Slate Daily Feed

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump administration’s first 100 days and recent polls, the state of American health policy and underlying DOGE cuts with reporter Dan Diamond [https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/dan-diamond/], and a potential radical shift in American life if the Supreme Court allows a religious charter school in Oklahoma. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily and David interview John about his professional and personal experience of covering the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome for CBS Evening News.   In the latest Gabfest Reads [https://slate.com/podcasts/gabfestreads], John talks with author Maggie Smith [https://maggiesmithpoet.com/bio/] about her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life [https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Writer-Practical-Advice-Creative/dp/1982170840/tag=slatmaga-20].   Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com [gabfest@slate.com]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   Research by Emily Ditto   Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts  [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-gabfest/id158004641]and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2oXS9kkKiXdkkCYB3YfqYZ]. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus [http://slate.com/gabfestplus] to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah answer a question about how to throw a birthday party for older kids. This member of the Slate Parenting Facebook community knows how to throw a good party for little kids… but teens are a whole different thing. So, we’ll offer up some suggestions for how to celebrate a quiet, nerdy 15-year-old.  And after that, we’ll talk about some other frequently-asked birthday questions — and share what we think makes for a good birthday party for kids and parents alike.  Join us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1ExZ5atkpG/] and email us at careandfeedingpod@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. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus [http://slate.com/careplus] – or try it out on Apple Podcasts. Podcast produced by Maura Currie.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Many of the policy changes in Trump’s first 100 days have come from the White House—but now, it’s Congress’s turn. Republicans have roughly a month to pass a multi-trillion-dollar bill to advance the president’s domestic agenda. But will the bill’s combination of tax cuts and increases in spending on defense and border security render it unpassable for GOP budget hawks? Guest: Jim Newell [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6ujbpx4jvjqyonqi45pwe2ov], senior politics writer at Slate. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your  other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-next-daily-news-and-analysis/id1438906889] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7IT5Yn1zGDH1cYXh38dned]. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=What_Next&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

After Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk was abducted off the streets of her district, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is not mincing words when it comes to the Trump administration: “These are the actions of a dictator.”  Last week, Rep. Pressley traveled to Louisiana with a Congressional delegation to visit Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil in the ICE detention facilities where they’re being held. Now, she’s speaking out about what she witnessed firsthand. Guest: Ayanna Pressley [https://pressley.house.gov/], US representative for Massachusetts’ 7th district and member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your  other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-next-daily-news-and-analysis/id1438906889] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7IT5Yn1zGDH1cYXh38dned]. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=What_Next&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay break down the drama surrounding an influencer’s new book that has kicked off a whole controversy before it’s even been released. Christina Najjar, better known as Tinx [https://www.tiktok.com/@tinx], has made a successful career as a TikTok influencer who doles out dating advice to her more than 1.5 million followers. Her new book is a summer beach read following an influencer who escapes to the Hamptons after getting canceled. But TikTok creators [https://www.tiktok.com/@maaltoks/video/7488810727336201502] have been suspicious leading up to the book’s release because Tinx, up to this point, has identified as a straight woman, and her novel revolves around a queer romance. Additionally, some creators believe Tinx might’ve used a ghostwriter, who is a queer writer herself. Therefore, who gets to tell which stories in traditional publishing? And what is the specific betrayal some people feel when influencers use ghostwriters? This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]