Slate Magazine Daily Podcast

On The Gist, is Sherrod Brown annoying? In the interview, Matt Green is on a yearslong mission to walk all the streets of New York City—and Jeremy Workman filmed him doing many of them for a documentary, The World Before Your Feet. Alongside Workman and executive producer Jesse Eisenberg, Green talks about Staten Island’s ordinary charm, the odd street-naming conventions of Queens, and how a life of perpetual walking makes dating pretty hard.  In the Spiel, PETA.  This episode is brought to you by Helix, a new kind of DNA testing. Try today for a deep discount at helix.com/gist.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the legacy of George H.W. Bush, the power-grab by Wisconsin Republicans, and election fraud in North Carolina. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/gabfestplus. Twitter: @SlateGabfest Facebook: facebook.com/Gabfest Email: gabfest@slate.com Show notes at slate.com/gabfest

Why is contemporary culture obsessed with how well-endowed men are and yet in classical art men are so small? Kurt Andersen unravels the mystery with a classics scholar, Andrew Lear. Stacey Rose is a playwright, but when she’s not working to take audiences’ breath away on stage, she’s doing the opposite in her day job: she’s a respiratory therapist. And finally, a Studio 360 holiday tradition in the making — a Christmas-themed radio drama based on a short story by Kurt Andersen. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: LinkedIn Talent Solutions. For $50 off your first job post, go to linkedin.com/STUDIO360.  American Express. Don’t do business without it. Helix, a new kind of DNA testing. Try today for a deep discount at helix.com/studio360. 

Rebecca Lavoie, Carvell Wallace, and Gabriel Roth discuss whether to confront an overprotective daycare, how to make sure your kids aren't "the mean ones", Triumphs and Fails, "endorsements" and more. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: M. Gemi. For $50 off your first pair of shoes, go to mgemi.com/MOMANDDAD. Gobble, for $50 off your first box, go to gobble.com/momanddad. American Express, don’t do business without it.

This week on The Waves, Christina is joined by Georgetown University professor Marcia Chatelain and Vice President at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Latifa Lyles. First, they discuss the phenomenon of instagram influencers “blackfishing” their followers. Then they share their thoughts on gender reveal parties. Lastly, they talk about the new HBO documentary Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland. Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Research assistance by Alex Barasch. We’re doing a winter “Is It Sexist?” Call-in show! Leave voicemail at (646) 907-9859 and and your question may be answered on the show! This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: Simple Contacts, to save $20 off your first order, go to simplecontacts.com/WAVES and use the promo code WAVES. The New Yorker, get 12 issues for $6 and a free tote bag when you go to newyorker.com/waves.  Helix, a new kind of DNA testing. Try today for a deep discount at helix.com/waves. 

Virginia Heffernan tackles the history of Trump-Russia ties with Seth Abramson, author of “Proof of Collusion” and an arbiter of curatorial journalism. Virginia poses questions for Seth from Twitter, including a speed round examining the role of women whitewashing Trump, the prospective futures of Ivanka Trump and Michael Flynn, and the best and worst case scenarios for Trump at this point.

On The Gist, stop wishing Jews happy holidays if Hanukkah has already passed. How do you explain wit? James Geary attempted to answer that question with his new book, Wit’s End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It, but quickly found that the only way to write about comedy is to write comedy. He joins us to discuss the difficulties of examining this subject, the various types of wit, and why Buster Keaton is a master of the form. In the Spiel, eulogies are the best part of any funeral, particularly a president’s. 

