Nearly half of states – 24 and Washington, D.C – have legalized recreational marijuana. As more people report regularly using it, physicians are seeing patients with alarming side effects related to their cannabis use. On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya sit down with internist and pediatrician Dr. Brittany Tayler to better understand these conditions and who could most likely get them. If you liked this episode, check out: Psychedelics’ Long Strange Trip to the Doctor’s Office W...
Oct 30, 2024•36 min
We’re always getting questions about puberty. And even if we’re not dealing with a question explicitly about puberty, it seems like this topic always finds a way to come up anyway… like in last Thursday’s episode, for example. And puberty is always in the news – just this year, the NIH published research about precocious puberty caused by chemicals in personal care products . And Harvard researchers developed an existing theory that socioeconomic factors might be linked to an early onset of pube...
Oct 28, 2024•30 min
When put to the voters, abortion rights have been winning over stricter restrictions even in places like deeply red Kansas. But Florida Republicans are working hard to defeat a ballot measure that would roll back the state’s six-week abortion ban—and they might have found a formula to win. Guest: Grace Panetta , political reporter at The 19th. We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus ...
Oct 24, 2024•28 min
Puberty is changing, and we’re not talking about developing Adam’s apples and growing hair in new places. It starts earlier and lasts longer. Regardless of when this necessary stage of life starts, youth and their adults need support going through it. On this week’s episode of Well, Now puberty expert Vanessa Kroll Bennett discusses the biggest ways puberty has changed for today’s youth and how best to navigate it. She’s co-host of the podcast This Is So Awkward with Dr. Cara Natterson and co-au...
Oct 23, 2024•49 min
As the parent of five kids, Sadie is no stranger to feeling overwhelmed. Most of her kids have left the nest, but one adult daughter has severe autism and can’t live or work on her own. Facing the end of school-based support services, Sadie has to figure out what comes next for her daughter—and for herself. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Sarah Wayland, the founder of Guiding Exceptional Parents , to talk about parenting two autistic young adults and how to ask for help. Li...
Oct 22, 2024•41 min
Political Gabfest host John Dickerson talks with author Dan Harris about his re-released book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, And Found Self-Help That Actually Works – A True Story in light of the looming November 5 vote. They discuss the steps to coping with election anxiety, how to benefit from group dynamics (instead of letting the doom-scrolling get to you), and more. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com...
Oct 19, 2024•46 min
On this episode: Jamilah, Zak and Elizabeth help a listener whose son is at the perfect age to learn about the birds and the bees. There’s just one problem: he really doesn’t want to know. We’ll help our listener with some strategies for communicating the important stuff, while still respecting a shy kid’s limits. We’ll also circle up for a round of triumphs and fails. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s sho...
Oct 17, 2024•41 min
We live in a weight-obsessed world, and children are not immune. From the moment a child is born, their weight and height are tracked and recorded. Then throughout their development, these metrics are used as one of the main factors to determine their health. But as the Health at Every Size (HAES) philosophy continues to gain traction for some adults, is there use for it as a part of growing children’s well-being, too? On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita speak with pediatric diet...
Oct 16, 2024•46 min
According to a new CDC report, the number of overdoses in America is finally dropping after rising for years. What’s behind this rare good news in the ongoing opioid crisis? Guest: David Ovalle , reporter covering opioids and addiction at the Washington Post 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 “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up...
Oct 16, 2024•28 min
Anna talks to PJ Vogt, host of the podcast Search Engine , about his distinct writing and interviewing style. Then we share one of our favorite episodes of Search Engine, which leads with the question: When do you know it's time to stop drinking? In that episode, you'll hear PJ talk to A.J. Daulerio, who writes a newsletter about recovery called The Small Bow and writes an addiction advice column for Slate called Ask A.J . Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our co...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 21 min
How did 23andMe go from the peak of the double-helix to a death spiral? And if it goes, is all of the genetic data it collected at risk of leaking? Guest: Kristen V. Brown , staff writer covering health for The Atlantic . 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 clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get ac...
Oct 13, 2024•26 min
Go to the supplement aisle at the grocery store, and the options are endless. Scroll through any Instagram or TikTok feed, and you’re bound to see videos of people claiming their latest supplement is life-changing. Supplements can be used for health and wellness, but it’s important to know the facts before buying the next trendy capsule, pill, tincture, or gummy. On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita give you helpful tools to decide what supplements are worth the hype and which are...
Oct 09, 2024•37 min
One day on his morning Uber route, Jason Armstrong got an email from his father. The message: at 85, he'd decided to end his life by stopping eating and drinking. Jason's first reaction? This was the "ultimate act of narcissism." But over the next few months, as Jason witnessed his dad's careful preparations, his perspective shifted. In this episode, Jason talks to Anna about processing his father's choice - from panic attacks on morning walks to a poignant final night sharing tiny sips of favor...
Oct 08, 2024•47 min
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the idea of a climate haven has been upended. And as the climate change gets worse every year, fewer places will be safe from its devastation. Guest: Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post climate reporter covering humanity's response to a warming world. Keith Campbell, managing editor at the Asheville Watchdog 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 tod...
Oct 04, 2024•25 min
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, WeGovy, Mounjaro and others revolutionized weight loss and chronic weight management. But what does it feel like for the patients who take them? On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya talk with journalist and author Johann Hari . Over the course of a year, Johann dived into the research and history behind GLP-1 drugs and how they became the latest and most effective way to lose weight. All the while, he was also taking Ozempic himself. His latest book Magic...
