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Can a once-revered brick-and-mortar music chain be brought back to life in the era of Amazon and Spotify?  Podcast production by Jess Miller and Cleo Levin. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Anna Szymanski, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  This week, Felix and Anna are joined by Paul Ford, podcaster and CEO of Postlight, to discuss the 2010 David Fincher movie The Social Network and let’s just say...he does not recommend it. They’ll discuss what the movie gets wrong in retrospect, what makes the writing of the female characters so terrible and other reasons The Facebook Movie just does not hold up.  “Discussing Skateboarding with Director Werner Herzog” by Ian Michna & Rob Fraebel for Jenkem Magazine Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in 2014, Google released in-depth diversity data for its workforce for the first time. 1.1 percent of its tech team identified as Black. Six years later, after millions of dollars spent and a much-hyped partnership program with historically Black colleges and universities across the country, that number is up to 2.4 percent.  How did such a promising effort yield such incremental change? Guest: Nitasha Tiku, tech culture reporter at the Washington Post Host Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of A Word, host Jason Johnson discusses the death of Breonna Taylor, one year later, with Kentucky State Representative Attica Scott. She’s the author of Breonna’s Law, which would ban no-knock warrants, like the one used by the police who killed Taylor.  Guest: Representative Attica Scott, a state lawmaker for Kentucky’s 41st District and author of Breonna’s law.  Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now for just $1 for your first month. Click here for more info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marvel has stumbled as a company many times throughout its history, even going bankrupt in the 1990s. But not unlike many of its characters, it’s re-emerged stronger than before. Podcast production by Jess Miller and Cleo Levin. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Anna Szymanski, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  This week, Felix and Anna are joined by Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management and Wall Street superfan, to talk about Oliver Stone’s 1987 ode to yuppie culture. They’ll discuss the corporate raider culture of the 80s, the era of “smiling and dialing” and the wonky legality of insider trading.  Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2018, the company once known as Weight Watchers changed its name to “WW.” Is its best chance at survival to convince people that it’s not that interested in dieting after all? Podcast production by Asha Saluja and Cleo Levin. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal Lifeline program was intended to bridge the gap between Americans who could comfortably pay for phone and internet service, and those who couldn’t. But in the midst of the pandemic, Lifeline is falling woefully short. How did a program meant to help connect low-income Americans with phone and internet service ended up making them second-class digital citizens at the worst possible moment?  Guest:  Tony Romm, senior tech policy reporter at the Washington Post, author of “How the Federal Lifeline Program Failed Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic” Host Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses cancel culture with Loretta Ross, visiting associate professor at Smith College. Professor Ross teaches a course titled White Supremacy, Human Rights and Calling In the Calling Out Culture as a visiting associate professor at Smith College. They talk about the role cancel culture plays in society and politics, and if there’s a better way to hold powerful people accountable.   Guest: Loretta Ross, associate visiting professor at Smith College. Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now for just $1 for your first month. Click here for more info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Anna Szymanski, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  This week, Felix and Anna are joined by Louise Roug, International executive Editor at HuffPost, to talk about the hit 1980 comedy 9 to 5. They discuss how the film’s original, darker tone was abandoned, why its themes are, sadly, still so relevant today and, of course, the wonderful Dolly Parton.  Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Color is a beautiful thing that just exists in the world. But when color intersects with capitalism, somebody has to set some standards, make some decisions, and make some money.  Podcast production by Jess Miller and Cleo Levin. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last year, the Australian government has been waging a quiet war against Facebook and Google. Through a new law, it plans to force the big tech companies to pay news outlets in exchange for linking to their sites. Will this new law have the intended effect? Or will it set a dangerous precedent that cedes even more power over to the tech giants? Guest:  JR Hennessy, editor at Business Insider Australia Host Lizzie O’Leary   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by national security analyst Malcolm Nance to discuss how the Capitol insurrection illuminated ties between violent white nationalists and US law enforcement. They address why white supremacists groups find some willing recruits in the military service and the police, and what officials are doing to stop it.  Guest: Malcolm Nance, national security and counterterrorism analyst for MSNBC and the author of The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our Enemies, Compromised Our Security, and How We Can Fix It. Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now for just $1 for your first month. Click here for more info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy continues to demonstrate a weird chart phenomenon he calls The AC/DC Rule. Hit Parade episodes are now split into two parts, released two weeks apart. For the full episode right now, sign up for Slate Plus and you'll also get The Bridge, our Trivia show and bonus deep dive. Click here for more info. What was the only No. 1 album by Jimi Hendrix? How about the first No. 1 by Billy Joel? Jackson Browne? Pat Benatar? Pearl Jam? Lady Gaga?   In all cases, the answer isn’t obvious—it’s not the album you know best, the one with the most hits on it. It’s the album after that classic that goes to No. 1. And there’s no better example than AC/DC, the Australian-by-way-of-Scotland hard rock band that’s sold more than 20 million copies of Back in Black. But it was their next album (can you name it?) that topped the Billboard album chart.   Just as less-good movie sequels open better at the box office than classic first installments, follow-up albums often chart hi

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Anna Szymanski, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  This week, Felix and Anna are joined by Peter Kafka, a senior correspondent at Recode and host of the Recode Media podcast, to talk about the 2007 Oscar-winning film Michael Clayton. They break down some of the plot issues, get into what makes it a good New York film, and Anna will explain why she really hates this movie.  Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you sex up the world of B2B “customer relationship management” software? For Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, it’s been a combination of ambitious acquisitions, skyscrapers, monks, and Metallica. Podcast production by Jess Miller and Cleo Levin. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last week, millions of Texans have been forced to live without power or heat. At least 16 have died since Monday. In a state that’s no stranger to extreme weather and high power demand, how did it all go so wrong? Guest:  Josh Rhodes, research associate at the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas at Austin   Host Lizzie O’Leary   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Anna Szymanski, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  This week, Felix and Anna are joined by Taffy Brodesser-Akner to discuss the 1993 film Indecent Proposal starring Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Robert Redford. They get into topics like whether there can possibly be a feminist read of this film, the moral value of money and why Taffy quotes this movie all the time in her professional life.  Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Taffy Brodesser-Akner is an author and a journalist for New York Times Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quick, what was the only No. 1 album by Jimi Hendrix? How about the first No. 1 by Billy Joel? Jackson Browne? Pat Benatar? Pearl Jam? Lady Gaga?   In all cases, the answer isn’t obvious—it’s not the album you know best, the one with the most hits on it. It’s the album after that classic that goes to No. 1. And there’s no better example than AC/DC, the Australian-by-way-of-Scotland hard rock band that’s sold more than 20 million copies of Back in Black. But it was their next album (can you name it?) that topped the Billboard album chart.   Chris Molanphy has coined a term for this weird chart phenomenon: He calls it The AC/DC Rule. Just as less-good movie sequels open better at the box office than classic first installments, follow-up albums often chart higher than their slow-growing but hit-packed predecessors. Some of the rock and pop legends who fell prey to this chart phenomenon might surprise you…might just leave you shook all night long.   Podcast production by Asha Saluja. Learn more about your ad choi

For more than a century, Hallmark has been a tightly-held, Midwestern business that’s mastered the art of turning feelings into revenue. But recently, it has run into trouble when it’s tried so hard to be inoffensive, it ends up offending. Can Hallmark succeed in an era when emotions might be getting too big to fit in an envelope? Podcast production by Jess Miller and Cleo Levin. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices