The option to “buy now and pay later” over installments exploded over the past two years, thanks to people being flush with stimulus cash and shopping online during the pandemic. But is this new, underregulated industry a useful line of credit or another path into debt?
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.
North Korea’s missile tests are a regular source of anxiety, but it’s important not to let the country’s saber rattling turn into a high-stakes cycle of increasing belligerence. Cato’s Eric Gomez details the current state of play.
Every time stand-up comic Dave Chappelle gets in front of a mic, he seems to reignite a debate over when, or whether, a comedian can go too far. Chappelle has been heavily criticized for jokes about gay people and the trans community. Most recently the comedian came under fire while hosting SNL. During his monologue, he made comments that critics say elevated longstanding, prejudiced tropes against Jewish people.
Can a joke become harmful, can comedy cross the line? Who decides what happens when that line is crossed?
NPR's Eric Deggans speaks with Roy Wood Jr, a comedian and correspondent for Comedy Central's The Daily Show, and Jenny Hagel, a writer and performer for Late Night with Seth Meyers and head writer for the Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock.
In this installment of Best Of The Gist, we are replaying a chunk of this past week’s episode of Not Even Mad, the new podcast from the makers of The Gist. Today we listen to Cancel Court where Mike, Virginia Heffernan, and Jamie Kirchick discuss Public-health commentator Leana Wen. Then, we dig into The Gist archives and listen back to Mike’s 2015 spiel on why uncle slander has become a Thanksgiving tradition
Some moats are obvious, like a fortress balance sheet or Live Nation’s ownership of the live music. Others are made on mountains that nobody else wants. If you look hard enough, you can find companies with unusual competitive advantages. Motley Fool Canada’s Jim Gillies and Iain Butler join Ricky Mulvey to discuss: - What it means for a company to have a moat - Key metrics that can show whether a company has a competitive advantage - Moats in utility poles, engineering software, and gentlemen’s clubs Companies mentioned: ADSK, LYV, POOL, RICK, MO, STLJF Host: Ricky Mulvey Guests: Jim Gillies, Iain Butler Engineer: Rick Engdahl
This episode has been edited by Michele Musso. Our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Neon Beach.”
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Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses.
OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:26) – CPython
(12:38) – Code readability
(17:00) – Indentation
(33:36) – Bugs
(45:04) – Programming fads
(1:00:15) – Speed of Python 3.11
(1:25:09) – Type hinting
(1:30:27) – mypy
(1:35:43) – TypeScript vs JavaScript
(1:51:42) – Best IDE for Python
(2:01:43) – Parallelism
(2:19:36) – Global Interpreter Lock (GIL)
(2:29:14) – Python 4.0
(2:41:31) – Machine learning
(2:51:13) – Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL)
(3:02:49) – Advice for beginners
(3:09:21) – GitHub Copilot
(3:12:47) – Future of Python
For this edition of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW is joined by Matt Lohstroh, cofounder of Giga Energy. Matt and Giga are leaders in the bitcoin gas flare mining space. On this episode, he and NLW discuss the state of the bitcoin mining industry and how it’s changed over the years.
Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io.
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Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses.
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Kraken, the secure, trusted digital asset exchange, is our sponsor for today’s show. Kraken makes it easy to instantly buy 185+ cryptocurrencies with fast, flexible funding options. You’re covered by industry-leading security and award-winning Client Engagement, available 24/7. Sign up and trade today at kraken.com.
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“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Michele Musso and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is "Back To The End" by Strength To Last. Image credit: Nora Carol Photography/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
Reset sits down with Chicago-based DJ Terry Hunter about his recent Grammy nomination for his remix of Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” and how he wants to see house grow in the future.