Will the US get directly involved in Israel's military campaign against Iran? We hear from former CIA director and US commander in Afghanistan and Iraq, General David Petraeus. Also: low attendance and low morale at FIFA's Club World Cup; and mounds of clothing turn up in protected conservation sites in Ghana,
(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump salutes as a U.S. flag is raised on a new flagpole installed on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
P.M. Edition for June 18. As President Trump weighs whether to strike Iran, Israel says that its control over the skies has enabled it to repel most Iranian strikes against the country. But concerns remain that Iran is stockpiling its weapons. We hear from WSJ correspondent Dov Lieber about what’s behind the slowdown in missile launches, and what this means for the next phase of the conflict. Plus, the Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady, but keeps the door open for cuts later this year. WSJ chief economics correspondent Nick Timiraos tells us about the factors that the Fed considered in its decision. And Journal reporter Chip Cutter joins to discuss why thriving American companies are cutting their workforces. Alex Ossola hosts.
President Trump criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell and renewed calls for an interest-rate cut. Plus: Toy maker Hasbro laid off 3% of its workforce. La-Z-Boy reported mixed quarterly results. And, shares in the stablecoin issuer Circle rallied after the Senate passed the Genius Act. Charlotte Gartenberg hosts.
In this emergency episode, Chase Strangio of the ACLU joins the pod to talk about today’s decision in United States v. Skrmetti. Then, Kate, Leah, and Melissa dive deep into the opinion, the various flavors of awful found in the concurrences from the majority, and what this decision might mean more broadly for the future of sex-based discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.
Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025!
The grocer is in a pickle. Can a longtime employee and new CEO turn it around?
(00:21) David Meier and Mary Long discuss:
- The macro factors influencing Powell’s interest rate decision.
- Andy Jassy’s letter to Amazon employees.
- Albertson’s turnaround and market-beating potential (or lack thereof).
Companies discussed: AMZN, META, MSFT, ACI, KR
Host: Mary Long
Guest: David Meier
Producer: Ricky Mulvey
Engineer: Dan Boyd
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Attention Bach buffs, Shostakovich stans and Debussy devotees!
Head over to Grant Park and you can catch free classical concerts all summer long. But this isn’t just an exciting opportunity to revel in the music, it’s a chance for up-and-coming orchestral musicians and singers to be a part of the action through the Festival String and Vocal Fellowship. Reset sits down with two fellowship participants: violinist Maria Gabriela Mendez Martinez and violist Joshua Thaver. We also hear from fellowship manager Amelia Sie.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
In this Slate Plus exclusive episode, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern analyse the Roberts Court's decision in Skrmetti, effectively bans gender-affirming care for trans minors in more than 20 states.
This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.
The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)Also! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday.
In this Slate Plus exclusive episode, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern analyse the Roberts Court's decision in Skrmetti, effectively bans gender-affirming care for trans minors in more than 20 states.
This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.
The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)Also! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says Iran is "marching very quickly" toward a nuclear weapon. The U.S. intelligence community says Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program decades ago. We hear from two NPR correspondents who are watching this very closely to find out who is right.
Plus: More than $90 million is drained from Iran’s biggest crypto exchange. And, Texas Instruments to invest $60 billion in made-in-America production. Victoria Craig hosts.