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The public scrutiny applied to Facebook has been building for years, as the company grows its user base faster than its ability to regulate its content. But distrust among Facebook employees is also building, as evidenced by the remarkable disclosure of internal Facebook documents by whistleblower Frances Haugen. A crisis of trust could be what undoes Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to dominate the internet of the future. Guest: Steven Levy is editor-at-large at WIRED and author of numerous books, including, most recently, Facebook: The Inside Story.  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, Stoya and Rich answer a letter about a woman who has noticed her husband’s peculiar secret habit on his computer. Then they advise a woman who wants to know when is the right time to disclose her sexual history and preferences. Mentioned in this episode: “Why Do People Watch Porn When They’re Not Masturbating,” Mel Magazine. Slate Plus members get another episode of the How to Do It podcast every Monday. Sign up for Slate Plus now and get $25 off your first year. This special offer is only available until Oct. 31. *** Read the How to Do It column on Slate here. If you’re in need of sex advice from Stoya and Rich, write in here or leave a voicemail at ‪(347) 640-4025 and we may use it on the show. Remember, it’s anonymous—and nothing is too embarrassing! Production by Chau Tu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to makeup artist Leslie Ann Sebert about her long career in film and her latest project, the Netflix movie Nightbooks, starring Krysten Ritter. Leslie talks about how she fits into the collaborative process of creating the visuals that shape a film and it’s characters … and just how hard it is to find the exact right formula for candy vomit.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss people who choose sole career path at a young age, versus people whose career changes over time, And Isaac explains his biggest piece of writing advice—buy a laser printer.  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 Jessamine Molli.   Host Isaac Butler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this special Halloween episode, you’re in for a handful of treats. Rachelle and Madison reveal their Halloween costumes and talk about what scares and bugs them on the internet this spooky season. They’ll discuss listener-submitted Vines, tweets, and Tumblr posts that are iconic Halloween internet staples, including the viral song “Spooky Scary Skeletons”’ We’ll dive deep into the origins of the song with Victoria Gold, whose father Andrew Gold wrote the celebrated bop. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Samira Tazari. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Stacy-Marie Ishmael talk about Facebook’s transformation to Metaverse, how the billionaire income tax would work (and why it won’t happen), and Hertz’s new deal with Tesla.  In the Plus segment: How a butt dial blundered a coup. Mentioned In the show:  “Why Hertz’s big Tesla deal is such a blockbuster” by Rebecca Heilweil “Democrats’ billionaire tax would heavily target 10 wealthiest Americans, but alternative plan is emerging” by Jeff Stein, Andrew Van Dam and Tony Romm “How the Billionaires Income Tax Would Work” by Richard Rubin  “What the Metaverse Is, Who’s in It and Why It Matters” by Nate Lanxon  “Facebook’s Doppelganger ETF Rakes in Cash on Mistaken Identity” by Vildana Hajric and Claire Ballentine “Facebook just revealed its new name: Meta” by Kim Lyons  “Rogers Chairman Fires Board for Firing Him for Firing CEO” by Matt Levine     Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1968, David Lewis decides that one truth can unify every theory he's had about the nature of the universe. It is the truth that every possible world is equally real. Lewis not only argues for this view, but devises a distinctive way of arguing for it, a method of doing philosophy that is as influential as his views. Meanwhile, a soon-to-be colleague and rival, Saul Kripke, reads Lewis' paper and fires off eight objections, and on the other side of the world, an entire continent becomes enamored with the life and works of David Kellogg Lewis, an admiration that survives to this day. Guest voices include Frank Jackson, Alan Hajek, John Bigelow, Helen Beebe, Anthony Fischer, Peter Anstey, and David Lewis. This episode brought to you by Betterhelp, online therapy and counseling. Get 10% of your first month and support this show by going to betterhelp.com/nation/ This episode is brought you by Scribd, for ebooks, sheet music, podcasts, and magazines. Get a free 60-trial to the entire library at https://try.scri

