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This season of Better Life Lab, we’ve been taking a close look at work stress and the future of work and wellbeing. Parts of the American economy are looking tough for many workers — even “dystopian. People are quitting their jobs at record rates. We know what many of the problems are. Yet the fixes are not so simple. So on this closing episode of our fourth season, we ask: Are bad jobs an inherent part of the workplace — or can we actually do what it takes to make the jobs of the future...

An effort to counterweight GOP-friendly maps in Ohio and Florida in New York state has backfired on the Democrats. How did Democratic state politicians bungle their redistricting process? Will the error cost the party nationally? Guest: Dave Wasserman, U.S. House editor of the nonpartisan @CookPolitical Report. 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...

Daniel seems to be the whole package. He’s smart, social, and has lots of friends. He even organizes a beach volleyball league in Berlin. But he can’t seem to land a date despite his best efforts. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Andrea Silenzi, dating aficionado and host of the acclaimed dating podcast Why Oh Why. She knows what it’s like to put a ton of effort into dating and not land the relationship she wants. Now married, she shares how she broke through a decade of bad dates and...

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Jack Hamilton to discuss the NBA playoffs and Patrick Beverley’s chaotic media appearances; by Alex Kirshner to talk about the war of words between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher; and by the Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy to assess U.S. Soccer’s landmark equal pay deal. NBA (2:07): Will the conference finals get any better? And is Patrick Beverley telling the truth or spinning his own narrative? Saban-Fisher (27:30): Where did this fight come...

President Biden ran on a promise to forgive $10,000 in student loans back in 2020—but so far, there hasn’t been much movement on that front. Between the pros, the cons, and the politics, one thing is clear: fixing higher education will take more than an executive order. Guest: Jordan Weissmann, writer and editor focused on economics, public policy, and politics at Slate. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any...

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Zak answer a question from a listener who is in her second trimester and throughout her pregnancy she’s been sick and tired. This is her first pregnancy, and she and her husband agreed that they should try to stay in shape during it in order to help them be active parents. But despite her tiredness, her husband has been relentlessly pushing her to workout. She swears that he has good intentions. But is there a way to get him to back off?...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Steph Paynes, founder and guitarist of Lez Zeppelin, an all-female group dedicated to the musical and performative stylings of Led Zeppelin. In the interview Steph explains why she doesn’t consider Lez Zeppelin to be a “tribute band.” Then she describes the challenge of mimicking some aspects of the legendary rock band while still being unique and expressive. After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss Steph’s attention to detail and the...

They’ve stolen billions of dollars. Is the U.S. ready to crack down? Guest: Jason Bartlett, research associate in the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While TikTok’s “For You” page is designed to get inside users’ heads—and only show them videos about their niche interests—certain trends and sounds on the app can become too big to avoid. On this week’s episode, Madison and guest host Moises Mendes II break down the disturbing ubiquity of TikToks making fun of the Depp v. Heard defamation trial. Then, they offer insight into the app’s newest dance craze and our strongest contender for 2022 song of the summer, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.”...

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Ambassador Norm Eisen to discuss The Big Picture: democracy, the Rule of Law and the new volume he has co-written and edited, Overcoming Trumpery: How to Restore Ethics, the Rule of Law, and Democracy. Norm and Dahlia look back to January 6th 2021, and ahead to the coming hearings and the midterms. In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Mark Joseph Stern to talk about Ted Cruz’s victory at the Supreme Court, and what it means for what’s left of...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about Tesla dropping out of the ESG index, Grubhub’s disastrous promo, and Tiktok’s terrible worker conditions. In the Plus segment: The going rate of a lost tooth. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was in the water in Virginia Beach? Starting in the ’90s and peaking in the ’00s, Pharrell Williams, Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley and Missy Elliott—friends and family from the Tidewater Region—made nerdy pop normal on the charts. Their productions whirred, gurgled, pinged and rumbled—the handiwork of studio geeks—while their lyrics embraced the freaky: Missy demanding that you work it…Pharrell declaring he’s a hustler, baby…Timbaland bringing sexy back. Join host Chris Molanphy as he...

The shooting in Buffalo raises questions about the effectiveness of content moderation. Is the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism the answer to how social media can moderate extremist content? Guest: Emma Llansó, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology Host: Ray Suarez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent massacre targeting the Black community in Buffalo has led to strong words from President Biden and other leaders, denouncing white supremacist violence. But for the remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and their descendants, those words ring hollow. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Damario Solomon-Simmons, a civil rights lawyer who is leading an effort to win reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre survivors. He won a historic legal victory...

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Thomas B. Edsall for The New York Times: “Status Anxiety Is Blowing Wind Into Trump’s Sails” Karn Yourish and Nicholas Confessore for The New York Times: “A Fringe Conspiracy Theory, Fostered Online, Is Refashioned by the G.O.P.” Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “The Slaughter in Buffalo Hasn’t Quieted the Great Replacement Caucus” Nathaniel Rakich for FiveThirtyEight: “What Went Down During the May 17 Primary Elections” David A....

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Zak talk about the baby formula shortage. Then they are joined by Dr. Christine Stephenson, pediatric physical therapist and author of The Constipation Game Plan, to help a four year old who refuses to use the restroom when he’s not at home. On Slate Plus, Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Zak talk about the highly annoying time gap between school pickup and work ending. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Karen Han hear from a listener who can’t decide which creative project to move forward with. First, they discuss how to evaluate a project’s potential for success. Then they imagine what it would be like to choose between projects if money weren’t a factor. Do you have a question about creative work? Call and leave a message at 304-933-9675, or email us at working@slate.com. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. If...

On this week’s episode of The Waves, historian and original Waves host, Marcia Chatelain is joined by sociologist Danielle Lindemann to talk all things reality TV. They discuss Danielle’s new book, True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us and why we don’t take reality television as seriously as we should. Later in the show they talk about why women are more successful at monetizing their reality TV brand and how the genre takes us on a tour of the class system. In Slate Plus: Is The...

When China first instituted its zero-COVID policy, it was a success: as other countries struggled with soaring infection rates and overburdened hospitals, life for many Chinese citizens began to look normal again within months—so long as they weren’t infected. But the omicron variant changed the game. Now, people are speaking out against draconian lockdown measures they say are inappropriate to face the current level of threat. How did zero-COVID evolve from being the most effective virus...

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher speak with Dion Beary, a writer and online community builder who founded the Tumblr blog This Is White Privilege. They talk with Beary about where that blog began, its impact on online discourse, and why he stepped away. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices