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Vinson Cunningham and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to discuss the latest on Deshaun Watson’s sexual abuse case and Serena Williams’ impending retirement. Also, Sports Illustrated’s Julie Kliegman joins to talk about athletes and psychedelics. Deshaun Watson (5:00): The new Browns quarterback debuted with the team to boos and jeers. Serena Williams (21:52): The superstar announced in Vogue that she is “evolving away from tennis.” Psychedelics (35:20): Should more athletes be using them to treat mental health and injury? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During his presidency, Donald Trump demonstrated the power that social media can have in politics. Now, influencers are taking money to spread messages from across the spectrum. Unlike political ads in older media, though, influencers don’t have to disclose who is paying them—or even that they’re being paid at all.Guest: Ben Wofford, writer based at Stanford Law School, contributor to Wired. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode: Elizabeth and Zak are joined by Slate staff writer, Aymann Ismail. Today they lend advice to a parent who is struggling with the death of a close friend. When it comes to overdoses and suicides is it better to go over the topic with your kids or deal with it more delicately?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. Podcast produced by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola, Zak Rosen and Kevin Bendis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The psychedelic renaissance is here. But not everyone’s on board.Guest: John SemleyHost: Sonari Glinton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exclusively Black spaces online have faded away as platforms with wider audiences have taken over, but what, if anything, has been lost with those spaces? On today’s show, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe to discuss their own experiences growing up online as Black women, and they speak with Dr. Meredith D. Clark, a professor at Northeastern University who studies Black online spaces, about Black online history, how and why we interact the way we do, and what it means to know that non-Black people are watching.This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The quality of dignity is not strained. Judge Victoria Pratt presided for years over Municipal Court in Newark, New Jersey. Her experiences form the foundation of her book, The Power of Dignity: How Transforming Justice Can Heal Our Communities. In the third of Amicus’ summer season of big-picture conversations, Dahlia Lithwick and Judge Pratt explore what everyone, up to and including Supreme Court Justices, can learn from procedural justice, also known as procedural fairness. You can watch Judge Pratt’s viral Ted Talk here.Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Edmund Lee of the New York Times to discuss why it’s so hard to understand what inflation actually is, why Goldman Sach’s Marcus and other digital banks just aren’t working, and the surprising sale of Reorg for a cool $1.3 billion.In the Plus segment: Elon Musk selling tons of his Tesla stock. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, sure—Billy Joel’s first Top 40 hit, way back in 1974, was “Piano Man,” and the nickname stuck. But for a guy who became famous sitting behind 88 keys, few of his biggest hits are really piano songs. In fact, on all three of his No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, keyboards are not the primary instrument.The truth is, Joel isn’t the Piano Man, he’s the pastiche man. He has openly admitted to borrowing genre tropes, vocal styles, and even specific song hooks from his Baby Boom-era heroes, from Ray Charles to the Beatles to the Supremes. He’s been a jazzy crooner, a saloon balladeer, an anthem rocker, even a pseudo-punk. And on his most hit-packed album, he literally tried on a different song mode on every single—and was rewarded for it. This month, Hit Parade breaks down the uncanny success of pop magpie Billy Joel, the guy who would try anything for a hit: the next phase, new wave, dance craze, any ways.Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Kevin Bendis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

Crypto mining is booming in Texas. Will the power grid be able to handle it?Guest: Russell GoldHost: Sonari Glinton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Juliette Kayyem discuss the Mar-a-Lago search; the Inflation Reduction Act; and Caitlin Dickerson’s article investigating how separating families at the border became U.S. policy.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “An American Catastrophe: The Secret History of Family Separation”Juliette Kayyem for The Atlantic: “The Bad and Good News About Trump’s Violent Supporters”Curated Decay: Heritage Beyond Saving, by Caitlin DeSilvey Serena Williams and Rob Haskell for Vogue: “Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own Words”Claudia Rankine for The New York Times Magazine: “The Meaning of Serena Williams”King RichardHere are this week’s chatters:Emily: “Downbad” by PJ Frantz Juliette: Jim Farber for The New York Times: “Olivia Newton-John, Pop Singer and ‘Grease’ Star, Dies at 73”David: Jack Fitzpatrick for Bloomberg Government: “Old Capitol Stones to Be Stored Away After Decades Piled in P

