Slate Daily Feed

Every family has secrets. As a girl, Leta McCollough Seletzky learned that her father, Marrell McCollough– was on the scene of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. But it would be years before she learned that he was there as a spy for the Memphis police, who wanted information on King’s local allies. On today’s episode of A Word, she speaks with Jason Johnson about her father’s story, captured in her new book, The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King. Guest: Leta McCollough Seletzky, author of The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, the co-hosts of Stitcher’s Vibe Check, Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer your letters from readers about sharing food with ungrateful people, wanting to date a friend’s crush, and getting emotional needs satisfied by AI. If you want more Dear Prudence, you should join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months. Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Brandon Nix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When someone posts a photo of you online without your consent, it should be easy to have it taken down or confront the person who posted it. But what if the poster is your parent, and it’s not just one photo, but your entire childhood that’s readily available online? And as social media algorithms evolve to push content in front of as many people as possible, what happens when a temper tantrum goes viral? Guest: Kathryn Lindsay, technology and culture writer. Host: Emily Peck 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 TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the debt-ceiling deal; the Russia-Ukraine war with the Atlantic’s Kori Schake @KoriSchake; and the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: John Wagner for The Washington Post: “Senate racing to pass debt ceiling bill ahead of Monday default deadline” The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future by Franklin Foer Kori Schake for The Atlantic: “Biden Is More Fearful Than the Ukrainians Are” Anatoly Kurmanaev, Ivan Nechepurenko, and Eric Nagourney for The New York Times: “Drone Strike in Moscow Brings Ukraine War Home to Russians” Erin Douglas and Robert Downen for The Texas Tribune: “God, money and Dairy Queen: How Texas House investigators secured the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton” Succession theme song by Nicholas Britell Here are this week’s chatters: John: New York Post: “Woman wins bizarre ‘cheese-rolling race’ – despite being knocked unconscious”; Cheese Rolling in Gloucester Emily: I’ve Just Seen a Face: A Practical and Emotional Guide for Parents of Children Born with Cleft Lip and Palate by Amy Mendillo, MPP David: Nat Hentoff for The New Yorker: “What Bob Dylan Wanted at Twenty-Three”; join David at a live taping of City Cast DC on Saturday June 3 at 1 p.m., Right Proper Brewing's Brookland production house and tasting room. Tickets are free. RSVP here. Listener chatter from James Carey: Recipe of Dwight D. Eisenhower for Vegetable Soup For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and John discuss HBO’s “Succession”. In the latest edition of Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Curtis Sittenfeld @csittenfeld about her book, Romantic Comedy. Join us for a live taping! Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C., Wednesday June 28, 7:30 p.m., Sixth & I, 600 I St. NW. Tickets are on sale now. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com or Tweet us @SlateGabfest. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak and Jamilah help a listener whose middle schooler is being asked to hang out with the popular kids… and he’s worried that there’s a catch. They also go over their week in triumphs and fails — and then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, they talk about parenting advice from child-free adults. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work. 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. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about the beauty industry. Senior writer and editor at New America, Julia Craven is joined by author and NPR host-at-large Elise Hu. They discuss Elise’s new book, Flawless - a remarkable investigation into the Korean beauty world. They also unpack the hustle culture inherent in beauty, how Eurocentric beauty trends are everywhere, and more. In Slate Plus: Is Shiv Roy from HBO’s Succession misunderstood? If you liked this episode, check out: Who’s Getting Rich Off Menopause? Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the fight for trans rights, including gender-affirming medical care, heads through state legislation, activists and medical providers are stepping up to testify. While explaining her perspective as a medical professional, a Little Rock pharmacist, who is trans, was asked about her genitalia in the middle of the Arkansas general assembly. This is the first installment in What Next’s Pride Month series. “After They Testified” is about the Americans who’ve shown up in the last year to speak out against anti-queer legislation, how it felt to do so, and what came next. Guest: Gwen Herzig, owner and pharmacist at Park West Pharmacy in Little Rock, Arkansas, president and executive director of The Prism Foundation. 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. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler speak with Jaime Green, author of The Possibility of Life, about her experiences publishing her first book. Whether it's the repetitive promotional interviews or the countless rounds of revisions, the process of publishing a book can be surreal and exhausting. Luckily, as Green recounts, the support of a creative community and praise from strangers can make it all worthwhile. Do you have a question about creative work? Leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in Georgia, Clarence Thomas wanted to make his mark. His goal was to become his hometown’s first Black Catholic priest. But in the 1960s, he abandoned that dream. Instead, he embraced campus activism and the teachings of Malcolm X. Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner. Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor. Editorial direction by Josh Levin, Derek John, and Joel Meyer. Merritt Jacob is Slate’s senior technical director. Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel begins by dissecting (and spoiling) the Succession finale. Then, the three discuss You Hurt My Feelings, a great new comedy by writer/director Nicole Holofcener starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Finally, they examine the Obama’s Netflix docuseries Working: What We Do All Day. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel gets deep with a question from Julia Turner: What is one small life thing you’re absolutely terrible at? Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Stephen: Jury Duty’s finale — After last week’s discussion, Stephen finished Jury Duty and discovered one of the better hours of television he’d seen in a long time, calling it “the antidote to reality TV: a genuinely wonderful show that is in a class of its own.” Dana: Studs Terkel’s Radio Archive — WFMT-FM in Chicago published an archive of over 1,000 digitalized audio tapes that originally aired over 45 years on Studs Turkel’s radio show. No one interviews quite like him, a man of the people who can talk to pretty much anyone about anything. A stand out: this interview with Buster Keaton. Julia: Frozen sliced bread — Discovering this life hack changed everything: crusty bread saved for later, sliced and stowed in the freezer. Is this the best thing since… sliced bread? Or, as Dana quips, “You can’t spell sliced bread without ‘iced bread.’” Outro music: "Blue Nights and Yellow Days" by Matt Large Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Kat Hong. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a long-delayed five-year investigation, the Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul released the report on sexual abuse in the Illinois Catholic church. Where does this case fit in in the long history of abuse in the Catholic Church? And over two decades after the infamous Boston Globe investigation into the Catholic Church, has anything changed? Guest: Robert Herguth, investigative reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times, part of the Watchdogs team. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie. The three go back in time to 2010 when a lucky few creators of Tumblr blogs like Hipster Puppies, This is Why You’re Fat and Garfield Minus Garfield were able to leverage their popularity into book deals. They discuss the blog to Urban Outfitters pipeline and the optimism that colored the memes created in that era, an optimism that starkly contrasts against the layered irony of today’s memes. And at the top of the show, Rachelle and Candice revive an age-old debate: Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Joel Anderson to talk about the Celtics’ Game 7 loss to the Heat. They’re also joined by Mike Simmonds of Luton Today for a conversation about Luton Town’s rise to the Premier League. And finally, writer Sam Miller comes on to discuss the indelible image of Randy Johnson killing a bird with a fastball. Celtics-Heat (6:49): How Boston came so far, and then collapsed. Luton Town (28:27): The inside scoop on an incredible underdog story. Baseball and birds (47:15): Why we’re still talking about a pitch from 2001. Afterball (1:07:07): Stefan on Tom Wambsgans and Bill Wambsganss and Josh on whether Clarence Thomas could dunk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny Lavery welcomes Kaitlynn Bartley, a Higher Education working in Residence Life, and Nicole Fusco, an epidemiologist. Lavery, Bartley and Fusco offer advice to someone who is wondering how to stop having a crush on their boss. Another letter writer is afraid they won’t live up to their new friend’s expectations. Plus, a lighting round letter about getting over a breakup. Need advice? Send Danny a question here. Email: mood@slate.com If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Big Mood, Little Mood. Sign up now at Slate.com/MoodPlus to help support our work Production by Phil Surkis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… empty thanks? Memorial Day is meant to commemorate those who lost their lives in serving this country. Around such a heavy day — and on many others — the common refrain of “thank you for your service” can feel hollow to living veterans, as well as military families. What are we reflexively thanking these people for, and how could we tangibly show gratitude instead? Third-generation veteran and writer Lucian Truscott IV joins us to propose that, while words may be well-intentioned, there are better ways to thank those who’ve served. ________________ Note: this episode includes a brief discussion of suicide. If you or a loved one need support, help is always available at the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — you can call and text 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 988. Veterans can access specialized resources at the Veterans’ Crisis Line. ________________ If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com Podcast production by Maura Currie You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sleep is objectively worse when splitting a bed. Yet that’s the default for most couples. But that doesn’t mean sharing the covers is easy. Especially when one person is having trouble falling or staying asleep. On this episode of How To!, the second in a two-part series, co-host Carvell Wallace continues the conversation with Dr. Wendy Troxel, author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep. Dr. Troxel explains how couples can experiment with sleeping arrangements in a way that makes everyone feel safe, and why sleeping apart might be the key to saving your relationship. If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Stop Snoring (and Breathe Easier).” Do you have a problem that’s keeping you up at night? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis, and Jabari Butler. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right-wing activists have been waiting for a Supreme Court like this one, willing to hand down unpopular, reactionary opinions on guns, abortion, and voting rights. Meanwhile, the general public’s opinion of the court is cratering, and this year’s docket doesn’t look like it will help. Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls and Strikes. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to actor Sarah Goldberg, who plays Sally on the hit HBO show Barry. In the interview, Sarah discusses her training at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the important lessons she learned there. Then she digs into the role of Sally and discusses her first impressions of the role, the many dimensions of the character, and her ability to access powerful emotions for certain scenes. After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas talk about the emotional toll that acting can take. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Sarah discusses the differences between theater acting in the U.K. vs the U.S. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. 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 Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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 TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Take your seats for a live show from Washington DC this week. This live show is part of Slate’s Full Court Press coverage, a provocation for the fourth estate to hold the third branch of government to account. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern, Elie Mystal of The Nation, and Jay Willis of Balls and Strikes. As we perch on the precipice of another slew of catastrophic decisions this June, they unpack how Supreme Court reporting has failed to meet the moment - and crucially, what to do about it. In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, listeners will hear the question and answer segment of the live show - with piercing audience questions such as: "Why do so many Democrats fail to take the court seriously?, and some vital advice for law students from Elie Mystal and Jay Willis. (Spoiler: Don't be Tom Cotton) Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices