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Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz wrap up 2021 considering life’s many conundrums—with special guest Dwayne Betts!Questions this year include: if you could eliminate one word from the English language what would it be? If you could transport the characters of one book into the time and place of another, which would you choose? If you were ONLY able to brush your teeth in the morning or the night- which would be optimal?Special thanks to everyone who sent in conundrums for consideration.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, John attempt a conundrum lightning round.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Give the gift of Slate Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membe

"I want it, so I take it." A serial shoplifter explains why she steals, and how—and we hear about what's happened in her life since we first talked four years ago. Thanks to Tasbeeh Herwees for her help with this story. You can find Tasbeeh's article for GOOD Magazine about the shoplifting community on Tumblr here. To listen to our 2017 episode featuring your responses to Alice's story, click here. We have big fundraising goals to hit by the end of the year! Support Death, Sex & Money today and get your Savor Action Pack (our Death, Sex & Money tote bag and mug). Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and we'll send you great audio recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.Follow the show on Twitter @deathsexmoney and Facebook at facebook.com/deathsexmoney. Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the final episode of the year, and a chance to look back at all the ways the internet has gone wrong in 2021. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison invite Tracy Clayton and Josh Gwynn, hosts of the podcast Back Issue, to join them as they discuss all the trends, memes, and moments of 2021 internet that have no place cropping back up in 2022.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Steve, Dana, and Julia tackle some listener questions in our annual call-in show. Topics include: favorite pieces of art, culture their children introduced them to, and previous years’ endorsements that have become staples in the panel’s lives.In Slate Plus, the panel continues to field some stellar listener questions. Email us at culturefest@slate.com.There are no endorsements this week, but here are links to some of the things mentioned in the episode:Here’s Julia’s former (Dana approved) Cooks Illustrated blueberry muffin recipe endorsement that’s sourced from The New Best Recipe. Here’s her current favorite blueberry muffin recipe. Dana’s suggestions for content that might help with grief features Francois Couperin’s Leçons de Ténèbres. Some songs Steve would like played at his funeral include: Everything but the Girl’s cover of Captain Beefheart’s “My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains;” Nina Simone’s version of “Who Knows Where the Time Goes;” Charles Mingus’s “Myself When I Am Real;” and

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in June 2021.The Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive end, Carl Nassib, came out in an Instagram post back in June, making him the first openly gay active player in NFL histroy. The league immediately posted in celebration of Nassib’s announcement. But given the NFL’s sorry history of standing by players on the vanguard, will the league really put its money where its mouth is this time? Guest: LZ Granderson, LA Times opinion columnist and host of ABC News’ “Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson.”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.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Danielle Hewitt, Elena Schwartz, Davis Land, and Carmel Delshad. Hosted on Acast. See aca

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in October 2021.Colin Powell, known as a “trailblazer” and “pathbreaker” in his military career, leaves behind a complicated legacy. The four-star general became a household name during the first Gulf War as the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later the first Black secretary of state. Thirty years after his rise to national prominence, Powell’s death has prompted reflections on the Iraq War and his role in using false intelligence to justify the U.S. invasion.Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories columnist. 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.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Danielle Hewitt, Elena Schwartz, Davis La

