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Slate Business

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Get the latest from Slate Money and the entire Slate network's takes on the latest in the world of business and business news.
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Episodes

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. 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 T...

Jan 21, 202436 min

Slate Money: Antitrust, Boomer Style

This week, Axios tech and policy reporter Ashley Gold joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears to discuss the scuttled Spirit/Jet Blue merger and the ambitious anti-trust efforts of Trade Commission chair Lina Kahn. Also: how hybrid work won the office wars and why conflict in the Middle East isn’t really affecting oil prices. In the Slate Plus segment: Will a squabble with Epic Games crack Apple’s stranglehold on the app market? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for...

Jan 20, 202443 min

What Next TBD: The Great British Library Hack

When a cyberattack knocked the British Library out of commission in October of last year, a nation's researchers, scholars, students, and bookworms were left high and dry. Months later, the library is starting to come back online in limited capacity, but the attack has laid bare just how fragile our digital systems are. Guest: Sam Knight, staff writer at the New Yorker If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate po...

Jan 19, 202428 min

What Next TBD: Is Your Car Tracking You?

Covered in cameras, full of microphones, and always eager to use location data, our vehicles are “smartphones on wheels”—and privacy nightmares. Guest: Kashmir Hill, technology and privacy reporter for the New York Times. 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.co...

Jan 14, 202423 min

Slate Money: Apple Maps is Finally Good

Last week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears asked you to weigh in on your preferred map app: Reigning champ Google, or late bloomer Apple? This week, they reveal your answers and discuss the merits of each. Also: Boeing’s airplane malfunctions, and what Bitcoin’s ETF approval means for crypto. In the Plus segment: Untangling the plagiarism drama of billionaire Bill Ackman and his wife Neri Oxman. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members ...

Jan 13, 202449 min

What Next TBD: Boeing’s Max Mess

Shortly after take off from Portland, OR, the plug exit on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet blew out – causing an uncontrolled decompression of the plane. Now, accident investigators are hard at work, trying to determine what happened in what's the latest catastrophe for the respected commercial airplane provider. Guest: Jon Ostrower, Editor-in-chief of The Air Current If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bon...

Jan 12, 202435 min

ICYMI: The Nine-Month Cruise Heard Round the World

Candice Lim is joined by Wailin Wong, co-host of NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money. They dissect the drama and mayhem surrounding Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise — a nine-month trip that TikTokkers on land and sea that we can’t stop talking about. The cruise is scheduled to visit more than 60 countries over 274 nights, but since it left Miami in December, passengers have been uploading room tours, buffet reviews and excursion vlogs daily — if not, hourly — so land-dwellers can keep u...

Jan 10, 202447 min

Well, Now: A Toast to Dry January

On the first episode of Well, Now – Slate’s new podcast on health and wellness – hosts Dr. Kavita Patel and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Maya Feller tackle resolutions. A popular one? Sobriety. Or at least Dry January. With more people becoming “sober curious” Kavita and Maya visit a sober speakeasy in Brooklyn, hosted by the zero-proof cocktail maker Curious Elixirs. They sit down with the company’s founder and CEO JW Wiseman over some drinks and talk about the rise of the “sober curious” ...

Jan 10, 202432 min

Money Talks by Slate Money: Glossier’s Glamorous Girl Boss

In our inaugural edition of Money Talks, Felix Salmon sits down with veteran fashion writer Marisa Meltzer, author of Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier. Marisa discusses the real-life woman behind Glossier’s iconic CEO, the feminism of the beauty industry, and why French is the language of glamour. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of o...

Jan 09, 202439 min

What Next TBD: Tesla's Cybertruck Problem

What the Cybertruck says about safety, regulation, and the degree to which Tesla is beholden to the whims of Elon Musk. Guest: Edward Niedermeyer, author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors 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 t...

Jan 07, 202425 min

ICYMI: The Internet History of Tate McRae

Candice Lim is joined by culture journalist Cat Sposato to trace the rise of this year’s most promising pop act, Tate McRae. McRae gained national attention as a 12-year-old dancer on So You Think You Can Dance. While pursuing a legitimate dance career, she posted an original song on YouTube that led RCA Records to bet on her as the next big pop star. After two albums, certain people on the internet still accuse McRae of being an industry plant, but her path has been oddly traditional and well-d...

Jan 06, 202436 min

Slate Money: Is Billionaire Charity a Sham?

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears debate the value of massive, tax-deductible donations that spend years in administrative limbo. Also: Biden is cranking up production in American factories, and private equity may be making healthcare sick. In the Plus segment: Should we be afraid of Trump in 2024? (Spoiler: Yes.) We’re also excited to announce Money Talks, a new interview series from Slate Money. Every second Tuesday, Felix or Emily will sit down for one-on-one chats wit...

Jan 06, 202448 min

A Word: A Multiverse of Problems

Comic book films have dominated the box office for a generation, and gave many diverse actors and artists an opportunity to shine. But the genre struggled during 2023, and fans are worried that the golden age has ended for those movies and the culture that inspired them. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist David Betancourt, who covered comic book movies and culture for The Washington Post for more than a decade. They talk about why superhero films may be going thr...

Jan 05, 202441 min

What Next TBD: Why the New York Times Sued OpenAI

If A.I. and chatbots are the next wave of innovation, then the New York Times and other media organizations are determined to get paid this time. Guest: Megan Morrone, technology editor for the Axios AI+ newsletter 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/whatn...

Jan 05, 202428 min

ICYMI: Should We Quit Romance Novels?

