What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Was Tulsi Gabbard Always Like This?

Tulsi Gabbard’s political career is truly singular: once a young progressive Democrat on the rise, then a gadfly taking surprise meetings with Bashar al-Assad, now she’s Donald Trump’s nominee to head up National Intelligence. Along the way, Gabbard has given almost everyone a reason not to vote for her.


Guest: Elaine Godfrey, staff writer covering national politics for The Atlantic.


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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Books - Culture Gabfest: One of Them Movies About Women That Stuns Hollywood by Being a Hit

On this week’s show, Dan Kois sits in for Dana Stevens. First, the hosts discuss One of Them Days, a new buddy comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA that’s quickly becoming a critical darling — and a box office success. Then, they dive into Asura, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Netflix show that’s about the dynamics between three sisters and is “totally uninterested in the rhythms of a TV show.” Finally, it’s time to explore the “manosphere.” The trio dissected a deftly reported package from Bloomberg, “The Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers.” 

Also, we’re looking for a new Production Assistant! Please send your resume and two ideas for segments to culturegabfestassistant@gmail.com

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel tackles modern TV title sequences and asks the age-old question: do you skip or play? This conversation was inspired by James Poniewozik’s article for The New York Times, “Why Do TV Title Sequences Have So Much… Stuff?” 

Email us at culturefest@slate.com

Endorsements:

Dan: Playworld by Adam Ross. 

Julia: A cookbook by Ben Mims, Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World

Steve: (1) Bar Merenda, a restaurant located right outside of Melbourne. (2) “For the Love of the World” by Daegan Miller for Poetry Foundation. 

Kat: Calmly Writer Online, a distraction-free text editor. 

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong.

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Trump’s DIY Government Shutdown

Trump’s Office of Management and Budget sent a memo directing federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to … disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” which threw everything from Meals on Wheels to the rebuilding of a Rhode Island bridge into a state of confusion. 


What seems clear is that Congress has already stipulated how this money should be spent—and the president doesn’t have the power to change that.


For more on the legal mess that’ll follow this news, head over to the Amicus feed. Dahlia Lithwick just dropped an emergency episode.


Guest: Karen Tumulty, political columnist for The Washington Post.


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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Extra: The Federal Funding Freeze

Amicus is coming to you with an extra episode because of the five-alarm threat to the balance of power in the wake of Monday and Tuesday’s memos from the White House Office of Management and Budget freezing vast tranches of federal funding. As agencies, states, and nonprofits scramble to figure out if they can make payroll or even keep the lights on, a hugely significant legal battle is brewing over what, if any, actual restraint remains on this administration’s vision of presidential power. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Professor Stephen Vladeck of Georgetown University Law Center to understand the ramifications of a flimsy memo that threatens the very structure of government as we know it in the United States. 

The Impoundment Crisis of 2025 - by Steve Vladeck

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Who Will Mourn DEI?

The Trump administration’s fight against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs is underway, and it’s proving to be even broader and further-reaching than anticipated. What’s at stake for these programs—and why are so many Americans glad to see them go?


Guest: Farah Stockman, member of the New York Times Editorial Board, author of American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears


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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Trump’s Gift to Militias

Between Trump’s broad pardon for January 6 rioters and Facebook loosening restrictions on its platforms, it’s looking much easier for militia groups like the Oathkeepers and Proud Boys to recruit members, organize, and carry out violence.


Guest: Josh Kaplan, reporter for ProPublica.


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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | The A.I. Will See You Now

Artificial intelligence is coming to a doctor’s office near you—if it isn’t already there, working in an administrative role. Are you ready for generative A.I. to help your doctor diagnose you? Is your doctor ready to listen—with the necessary mix of humility and skepticism?


Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, Washington Post tech columnist.


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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump’s Unconstitutional Rampage Against Immigration

It’s barely been a week and the torrent of horrible coming from the pens and mouth of President Trump is staggering. Many of the executive orders signed this week focus on immigration, and that is where we have our eyes trained as well. This week, to help us make sense of the whirlwind that threatens to upend the lives of millions of people Dahlia Lithwick talks to Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow and former policy director at the American Immigration Council, a pro-immigrant nonprofit aiming to defend immigrants through litigation, advocacy, and more. Not all executive orders are created equal, and so Aaron leads us through what’s constitutionally possible, legally probable, and already swinging into action from Trump’s immigration edicts. 

Aaron’s post about Bishop Mariann Edgar-Bunne: https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social/post/3lgdojbbjvk2y

Amicus’s October episode on the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 with Katherine Yon Ebright, 

American Immigration Council: After Day One: A High-Level Analysis of Trump's First Executive Actions

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD Bonus: The Discourse | The Bro-ligarchs Take Washington

Choice seats for Donald Trump’s second inauguration were filled with tech founders and CEOs, signaling their importance to this presidential term. Then Elon Musk sent another signal of his own…


Guest: Nitish Pahwa, staff writer for business and tech at Slate.


This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next TBD —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | Department of Government Elon

The Department of Government Efficiency was made to Elon Musk’s specifications, right down to its meme-indebted name. Now that DOGE is shaping up to be an actual part of the government, what can it actually accomplish? And isn’t this all a huge conflict of interest for Elon Musk and his many government contracts?


Guest: Teddy Schleifer, New York Times reporter on billionaires.


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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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