Josh Levin and Joel Anderson are joined by ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz to talk about Christmas Day in the NBA. Washington Post health reporter Dan Diamond also joins to discuss the past, present, and future of COVID in sports. Finally, Josh, Joel, and Stefan Fatsis interview Mitchell S. Jackson about his award-winning story on Ahmaud Arbery and running while Black. NBA (3:37): How did the Warriors and Suns leap to the top of the West? And how are teams dealing with all the positive tests? COVID (25:51): What should leagues be doing, and what will they do in 2022? Arbery (45:59): A discussion about the Pulitzer-winning story “Twelve Minutes and a Life.” Afterball (1:06:04): Josh on the Washington Post’s coverage of Daniel Snyder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in September 2021.Who are the people seeking a religious exemption to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate? What are their religious claims? And how do workplaces decide who has a real claim to belief versus a convenient letter from a pastor-for-hire? Guest: Ruth Graham, 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. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Danielle Hewitt, Elena Schwartz, Davis Land, and Carmel Delshad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martha Stewart loves to tell people on Instagram about the products she likes, but these posts look suspiciously like ads. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle scroll through Martha’s feed to look at all the things she raves about, talk about why she might be breaking the rules, and discuss how the social media advertising guidelines are much more flexible than we realize.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael talk all about retirement with Teresa Ghilarducci, retirement expert and professor at the New School for Social Research. They dig into what’s wrong with the retirement system and who is currently benefiting from its brokenness, how people can get the most out of retirement investments and the role gender plays in retirement planning. In the Plus segment: Succession’s Logan Roy’s retirement plan.  Email: slatemoney@slate.comPodcast production by Cheyna Roth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode originally aired in September.In the U.S., the PCR test is the gold standard for COVID testing. Common knowledge would have it that the test is more accurate—and therefore more effective at containing the spread of the disease—than the rapid antigen test. What if that isn’t quite true? Guest: Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Host: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode originally aired in September.In the U.S., the PCR test is the gold standard for COVID testing. Common knowledge would have it that the test is more accurate—and therefore more effective at containing the spread of the disease—than the rapid antigen test. What if that isn’t quite true? Guest: Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Host: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Zak advise a mom who is feeling hurt that her mother-in-law has swooped in and taken over traditional “mom moments” behind her back. Is there a way to politely tell her that she needs to stay in her own lane? Then the hosts share the most useful piece of advice they received this year. In Slate Plus, they play a round of holiday hot takes which includes the classic conundrum: should you just tell your kids Santa’s a myth? Recommendations:Naima recommends Roc, which you can watch on Pluto. Henry recommends Nocs Provisions Zoom Tube. Oliver recommends the app hoopla. Teddy recommends Story Time Chess. Noa recommends peeling grapes to make them juicer. 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. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in July 2021.Brittany Hogan worked in diversity and inclusion for the Rockwood School District for eight years. As public debate intensified over the way race is discussed in schools and threats were made against her, Hogan eventually was pushed to resign.Guest: Brittany Hogan, former director of educational equity and diversity for the Rockwood School District in St. Louis County.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.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Danielle Hewitt, Elena Schwartz, Davis Land, and Carmel Delshad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Custer's Revenge is widely considered one of the worst video games ever made. Originally released as part of a series of Swedish Erotica-branded adult games for the Atari 2600, Custer's Revenge involves moving a pixelated General Custer across the screen to rape an Indigenous woman tied to a post. It's unfathomably racist, sexist, and un-fun to play. Today on Decoder Ring we tell the story of how Custer's Revenge came to be, the people who protested it, and the even stranger story of how the whole thing became a considered trolling operation. This is the final episode of our current season, but we'll be back in 2022.If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you can get ad free podcasts, bonus episodes, and much more.Note: This episode has been edited to correct a misstatement about Women Against Pornography's aims. The group did not advocate the banning of pornography. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the future of the Democratic party's agenda, Omicron's spread across the United States and they're joined by investigative journalist Azmat Khan to talk about the deaths of civilians overseas and the lack of accuracy from the U.S. military.Give the gift of Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited reading, ad-free listening, bonus content, and so much more.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Matthew Yglesias for Slow Boring: “$1.75 Trillion Is Plenty of Money to Write a Good Build Back Better Bill Here Are Some Solid Options”Simon Bazelon and David Shor for Slow Boring: “A Permanent CTC Expansion With a Sharper Means-Test Would Protect Poor Kids Better And Be More Popular”Jonathan Chait for New York Magazine: “Biden Should Take Manchin's Deal Right Now”David Wallace-Wells for New York Magazine: “Gauteng’s Omicron Wave Is Already Peaking. Why?”Derek Thompson for the Atlantic:”Is Omicron Mil

Christina and Bryan discuss the finer points of new queer Christmas movies—like, how realistic is Netflix’s Single All The Way?—and why that harness joke in Lifetime’s Under The Christmas Tree was so jarring. We’re also joined by some special guests who share Prides and Provocations from the past year and explore Premonitions for 2022. We close the year with bell hooks and trans triumphs in the Gay Agenda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I share some of the advice, tools, movies, and TV shows that I savored in 2021. Looking for The Favorites File from Kendra Adachi? Find it here at The Lazy Genius Collective. If you're thinking about year-end giving, please consider donating to Death, Sex & Money. You'll be supporting the work we do here at the show, and the community we're building together. Donate now at deathsexmoney.org/donate.Sign up for our newsletter at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and every Wednesday we'll send you podcast listening recommendations, listener letters from our inbox and updates from the show.Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neopets, a kid-friendly site from the early 2000s that let users raise digital pets and play games with them, has fallen far from its peak popularity. The nostalgic luster of it also seems to be fading, following the site’s recent failed attempt at Neopet NFTs—not to mention its years-old, mostly broken user interface. On today’s show, Madison and Allegra look back at the happier times of Neopia past, discussing their early experiences on the site and exactly how it’s grown, or not, with the times. Then they interview concept artist Claire Hummel about her teenage years interning at the site, the creative freedom the staff used to have, and why nobody could ever get enough Neopoints to buy all those cool items.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the panel discusses Aaron Sorkin’s Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz biopic, Being the Ricardos. Next, the panel is joined by contributing writer for the New York Times, Jody Rosen, to make sense of Bruce Springsteen’s latest deal and the confusing world of music rights today. Finally, the panel is joined by Slate’s book critic Laura Miller to discuss her list of the best books (and audiobooks!) of 2021.In Slate Plus, the panel continues the discussion of music rights and how Taylor Swift changed the game with her re-recordings. Email us at culturefest@slate.com.EndorsementsDana: A video of a series of pianist Bill Evans’s live performances over 11 years titled, Bill Evans Live ‘64 ‘75.Julia: The 2004 film Cellular which stars Chris Evans, Kim Bassinger, Jason Statham, William H. Macy, Jessica Biel, and more.Steve: A follow-up to the 8 hours of Get Back, one of the greatest works of cultural criticism: Revolution in the Head: The Beatles’ Records and the Sixties by Ian MacDonald. Also: Sufjan Stevens’s C