On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams to spoil the new adaptation of the 1965 sci-fi novel Dune. In the year 10,191, Paul Atreides, along with his family and people, must travel to a dangerous planet at the behest of the emperor of the universe. Once there, violence explodes and Paul must test his training and power to survive. Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore. To listen to Spoiler Specials and other Slate podcasts with zero ads, read unlimited articles on Slate.com, and support Slate's journalism, sign up for Slate Plus now. For a limited time only, you can get $25 off your first year. Email us at spoilers@slate.com. Podcast production by Cleo Levin. Hosts Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic. You can read her review here.  Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor. You

In Part 2 of this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy traces the lineage of ’90s bands like Green Day, Offspring and Blink‑182 to their descendants in ’00s emo artisans Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and their skinny-jeans-wearing, smarty-pants contemporaries.   Podcast production by Asha Saluja with help from Rosemary Belson. We have a special announcement! This year is the 25th anniversary of Slate. And for a limited time, we’re offering our annual Slate Plus membership at $25 off. As a Slate Plus member, you'll get to hear every Hit Parade episode in full, the day it arrives; plus Hit Parade—“The Bridge,” our bonus episodes, with guest interviews, deeper dives on our episode topics, and pop-chart trivia. Plus, you’ll get no ads on any Slate podcast, unlimited reading on the Slate site, and member-exclusive episodes and segments. This offer lasts until October 31st, so sign up now at slate.com/hitparadeplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bots aren’t just buying cool sneakers. They’re buying concert tickets. Tickets to basketball games and Broadway shows. At the beginning of the pandemic, they were buying hand sanitizer and face masks. And later, they were booking vaccine reservation spots. Why are bots taking over certain markets? And is there anything we can do to slow them down? Guests:  Derreck Johnson, designer at Slate Eric Budish, economics professor at the University of Chicago Host: Seth Stevenson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

School is supposed to be a safe environment for students to thrive. But too many school policies put non-white and disabled students on the path to prison. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with professor and author Lori Martin, about fighting the school-to-prison pipeline, and how parents can protect their children from falling into the criminal justice system. Guest: Lori Martin, sociology professor at Louisiana State University and author of Big Box Schools: Race, Education, and the Danger of the Wal-Martization of Public Schools in America Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily, John and David talk about the Facebook Papers; Building Back (somewhat) Better; and are joined by author Pamela Paul to talk about the trivial and serious sides of her new book: 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Casey Newton for Platformer on Substack: “How The American Internet Is Turning European” Farhad Manjoo for The New York Times: “Facebook Is Bad. Fixing It Rashly Could Make It Much Worse.” Adrienne LaFrance for The Atlantic: “‘History Will Not Judge Us Kindly’” Nitish Pahwa for Slate: “The Facebook Crisis in India Might Be the Worst Facebook Crisis of All” Alan Rappeport and Jim Tankersley for The New York Times: “Hunting for Money, Democrats Rush to Rewrite Tax Code” 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet, by Pamela Paul  Here’s this week’s chatter: Emily: Alix Wall for Berkeleyside: “This Couple Loves Berkeley Bowl So Much, They Took Their Engagement Photos There” (hat tip: Cyrus Farivar @cfarivar) David: Andrea Salcedo fo

On this week’s episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Zak debate if a distracted toddler deserves to be pulled out of their gymnastics class. Next, they advise a mother who is nervous about a long flight with her toddler. From getting a toddler to wear a mask to entertaining snacks, the hosts have tips for all aspects of the flight. We’re playing a round of hot takes in Slate Plus. So stick around for some spicy parenting opinions.  Recommendations: Jamilah recommends Popeyes’ hottie sauce collab with Megan Thee Stallion.  Zak recommends making or buying a fire pit to polong the outdoor season.  Elizabeth recommends the DragonBox Elements: Geometry App 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.  Don't miss the member-exclusive segment on MADAF every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now at slate.com/momanddadplus and you'll also get

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Allegra Frank and Waves producer Cheyna Roth embrace the Halloween season and talk about horror movies. They get into the mainstays of horror and slasher movies that continue to haunt the genre to this day, ask whether the “final girl” trope is feminist, and question whether it’s possible to remake a classic without all its original (often sexist) baggage.  In Slate Plus, Allegra and Cheyna keep the Halloween theme going and discuss whether sexy Halloween costumes are feminist.  Recommendations: Allegra: A very specific TikTok sound. Cheyna: Hulu’s series Only Murders in the Building.   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Susan Matthews and June Thomas.  Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, five members of Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council publicly stepped down. In their resignation letter, they claimed that they were just “window dressing for her image” and called her “one of the principal obstacles to progress.” One of those veterans explains why she finally said enough.    Guest: Sylvia González Andersh, former member of Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council. 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

In this episode we're learning about an industry that’s known for having the highest standards when it comes to customer service: hospitality. First, host Kristen Meinzer talks to Will Jones, General Manager of The Swag Resort, a boutique luxury resort that sits right along The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Will shares hospitality practices and philosophies that can help businesses deliver memorable experiences by prioritizing authenticity and improving employees’ experiences. Later, you’ll hear from Xio Sandoval, a leading realtor and top CENTURY 21 agent in Southern California who has an inspiring passion for strengthening community connections. Guests: Will Jones: General Manager, The Swag Xio Sandoval: CENTURY 21 Realty Masters Agent in Montebello, CA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re debuting our new segment, “Wormhole,” with this fascinating look into the phenomenon of the viral mukbang YouTuber and drama magnet, Nikocado Avocado. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison invite their internet obsessive colleague and senior producer of Slate’s Decoder Ring, Benjamin Frisch, to discuss who this infamous extreme eating content creator is, and why the internet is convinced Nikocado Avocado is eating himself to death. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Samira Tazari. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds many, if not most, of the world’s global health initiatives, so much so that the Foundation has become one of the most influential deciders of global health policy. With the distribution of vaccines to developing countries all but completely failing, how do we assess the Gates’ culpability? And is it time to imagine another model for global health cooperation?   Guest: Tim Schwab, investigative reporter.  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. If you've just signed up for Slate Plus because of What Next, fill out this form and you may get some What Next swag! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by Slate senior editor Allegra Frank. First, senior producer of Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast, Benjamin Frisch, chimes in to review the sci-fi megafilm Dune. Next, the panel discusses Netflix’s Maid. Finally, the panel dives into the IATSE strike, and the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, involving the actor Alec Baldwin. In Slate Plus, the panel discusses Halloween as an adult. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements Dana: Lauren Michele Jackson’s piece for The New Yorker about corporate social media and the way Netflix’s social media teams have responded to the Dave Chappelle controversy, titled “Dave Chappelle, Netflix, and the Illusions of Corporate Identity Politics.” Allegra: Lately, the videogame Super Smash Bros. Ultimate—which she has been playing on Nintendo Switch. Recently, the lead character of another video game franchise, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, has been added as an avatar you can play as in the game.  Steve: First,

Danny Lavery welcomes Lux Alptraum, the creator and co-host of Audible’s Say You’re Sorry, a podcast about public apologies — the ones that worked, the ones that failed, and, most of all, the ones that we can all learn from. Lavery and Alptraum read two letters: First, from a letter writer who is wondering how to get her friends to back off from flirting with her girlfriend. Another writer wants to overcome her guilt for mocking her date on social media. Plus, reframing apologies as good things. Slate Plus members get another episode of Big Mood, Little Mood every Friday. Sign up for Slate Plus now and get $25 off your first year. Need advice? Send Danny a question here. Email: mood@slate.com Production by Phil Surkis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a behind the scenes look into some of the articles we read when we create the show, check out our Pocket collection at http://getpocket.com/slate. Every day around 2:00 p.m. Rob hits a brick wall. A busy job and two young children have zapped all of his energy, and he’s desperate to do something—anything—to make it through the rest of the workday. Enter the elusive and often guilt-ridden midday nap. But there too Rob struggles to really rest and then wake up without making things worse. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Dr. Sara Mednick, author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life and the forthcoming book The Hidden Power of the Downstate. Sara draws on years of research at her sleep lab to advise Rob, and all of us, how to stay energized during a long day (Hint: It might not involve napping at all).   If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Sleep” with Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of Headspace.  Do you have a question with no easy answers? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail a