness renders them effectively invisible?

Guest: Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and data scientist

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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Nobody Knows Anything

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 19:25:03 -0000

In the final episode of Trumpcare Tracker, Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann ponder the latest, mysterious developments in the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. Senate leadership is still pushing for a vote next week, even though nobody knows which bill they’ll be considering. On Thursday, Sen. John Cornyn told reporters that senators knowing what’s in the bill before it goes to the floor is “a luxury we don’t have.” If it does indeed proceed, it will be a vote-a-rama for the ages.

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Is It Really Dead?

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 19:08:16 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann recall the sudden collapse of the Republican health care bill on Monday night and wonder if master tactician Mitch McConnell can still bring it back from the dead. Could President Donald Trump change senators’ minds, and is there any hope for a bipartisan compromise?

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The World’s Most Ironic Health Scare

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 21:42:17 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann discuss the latest developments in the Republican attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare. They ask whether John McCain’s surgery makes the bill more or less likely to pass; they analyze the incentives administration officials are offering to moderates; and they break down Vice President Mike Pence’s spectacularly ineffective (and thoroughly debunked) pitch for the bill at the National Governor’s Association meeting this weekend.

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Slush Funds for All

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:39:24 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann discuss the latest draft of the health care legislation, which Republicans released on Thursday. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s bold tactic was to try to sway conservatives with policy concessions and to throw money at moderate holdouts. They ask why Senate moderates still haven’t definitively come out against the bill and whether Republican leadership will use a partisan source to score the bill if they decide the Congressional Budget Office would take “too long” to do the job.

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A Possible Plan B?

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 20:09:00 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann discuss the latest developments in the Republicans’ quest to repeal and replace Obamacare. Will Ted Cruz’s amendment pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian? Does this legislative saga prove that politics are local once again? And can Lindsey Graham craft a bipartisan compromise to fix Obamacare?

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Is Trumpcare Doomed?

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 18:24:54 -0000

Jim Newell is joined by Vox reporter Dylan Scott to discuss how a week in their home states affected Republican senators’ attitudes toward the health-care bill. Is there any hope for the legislation when the most common feelings are ambivalence or fervent opposition? (Jordan Weissmann is on vacation.)

Email: trumpcaretracker@slate.com

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How the GOP Bill Will Harm the Disabled

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 20:04:00 -0000

Jordan Weissmann talks with Harold Pollack, a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Chicago, about the devastating effects the Republican health care bill will have on disabled Americans and other vulnerable citizens. In recent weeks Pollack has written about how Trumpcare will probably kill thousands every year and why Americans with disabilities should be terrified by the legislation. (Jim Newell is on vacation.)

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Can Ted Cruz Break the Senate Health Care Logjam?

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 19:00:25 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann discuss the latest developments in the Republicans’ efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. Ted Cruz has a plan that could break the legislative logjam, President Donald Trump puts repeal and delay back on the table, and moderate Republicans aren’t falling for it.

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Why Mitch McConnell Flinched

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 18:23:25 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann discuss Mitch McConnell’s surprise decision to delay the Senate vote on health care reform. Was the CBO score the final nail in the coffin? What side deals can McConnell make to persuade the holdouts in his party? And should Democrats be nervous that Obamacare is about to be repealed?

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Counting the No Votes

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 20:41:04 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann read the entrails of GOP senators’ statements in an attempt to calculate if Republicans have enough votes to get their health care bill passed. Then they look at waivers—might they really allow states to use health care funds on stadiums or anything else?—and assess the effectiveness of the Republicans’ six-month lockout to encourage young, healthy people to maintain continuous insurance coverage.

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An Assault on Medicaid

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 17:37:23 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann take a close look at the health-care bill Republican senators released on Thursday. Jim describes the scene on Capitol Hill, then they talk about what surprised them about the proposed legislation and assess its chances of passage.

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Will the Senate Parliamentarian Halt the GOP Health-Care Bill?

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 19:41:29 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann hash out the latest rumors about the secretive Republican health-care reform process. Could the Senate parliamentarian halt the legislation’s progress? If so, might Republican leaders simply ignore her? How does Sen. Mitch McConnell’s abiding affection for the filibuster come into play, and will abortion politics scuttle the entire project?

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Why Would Moderate Republicans Vote for Such a Harsh Bill?

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 19:11:58 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann try to work out if Mitch McConnell actually cares about health policy and why moderate Republicans would vote for such a harsh bill. Then they get into the complicated question of the many ways the Senate legislation threatens to mess with Medicaid.

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Trumpcare Tracker: Senate Procedural Hijinks

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 18:51:54 -0000

Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann discuss how Senate procedural tactics could shape the Republican health-care legislation. And why did Donald Trump suddenly decide the House version of the American Health Care Act is “mean”?

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How Long Can Senate Republicans Keep Their Health-Care Bill Secret?

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 20:44:07 -0000

In the first episode of Slate's Trumpcare Tracker, congressional reporter Jim Newell and Moneybox columnist Jordan Weissmann discuss the secrecy surrounding the Senate health-care bill. Is this a sign of the Republicans’ legislative genius—or is it pure arrogance?

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