Best Reading Isn T For Kids Podcasts (2024)

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: sharpen up. Public schooling in this country has had a lot of champions — including some that you might not expect. But did we ever actually agree on what we wanted schools to do for society? Elizabeth Newcamp of Slate’s Care & Feeding joins us to argue for a reappraisal of the whole system… and what it means to e…

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What Next: Can Kamala Harris Win “Uncommitted” Democrats? 28:43

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42m ago28:43

28:43

Democrats frustrated by Joe Biden’s policy towards Israel and Gaza voted for “uncommitted” in the primaries, notably in the crucial swing state of Michigan. Does Kamala Harris have an opportunity to reach those voters now? Guest: Yazan “Yaz” Kader, uncommitted DNC delegate from the state of Washington and registered nurse. Want more What Next? Subs…

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Money Talks: How to Save a Doomed Economy 40:26

12h ago40:26

40:26

How do you save a region from an economic tailspin? For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Paul Collier, author of The Bottom Billion and, most recently, Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places. They discuss the economic and political forces that drag countries and regions to the bottom — and how they might be saved. Paul gives exa…

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Death, Sex & Money: Life and Death Inside the Playboy Mansion 53:31

42m ago53:31

53:31

Crystal met Hugh Hefner when she was 21 and he was 81. They spent 10 years together at the Playboy mansion before he died and she became a widow. In this episode she reflects on their marriage, and how she’s changed since. Crystal Hefner’s memoir is called Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself. Podcast production by Zoe Azulay …

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How To!: Be a Family (and Still Be You) 44:00

42m ago44:00

44:00

Kate’s entire family loves to go on intense, day-long hikes. Kate does not. It’s just one of many differences that makes her feel like a black sheep. But Kate desperately wants to be close to her family—without disregarding her own desires or compromising on parts of her life. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Dr. Lucy Blake, au…

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Hang Up: 15 Years of Hang Up and Listen 1:18:28

2h ago1:18:28

1:18:28

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin reflect on hosting Slate’s sports podcast, which debuted in July 2009. Retrospective (6:51): How the show attempted to be an antidote to traditional sports talk radio. Old Afterballs (30:55): Josh on a 1934 battle between a scorpion and a spider. Stefan with an update to “Proud to Be an Astro” from Ball Four. New Afterb…

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Care & Feeding: My Son Is Ruining Our Summer 50:27

32m ago50:27

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On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Dillon Michael White help a listener whose kid is struggling hard to enjoy the summer break… and complaining about everything in the process. How can this parent nip the negativity in the bud and prevent a bad attitude from ruining everyone’s break? We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives ri…

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What Next: The Gender War Election 33:05

32m ago33:05

33:05

Voters, especially young voters, increasingly split parties along gender lines. Can an “all-disaffected-men” strategy propel the Republicans back to the White House, or is the Democrats’ “freedom” messaging broad enough to win the election? Guest: Jill Filipovic, journalist, lawyer, and author of OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Be…

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Working: The Founder of a Life-Changing Writers’ Retreat 42:49

25m ago42:49

42:49

This week, host June Thomas talks to author and poet Judith Barrington about her knack for memoir writing and about a retreat called Flight of the Mind that she ran with her partner for 17 years. In the interview, they discuss what makes good memoir writing, what Flight of the Mind meant to women writers, and how to get the most out of writing retr…

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What Next TBD: The Rise of Off-Brand Ozempic 25:31

25m ago25:31

25:31

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. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Sl…

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Slate Money: Nate Silver and the Secret World of Risk-Takers 56:40

19m ago56:40

56:40

This week, author and data journalist Nate Silver joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spires to discuss his new book On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything, a deep dive into the risk-taking class that shapes modern society. They discuss the low-risk world of “the village,” and the community of high stakes, go-big-or-go-home investors …

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Gabfest Reads: Where Does the American Jewish Experience Go from Here? 59:13