Candice Lim is joined by Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion to talk about their love of romance novels. The romance genre grew rapidly this past year, becoming the fastest-growing category of fiction and generating over $1.4 billion in sales revenue. Partly thanks to Goodreads and BookTok, romance novels are getting into the hands of younger, more outspoken and vocal readers. But recent scandals, including last year’s Hockey BookTok disaster, question the limits of literary thirsting and ask whet...

Jan 03, 202432 min

What Next TBD: Who’s Afraid of A.I.? | 2023 In Review

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January. Artificial intelligence—as it already exists today—is drawing from huge troves of surveillance data and is rife with the biases built into the algorithm, in service of the huge corporations that develop and maintain the systems. The fight for the future doesn’t look like war with Skynet; it’s ha...

Dec 31, 202334 min

Slate Money: America’s Boring Superweapon

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Henry Farrell, author of Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy. Henry explains how American hegemony shifted from guns and tanks to SWIFT codes and internet policies. Can China or Russia beat it at its own game? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be s...

Dec 30, 202353 min

What Next TBD: America’s Killer Car Problem | 2023 In Review

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January. Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians? Guest: Jessie Singer, author of There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price. Originally a...

Dec 29, 202337 min

What Next TBD: Stephen King Is Just as Confused About Blue Checks as You Are | 2023 In Review

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January. Twitter’s “blue check” verification went from something you applied for, to something you could pay for, to something you had to pay for…to something that many celebrities wouldn’t even accept for free. Master of horror Stephen King told us he wouldn’t pay for a blue check, but he’s not going to...

Dec 24, 202334 min

Slate Money: Our Surprisingly Great Year

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and guest host Edmund Lee, media reporter for the New York Times, recap the 2023 economic year, which saw strong growth, reduced inflation, and soaring stocks. Also: What a potential Warner Bros.-Paramount merger means for the entertainment business, and why a growing number of pedestrians are being killed by cars at night. In the Plus segment: Can the news industry profit from ChatGPT? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate ...

Dec 23, 202349 min

What Next TBD: Can Hybrid Cars Save Us?

Without infrastructure to support all-electric vehicles, consumers have increasingly embraced the hybrid. The lower emissions are good—but are they slowing down our transition into an electric future? Guest: Patrick George, editor-in-chief of InsideEVs.com, contributor to The Atlantic and The Verge. 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...

Dec 22, 202327 min

Slate Money Goes to the Movies: This Is Spinal Tap

In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, director Rob Reiner gave the world a band named Spinal Tap. No one knows who they were or what they were doing … except for legendary designer Paula Scher, the mind behind 40 years of music artwork and branding. She chats with Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers about the true stories that inspired the classic mockumentary. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-fre...

Dec 18, 202340 min

What Next: Where Do Returned Gifts Go?

“Easy returns” are an essential part of the online shopping experience. But 20-30 percent of online purchases get sent “back,” which is to say, they then enter the labyrinth of third-party return facilities, destined for re-evaluation, restocking—or possibly, the garbage. Guest: Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic. 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...

Dec 18, 202324 min

What Next TBD: The Case Against CLEAR

Going through airport security is a legal requirement. Is it fair for a private company to interject itself in that process—and cut to the front of the line? Guest: David Zipper, visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, focused on mobility, cities and technology. 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 he...

Dec 17, 202325 min

Slate Money: Is Starbucks Still a Union Buster?

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speculate on the Federal Reserve’s surprising new interest rates, whether Starbucks’ store closings are anti-union, and the financial machinations of Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani. In the Plus segment, Felix and Emily hash it out over the usefulness of the UN’s climate change conference. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segm...

Dec 16, 202345 min

What Next TBD: Shein’s Newest Offering? An IPO

Fast-fashion titan Shein is preparing for its initial public offering, even as questions of sustainability and labor practices linger. Guest: Jordyn Holman, business reporter covering the retail industry and consumerism for The New York Times 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. Si...

Dec 15, 202328 min

Slate Money Travel: Hotels That Don’t Rip You Off

This week, Pavia Rosati, founder of travel platform Fathom, chats with Felix Salmon and the hotel industry in the post-COVD era. They discuss why prices are so unpredictable, those exorbitant fees for coffee and yoga classes, and how the industry is recovering from a historic crash. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work ...

Dec 11, 202351 min

What Next TBD: Musk's War on Free Speech

Elon Musk is suing Media Matters for reporting that advertisers’ content was showing up right next to posts from newly reinstated Nazis on X, something X’s CEO said was impossible. Media Matters is based in D.C, and X is headquartered in California - so why did Musk choose to file the suit in Texas? Guest: Liz Dye, columnist at Above the Law, Substacks as Law and Chaos Pod, co-hosts the podcast Opening Arguments. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus membe...

Dec 10, 202332 min

Slate Money: The War on Self-Checkouts

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss their Christmas shopping strategies and whether it’s time for self-checkouts to check out. Also: What big airline mergers mean for those of us in economy class, and whether the podcast bubble has finally burst. In the Plus segment: Do we really need to have meetings? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our sh...

Dec 09, 202351 min

Amicus: Billionaires Had a Bad Week at the Supreme Court

When Moore v United States landed on the Supreme Court docket, it threatened to take a big swing at any future wealth tax and maybe cut the legs out from under the government’s ability to collect a lot of other tax. But as arguments unfolded Tuesday at One, First Street, it became clear that some of the Justices had studied up on the tax code and were cooling on blowing a big hole in it. To understand why Moore made it all the way up to SCOTUS in the first place, and why the facts don’t match cl...

Dec 09, 202349 min
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