On today’s show, hosts April Glaser and Will Oremus discuss the news that Tumblr will soon be banning all adult content on its site -- this in response to some instances of child pornography that got it suspended from Apple’s App Store. Hundreds of thousands of Tumblr users are upset, and the plan appears to be backfiring. Then we’re excited to bring you a pair of interviews today, with two people who have emerged as leading critics of Facebook—one from the outside, and one from within, right before he left the company. We’ll talk first with former Facebook employee Mark S. Luckie about what he calls Facebook’s “black people problem.” Those words came from a memo that he wrote shortly before leaving the company last month, and which he published to the world after he left. Then we’ll talk with someone who’s been thinking through problems at Facebook for many years--and recently discovered that his organization was also a target of the company’s controversial “opposition research” PR campaign. Rashad Robinson is the president of Color of Change, a progressive civil rights group that was among several nonprofits Facebook tried to discredit by highlighting their ties to the liberal financier George Soros. In the wake of that story, Robinson met last week with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. 8:15 - Interview with Mark Luckie 16:00 - Interview with Rashad Robinson 35:20 - Don’t Close My Tabs Don’t Close My Tabs: The New York Times: Philippine Journalist, a Thorn to Duterte, Turns Herself In to Face Charges Twitter: Natasha Vianna Podcast production by Max Jacobs If Then plugs: You can get updates about what’s coming up next by following us on Twitter @ifthenpod. You can follow Will @WillOremus and April @Aprilaser. If you have a question or comment, you can email us at ifthen@slate.com. If Then is presented by Slate and Future Tense, a collaboration among Arizona State University, New America, and Slate. Future Tense explores the ways emerging technologies affect society, policy, and culture. To read more, follow us on Twitter and sign up for our weekly newsletter. Listen to If Then via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.

In this episode of The Good Fight, Yascha Mounk talks to Helen Pluckrose, editor of Areo Magazine and one of the perpetrators of the “Sokal Squared” hoax, about her opposition to the postmodern turn of parts of the left, whether a form of liberal universalism is feasible, and how to call out the shortcomings of the left without becoming a tool of the right.. Email: thegoodfight@newamerica.org Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk This podcast was made in collaboration with New America. Podcast production by John T. Williams. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: Express VPN, take back your Internet privacy today. Find out how you can get 3 months free at expressvpn.com/goodfight. 

A special edition of Slow Burn features Leon Neyfakh live on stage. In the second of two episodes, Leon was joined in by Emily Bazelon, Wesley Morris, Dan Savage, and Andi Zeisler to explore lingering questions about the Clinton legacy.  Plus, Clara Jeffery discusses Hillary Clinton. 

Julia Turner, Stephen Metcalf, and Dana Stevens discuss the film Support the Girls, the LeCarre TV adaptation Little Drummer Girl, and the saga of a writer at Thrillist who may or may not have killed a great burger joint. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: SimpliSafe, protect your home today with twenty-four seven monitoring for just fifteen dollars a month, visit simplisafe.com/culture.  Slack, the collaboration hub for work. Learn more at Slack.com. 

On The Gist, a “tariff man” sing-along! Then, Maria Konnikova is back for another round of “Is That Bullshit?” She and Mike discuss the cigar-shaped space object (known as ‘Oumuamua) picked up by astronomers last year. Was it an alien vehicle, or just another flying rock? In the Spiel, Mike proudly backs the Slate stance: George H.W. Bush’s service dog probably wasn’t mourning him. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers:  Slack, the collaboration hub for work. Learn more at Slack.com. Helix, a new kind of DNA testing. Try today for a deep discount at helix.com/gist.

Prudence is joined this week by Chris Randle, a New York based writer who came here from Canada. He's written for places like Hazlitt, The New York Times Magazine, Pitchfork, and Real Life. Together, they dig into letters about how to handle a brother who is weirded out because he’s dating your ex, how to decide if you should you help someone in your friends circle who’s not actually your friend, what to do about a boyfriend who is always testing you and questioning your commitment, how to handle your husband’s teenage cousin who has a crush on you, what actions to take with a husband who monetarily supports his mother and sister instead of contributing to your household, how to handle your grad school social anxiety and still get some work done. Slate Plus members will hear Prudie and Chris discuss a letter writer who is wondering how to stop paying a friend’s way whenever they socialize. Not yet a member? Sign up at Slate.com/PrudiePod. Email: prudencepodcast@gmail.com Production by Phil Surkis

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live to be 100? How about 150? Life-extending technology may not be accessible today, but is it possible that something as simple as exercise could reverse the aging process right now? In this episode, we explore the aging process on a personal and scientific level. Host Sara Ivry talks to Katherine Beiers who, at age 86, regularly runs road races and recently finished her fourteenth marathon. Dr. Roberta Gottlieb, head of the Gottlieb Laboratory at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles also joins the conversation. She is investigating the relationship between our cells and longevity, with a focus on the phenomenon of “autophagy” (cells reviving themselves). Subscribe to Life Effects via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your shows. The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in the articles, profiles, podcasts and videos from the Life Effects program may have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions.  This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect those of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Similarly, Teva Pharmaceuticals does not review, control, influence or endorse any content related to the contributor's websites or social media networks. All content on the Life Effects website is intended for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice or recommendations. Consult a qualified medical professional for diagnosis and before beginning or changing any treatment regimen?. NPS-US-NP-00369 NOVEMBER 2018

Mae West was the biggest new star in Hollywood in 1933, thanks to two hit films she co-wrote and starred in as a sexually implicit, wisecracking broad who romanced a young Cary Grant. In Hollywood Babylon, Anger credits West’s abrupt decline in movies to a coordinated conspiracy organized by William Randolph Hearst and carried out by the Hays Office. Today we’ll explore West’s background, her history of pushing the censors past the limits of legality, and the truth of her lightning-fast rise in Hollywood and somewhat slower descent back to earth. 

On The Gist, in doing less than his son did in the Middle East, George H.W. Bush did better. In the interview, Wild Wild Country was one of the year’s most riveting documentaries. But one of its sources, journalist Les Zaitz, argues that it pulls punches on the cult that overtook a small town in Oregon, committed the biggest bioterror attack in American history, and had designs to assassinate its critics. In the Spiel, taking stock of George H.W. Bush’s legacy. This episode is brought to you by Merrill Lynch. Get started today at ML.com/you.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ThinkProgress’ Lindsay Gibbs to discuss the Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to cut Kareem Hunt. The New York Times’ Marc Tracy also joins to talk about Alabama’s comeback win in the SEC title game and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl helps assess Gregg Berhalter, the new head coach of the U.S. men’s soccer team. Kareem Hunt (3:19): The NFL clearly screwed up its investigation into Hunt’s offseason incidents. But what’s a better way to investigate off-field conduct? Alabama (22:51): Backup quarterback Jalen Hurts led the Crimson Tide to victory. Should he be celebrated for his decision not to transfer? Gregg Berhalter (42:20): U.S. Soccer’s hiring process was awful, but how will Berhalter be as a coach? Afterballs (57:27): Stefan on Mongolian knuckle-bone shooting and Josh on the worst season ever by an NFL quarterback. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers:  Simple Contacts. To save $20 off your first order, go to simplecontacts.com/HANGUP and use the promo code HANGUP.  Helix, a new kind of DNA testing. Try today for a deep discount at helix.com/hangup. 

Jennifer Aniston’s story had it all: Heartbreak, secrecy, sex, betrayal. But what it also had was a new kind of tabloid: Us Weekly and its copycats. Brad Pitt leaving Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie would have been a huge Hollywood scandal no matter when it happened, but it became an even bigger one because it was turbocharged by these tabloids. Almost 15 years later, the tabloid In Touch ran an issue with the headline “Brad Stuns Jen! Marry Me again!”  What is going on? How is it still going on? Why is it still going on?  This is the last episode of Decoder Ring for 2018. See you in the new year. 

Seth Stevenson talks to Kickee Pants CEO Aerin Nicole about her search for the perfect baby clothes material. In their conversation, Nicole talks about scouting for a bamboo-based textile, her line of gender-free baby clothes, and what it’s like when celebrities like Kim Kardashian post photos of their children wearing Kickee Pants.  This episode is brought to you by Merrill Lynch. Get started today at ML.com/you.

When you walk through an exhibition at MoMA, every step you take is part of deliberate design that takes you from piece to piece in just the right way. And it all starts with a dollhouse-like version the gallery and teeny tiny art replicas called “chips”. In this episode, Jordan talks to to Lana Hum (Director) and Mack Cole-Edelsack (Senior Design Manager) of MoMA’s Exhibition Design & Production Department. Lana and Mack talk about what it’s like to take the big ideas of curators and artists and turn them into reality. You can email us at working@slate.com. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers:  Merrill Lynch. Get started today at ML.com/you. American Express. Don’t do business without it. Citrix. Start working smarter today at citrix.com/slate.