19m ago59:13

59:13

Political Gabfest host Emily Bazalon talks with author Joshua Leifer about his new book, Tablets Shattered: The End of An American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life. They discuss Leifer’s experience growing up Jewish in America, the conflict in Gaza, how what it means to be Jewish has evolved, and more. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabf…

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Amicus: Don’t Pardon Trump’s Pardons 47:30

19m ago47:30

47:30

The power of the presidential pardon is a holdover from America’s colonial roots. But no one had used it like former President Trump. Over and over he kept pardoning his allies, and then, he’d welcome them back into the fold. . It seemed like he was rewarding these criminals for their loyalty, and belittling whole categories of crime, like fraud, c…

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ICYMI: Unladylike’s Cristen Conger on Conspiracy Theories and White Women 32:53

19m ago32:53

32:53

Candice Lim is joined by Unladylike’s Cristen Conger, whose new podcast Conspiracy, She Wrote unravels women’s overlooked roles in today’s conspiracy culture. On today’s episode, they’re diving into Conger’s internet diaries, from her golden rules for engaging online to the conspiracy theory she secretly believes in. This podcast is produced by Se’…

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A Word: Seeds of Justice for Black Farmers 25:37

14m ago25:37

25:37

In a recent CBS News interview, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance charged that the Biden administration was favoring Black farmers over white farmers in federal policy. That came days after the US Department of Agriculture began distributing more than $2 billion in relief to Black and other marginalized farmers who suffered historic dis…

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What Next TBD: Elon Musk’s Bully Pulpit 28:25

14m ago28:25

28:25

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter - now X - in 2022, he’s increasingly used it to push his conservative views. A suit against a non-profit brand safety group of advertisers and an exclusive interview with former President Trump show that Elon was never interested in keeping Twitter as a town square, but rather, a soapbox for him to push his politic…

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Dear Prudence: My Husband and I Divorced Amicably. Nine Months Later, He Wants Me Back. Help! 45:04

5d ago45:04

45:04

In this episode, Rod and Karen Morrow (co-hosts of the podcast The Black Guy Who Tips) join Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about what to do when your fiance asks you to open up your relationship but becomes obsessed with identifying your hook-up partners, how to support your friend’s widow when you’re still grieving th…

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Political Gabfest: Are We Really Still Talking About Crowd Size? 1:01:33

11m ago1:01:33

1:01:33

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Marin Cogan of Vox to discuss how the media is reporting on election disinformation and misinformation and Donald Trump’s lies; Vice President Kamala Harris defining Candidate Kamala Harris; and more guns, less violent crime. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Marin Cogan…

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Care & Feeding: My Kid’s a (Really) Sore Loser 50:51

5d ago50:51

50:51

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth and special guest host Dillon White of DadChats and ChatsFam help a listener whose kid really, really struggles with losing. The smallest not-wins send this boy into hysterics… even though he knows all that sportsmanship stuff. So what might help — and what might this parent be missing? We’ll also debrief with a …

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What Next: Would You Die For MrBeast? 29:05

2h ago29:05

29:05

MrBeast is known for videos that blend stunts and philanthropy, but his new team-up with Amazon and MGM is bringing some of his less savory aspects to light. Guest: Madison Malone Kircher, reporter covering internet culture for The New York Times Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family …

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Decoder Ring: The Hysteria Over Mass Hysteria 39:42

24m ago39:42

39:42

“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…

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What Next: Trump Seems Lost. But Can He Lose? 31:23

24m ago31:23

31:23

Donald Trump’s presidential opponent has changed—can he? Should he? Guest: Tom Nichols, staff writer at the Atlantic and professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval College. 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 b…

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Culture Gabfest: Blake Lively Brings Melodrama Back 1:03:15

24m ago1:03:15

1:03:15

On this week’s show, June Thomas (author of A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture) and Dan Kois (author of Hampton Heights) fill in for Dana and Stephen. First, the panel tackles It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (the latter also directed and produced the film.) It’s a big, glossy melodrama laced wi…

