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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Jul 10
Political Gabfest | Who Wants a Third Party, Anyway?
This week, David Plotz and guest hosts Mike Pesca and Susan Glasser discuss what to make of Elon Musk’s quixotic attempt to start a third political party in America, how Trump’s conflation of national interest with self-interest creates an incoherent foreign policy, and the tedio ... Show More
1h 12m
Jul 10
What Next | Stage Managing Sex in Hollywood
In the wake of #MeToo, Hollywood productions began hiring “intimacy coordinators,” people who work to ensure sex scenes are safe and comfortable for performers. How are they working out so far? Guest: Jennifer Wilson, staff writer at the New Yorker. Want more What Next? Subscribe ... Show More
33m 51s
Jul 9
What Next | Was the Flash Flooding in Texas Preventable?
After one of the deadliest floods in American history in central Texas, people are looking at cuts to the National Weather Service and FEMA’s absence contributing to the devastation. But one looming problem is much, much bigger. Guest: Jeff Goodell, writer covering climate change ... Show More
27m 47s
Oct 2023
Why We Still Don’t Have a Speaker of the House
Weeks after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, Republicans are still scrambling to elect a new Speaker of the House. After failed runs by Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan, the candidate pool keeps growing. Who is in the running now, and will anyone be able to snag the 217 votes needed?
Gues ... Show More
23m 49s
May 2023
What Next: TBD | The Trouble With TikTok Songs
How the music streaming business opened the door to billions of dollars in fraud.
Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg News reporter covering the podcasting, music, and audio beat.
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21m 54s
Apr 2024
Slate Money: Why America’s Internet Sucks
This week, Slate Money hacks the mainframe! Washington Post tech writer Shira Ovide joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss what’s wrong with America’s internet industry, how YouTube became the media empire no one talks about, and the promise and peril of ... Show More
54m 27s
Jan 2024
What Next TBD: Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture?
How much of our lives—our tastes, preferences and choices—have been fed to us through an interlocking, impersonal network of algorithms?
Guest: Kyle Chayka, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture.
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36m 5s