Oct 02, 2024•53 min
Elizabeth* has a secret life as a hoarder. None of her colleagues or family members know that her apartment is filled to the brim with garbage bags, discarded hobbies and beautiful writing paper. Instead, she hosts an anonymous podcast detailing her struggles and efforts to declutter. In this episode, she talks to Anna about her complicated relationship with objects, how it relates to money anxiety and sexual identity, and how she’s trying to be more honest with people in her life. * Elizabeth i...
Oct 01, 2024•48 min
The How To! hosts love helping listeners find the answers they need. But sometimes a host needs help, too. On this episode, Courtney Martin and her brother, Chris, open up about how their father’s dementia has led them to upend their own lives in order to become his caregivers. To help Courtney and Chris talk through what comes next, Carvell Wallace welcomes Dr. Allison Applebaum , whose book Stand by Me chronicles her own caregiving journey and her work at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Caregivers ...
Oct 01, 2024•51 min
In this episode, Rachel Bloom (The CW musical comedy-drama series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Netflix’s Death, Let Me Do My Special ) joins our Guest Prudie (Cheyna Roth) to answer letters from readers about how to handle a newly sober (and vegan) friend getting super judgy, what to do when you become friends with an ex-boyfriend and then that boyfriend gets a jealous girlfriend, and whether not wanting to listen to your friend group’s constant griping constitutes an intervention. Want more Dear Pru...
Sep 27, 2024•37 min
Modern IUDs have been used for decades to prevent unwanted pregnancy and have been extremely effective at doing so. But they’re not without side effects. With few places to turn, many patients have resorted to TikTok to describe their experiences of painful insertion and removal as well as cramping, changes in menstruation, and mood shifts. But patients don’t have to be left in the dark. If there was more research into how different bodies react to IUDs, there’s a chance patients can get the car...
Sep 25, 2024•34 min
Yvette Nicole Brown spent years working in Hollywood before she got her big break. Then she rose to fame with her comedic turns in Community and Drake & Josh. But her latest –and perhaps most important– role is as caregiver to her father. That experience is at the heart of her storytelling as host of the new podcast Squeezed, focused on the millions of Americans who find themselves balancing caregiving with careers. On today’s episode of A Word, Yvette Nicole Brown speaks with Jason Johnson ...
Sep 20, 2024•34 min
Ben has two sons in the fourth grade. Like a lot of kids, they love YouTube videos, gaming, movies, and other online entertainment. Before his sons begin using social media, Ben wants to ensure they develop a good relationship with tech—and he’s ready to recruit other families at their school to agree upon some rules of engagement. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings in Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education and ASCD . He’s also the author of...
Sep 17, 2024•44 min
Rather than coming out of the pandemic with a new toolkit of public health measures or even personal habits, the response to this summer’s long wave of COVID infections has mostly been to continue with business as usual. But business as usual seems inadequate with mpox and bird flu crises on the horizon. Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli , science and global health reporter at the New York Times. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and a...
Sep 12, 2024•28 min
Summer is ending and school is officially back in session. For many, a new school year is the perfect time to create new goals and establish a routine. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by primary care pediatrician, Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez . She discusses the importance of navigating the back-to-school season as a family, highlighting how parents can support their children and prioritize health and wellness. If you liked this episode, check out: Spring Cleaning Your Medicine Ca...
Sep 11, 2024•42 min
After a tree destroyed Tucker’s roof during a tornado, he felt lucky to be alive—and underprepared for the next disaster his family might face. On this episode, Courtney Martin welcomes back author and former How To! host Amanda Ripley to discuss emergency preparedness and how regular citizens can react smarter during a devastating event. Amanda’s newly updated book is The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why . After listening to this conversation, seek out (and save) this inf...
Sep 10, 2024•42 min
An outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis in the northeast made headlines, but as far as mosquito-borne illnesses go, EEE is serious but still rare. What’s getting way too common is the mosquito itself. Guest: Amesh Adalja, doctor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security 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 clicking “Try Free”...
Sep 08, 2024•24 min
Drag is one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment, and has been making its way into the mainstream in recent years. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by drag queen, actress, and trans activist, Miss Peppermint. She provides insight on self-advocacy, and how to navigate the healthcare system despite society’s tendencies to overlook transgender health. If you liked this episode, check out: Ending Racism in Healthcare Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist...
Sep 04, 2024•45 min
Your stories about how navigating weight and body size inside a relationship has sometimes made your partnerships stronger…and sometimes broken them apart. Since we originally recorded this episode in 2021, the way we talk about weight loss has changed with drugs like Ozempic. We want to hear more of your stories about weight and love especially if you’ve taken new weight loss medications. How has the experience impacted your close relationships? Record a voice memo or write us an email and send...
Sep 03, 2024•51 min
This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Andy J. Pizza, an illustrator and creator of children’s books who’s also the host of the Creative Pep Talk podcast. In the interview, Andy explains what it’s like to be a working artist with ADHD, and he shares some strategies that have helped him channel his attention, accomplish tasks, and evolve in his career. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas talk about creating like a child and the importance of “useless” friends. In the exclusive ...
Sep 01, 2024•50 min
Since the pandemic, schools have been reporting that their students are more anxious and having trouble learning. How much does simply removing cell phones from the classroom address these problems? Guests: Laura Meckler , national education writer for the Washington Post Russell Shaw, head of Georgetown Day School and author of “ Why We’re Banning Phones at Our School ” for the Atlantic. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family a...
Aug 30, 2024•30 min
Health at Every Size is an approach that shifts the focus from dieting and weight loss and instead promotes healthy eating and exercise patterns, regardless of body size and weight. On this week’s episode of Well, Now , Shana Spence, registered dietitian and nutritionist, provides insight on how to foster a healthy relationship with food. If you liked this episode, check out: How Your Food Can Fight Climate Change Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavit...
Aug 28, 2024•42 min