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak, and Aymann, advise a grandparent who really wants her granddaughter and her granddaughter's cousin to get along. Our letter writer’s first attempts haven’t gone too well and she’s even resorted to bribing—to no avail. Should she keep pushing and, if so, how? Or is it time to step back? Then on Slate Plus, they discuss A Toddler Father’s Playbook for Answering Tough Questions by David Ostow. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.Other mentions: My Favorite Controlled Substance is Daycare by Sarah Suksiri. 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. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson, Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola, and Zak Rosen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New abortion restrictions following the repeal of Roe v. Wade have turned some reproductive care into a criminal liability. After a traumatic ectopic pregnancy, one Texas woman is wondering whether state laws delayed her diagnosis and treatment, ultimately leaving her with a ruptured fallopian tube. Guest: Fatima Abdelwahab of Houston, Texas.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We took some of your burning student loan questions to our favorite expert on the topic, Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors.If you have a question that was not answered in this episode, you can contact Betsy by going to her website where you can also find all sorts of helpful resources, like a guide to forgiveness, and where to start when thinking about a repayment plan. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox, and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and follow the show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.Got a story to share? Email us at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everybody loves indulging in thirst online. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Slate’s Nadira Goffe to discuss exactly what makes internet thirst so much fun. They talk about the qualities of a good internet boyfriend, when thirsting can go wrong, and how much these thirst objects really owe us.This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the panel begins by discussing Peacock’s latest mystery series The Resort. Then, the panel takes a more light-hearted turn with Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. Finally, the panel is joined by author and Slate editor Dan Kois to discuss his recent Slate piece about “The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All Time.”In Slate Plus, the panel talks about movie and television credits.Email us at culturefest@slate.com.EndorsementsDana: A suggestion from Carl Wilson (and in memory for Olivia Newton-John) a cover of the Olivia Newton-John song, “A Little More Love” by Juliana Hatfield, which is a track on an entire album of Newton-John covers titled Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John. Julia: More from Recipe Julia: the Six Seasons cookbook recipe for peperonata.Steve: The song “Watch the Sunrise” by Big Star.Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Nadira Goffe.Outro music is "Bloody Hunter" by Paisley Pink.Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts, a bonus segment in each episode of

After decades of dragging their feet on action to slow climate change, the Senate passed what is modeled to be the most impactful climate policy yet. What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act, and how did Democrats finally get the mercurial Joe Manchin on board?Guest: Robinson Meyer, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the newsletter The Weekly Planet.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you think of an alien abduction, what do you picture? Humanoid creatures, medical experiments, lost memories retrieved through hypnosis? That narrative was largely unknown until Betty and Barney Hill went public about their own alien abduction in the 1960s. Betty Hill’s niece, Kathleen Marden, recounts how the story went viral and her aunt and uncle became unwitting celebrities. Then professors Susan Lepselter, Chris Bader, Joseph O. Baker and Stephanie Kelley-Romano explain how the Hills’ alien abduction changed science fiction forever.Thanks to Eric Molinsky for bringing us this story that originally aired on his terrific podcast Imaginary Worlds. Eric’s got a lot more stories like this one so subscribe wherever you listen. Decoder Ring is written by Willa Paskin and produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our Technical Director.If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.comI

Afghan women and LGBTQ+ people immediately felt the impact of the Taliban’s return to power last year. But journalists trying to tell their stories could face intense and even violent backlash from the extremist group—like what happened to Lynne O’Donnell. Guest: Lynne O’Donnell, columnist at Foreign Policy and former Afghanistan bureau chief for Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin, the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham, and Slate’s Henry Grabar take an audio tour of Vin Scully’s broadcasting career. They also discuss the documentary NYC Point Gods. Finally, Josh interviews tennis players Maxime Cressy and Daria Saville. Vin Scully (2:36): Eight moments from 66 years in the booth. NYC Point Gods (33:11): Is the new basketball documentary worth watching? Tennis (48:33): Conversations with two of the most fascinating players on tour. Afterball (1:16:42): Josh on the Shammgodd—or is it the Pooh Allen? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode: Jamilah and Elizabeth are joined by Courtney Martin, author of the book Learning in Public. Today they are helping a parent who has been offered a great job opportunity that can take the family to the next level financially. The position would require them to live overseas. The catch? The family can’t go with him. Is there a way to still be present in your child’s life if you are working away from home?Recommendations: Courtney recommends the Rebel Girls app. Elizabeth recommends Professor Noggin card game. Jamilah recommends The Bear. Listener Recommendations: Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica LoveFrom the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng ThomThe Longest Shortest TimeThe Principles of PleasureCome as You Are by Emily NagoskiJoin 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. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and