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ICYMI: Justin Baldoni Is Not Very Demure 44:34

24m ago44:34

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Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to play High Speed Downloads. On today’s episode, they’ll have exactly one minute to explain some of their favorite internet stories of late, including the mess surrounding It Ends With Us, why a Team USA gymnast has been asked to return her bronze medal, and what it means to be “very demur…

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Well, Now: Food Is More Than Fuel 57:02

24m ago57:02

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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…

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How To!: Do Housework (and Not Hate It) 41:03

4h ago41:03

41:03

Cooper feels like they’re constantly falling behind on their to-do list. Life is busy and household chores are the last thing they want to do. Cooper tracks everything in a detailed spreadsheet—but that spreadsheet isn’t going to take care of the dirty dishes in the sink. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Dale Aucoin of Clean & …

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Hear Me Out: Fact-Checks Make Audiences Suspicious 36:16

4h ago36:16

36:16

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: pants on fire. The fact-check is a critical tool in the journalist’s toolbox – and now more than ever, it’s a key part of the job. The problem is that it’s already hard to make the case that definitive “true and false” designations exist anymore… and, it turns out, audiences might be made more suspicious of journa…

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Death, Sex & Money: Miranda July’s Perimenopausal Thriller 57:55

4h ago57:55

57:55

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 a…

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What Next: How Boeing Stranded Two Astronauts 27:22

4h ago27:22

27:22

It was supposed to be the triumphant rollout of Boeing’s new, reusable space taxi. Now NASA’s trying to find some other way to get two astronauts home. Guest: Joey Roulette, space reporter at Reuters. 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. S…

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Hang Up: Au Revoir, Paris 56:41

13h ago56:41

56:41

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the Dream Team’s close calls on the road to gold, and the U.S. women’s basketball team’s narrow victory, too. They break down the quick overhaul of the U.S. women’s soccer team, which won its first gold medal since 2012. Finally, they assess whether the visually beautiful and athletically compelling Paris Games …

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What Next: AIPAC Vs. The Squad 26:27

1d ago26:27

26:27

A Republican-backed organization is spending millions to unseat progressive Democrats—and it’s succeeding. Guest: Alexander Sammon, Slate politics writer. 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 “…

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Care & Feeding: Is My Kid Ruining Hikes On Purpose? 37:57

1d ago37:57

37:57

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth answer a listener question about a kid who seems dedicated to making family hikes suck. He’s energetic and capable during other activities, but long walks are full of whining and fussing. What could this listener do to get him excited about family walks… and are there any options that aren’t making every…

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Working: How a TV Writer Keeps the Ideas Coming 48:07

2d ago48:07

48:07

This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Mike Gauyo, a TV writer and creator whose credits include the beloved series Insecure and Ginny and Georgia. In the interview, Mike shares his process for thinking of new ideas for shows, refining those ideas over time, and pitching them to industry gatekeepers. He also talks about being from an immigrant f…

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Amicus: Michael Cohen and the Trump Lawyers Who Get Burned 51:30

3d ago51:30

51:30

Even before he was president, Donald Trump was known for stiffing his lawyers. But considering how the stakes changed once he took the Oval Office, not getting paid seemed like a pleasant option. During and after his presidency, lawyers who represented Trump have pleaded guilty in election fraud cases, campaign finance cases and more. So why do the…

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Slate Money: What the Heck is Going on in Japan? 53:03

3d ago53:03

53:03

This week, Felix Salmon is joined by guest hosts Shira Ovide of the Washington Post and Anna Szymanski of Reuters to discuss Japan’s market chaos, the guilty verdict in Google’s monopoly case, and whether Boeing’s new CEO can fly the company out of a storm of troubles. In the Plus bonus episode: The hosts go to the Mountain Dew belt to discuss the …

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ICYMI: Should I Stop Sharing My Location? Why Do My Friends Act Wild In My Instagram Comments? 42:02

3d ago42:02

42:02

Candice Lim is joined by internet culture writer Steffi Cao, whose Substack recently started an advice column all about internet etiquette. On today’s episode, they’re answering reader questions such as: Should I report unhinged Facebook behavior? And should I get into political fights in the DMs? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, …

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Hit Parade: Building a Herstory Edition Part 1 52:31

4d ago52:31

52:31

For decades—literally since Woodstock—female musicians had battled music-industry perceptions that amassing too many of them, on the radio or on the road, was bad for business. And yet, by the ’90s, women were vital to the rise of alt-rock and hip-hop on the charts: from Suzanne Vega to Queen Latifah, Tracy Chapman to Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant …

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A Word: Project 2025: A Contract on Black America? 29:47

4d ago29:47

29:47

Project 2025, the massive Heritage Foundation policy blueprint, has become a major issue on the campaign trail for Democrats. While former President Trump has tried to distance himself from the document, many members of his administration and inner circle worked to draft it. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, …

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Dear Prudence: Politics Is Ruining My Family. Help! 35:33

4d ago35:33

35:33

In this episode, David Roth and Drew Magary (the hosts of Defector Media’s The Distraction) join Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about what to do when your parents are cosigning your brothers’ political values just because he’s the favorite, how to be an optimistic dater after a near-decade of failed dating, and how to …

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What Next TBD: Google’s a Monopoly. What About The Rest? 26:32

4d ago26:32

26:32

Should the other Silicon Valley giants be worried following the Department of Justice’s decisive win against Google? Guest: Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter at Bloomberg 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 …

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Political Gabfest: These Walz Could Talk 53:00

5d ago53:00

53:00

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government to discuss the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz; Google’s search monopoly and antitrust trial loss; and the guilty-plea deals in three 9/11 cases undone by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austi…

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Care & Feeding: Why Is My Friend Body Shaming Toddlers? 45:12

5d ago45:12

45:12

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 …

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What Next: The Olympics Meet the Culture Wars 31:06

5d ago31:06

31:06

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. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to ac…

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Working: Surviving the Book Release Process 33:40

5d ago33:40

33:40

June Thomas recently published her book A Place of Our Own: Six Places That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture, and on this episode of Working Overtime co-host Isaac Butler asks her what went into the release and its promo-campaign. The weeks leading up to a release can be long and exhaustive, with questionnaires, blurb requests, and audiobook recordings…

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Culture Gabfest “Summer Strut 2024” 1:13:07

6d ago1:13:07

1:13:07

On this week’s show, it’s the return of a Cultfest favorite: The Annual Summer Strut Episode! As per tradition, the panel is joined by Slate’s pop music critic and chart analyst (and host of the podcast Hit Parade) Chris Molanphy to celebrate his tenth (!!) year of Summer Strutting —before the four dive into their favorite picks from this year’s ma…

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ICYMI: Encore: Why YouTube Loves Video Essays 36:27

6d ago36:27

36:27

Today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from this January about longform video essays. In this episode, Candice Lim is joined by Anisa Khalifa, a podcast producer and host of The Broadside from WUNC. They dissect the phenomenon surrounding video essays, which are not exactly new to YouTube, but finding a captivated audience in Gen-Z an…

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Outward: Is Telehealth the Answer for Gender Affirming Care? with Sohini Desai 41:42

6d ago41:42

41:42

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 Pala…

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Well, Now: No, Netflix Isn’t Forcing You to Go Vegan 49:39

6d ago49:39

49:39

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 re…

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What Next: Why It Had to Be Walz 30:16

6d ago30:16

30:16

How Minnesota Governor Tim Walz slipped past VP-favorite Josh Shapiro and joined Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket. Guest: Guest: David Faris, associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and author of The Kids Are All Left and It’s Time to Fight Dirty. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listenin…

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