Slate Daily Feed

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]

On this week’s show, Julia Turner is joined by Slate’s own Dan Kois and Sam Adams. They start by talking about the second season of Andor, the Star Wars series that might have more in common with The Wire than The Mandalorian.  Then, they talk about The Wedding Banquet, a remake of the Ang Lee classic. Finally, they get into the story of the discovery of a new color called olo.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Julia, Sam, and Dan answer a listener question about a piece of art that they appreciated more with age.  Email us at culturefest@slate.com [culturefest@slate.com].  Endorsements: Dan: While being on a quest for a new cookbook, but also struggling to find a cookbook that feels surprising, finally came across Third Culture Cooking: Classic Recipes for a New Generation by Zaynab Issa [https://moonpalacebooks.com/item/jpo2KjG8N1Xy_oFIWDnwzw].  Sam: David Thomas [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Thomas_(musician)], frontman and only permanent member of the band Pere Ubu, died last week. To get into his work, start with the collection Terminal Tower: An Archival Collection [https://pereubumusic.bandcamp.com/album/terminal-tower]. Also, check out this obit that Slatester Carl Wilson wrote for his newsletter [https://carlwilson.substack.com/p/david-lynn-thomas-1953-2025].  Julia: Colors Are Nice, a Little Golden Book [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36840423-colors-are-nice]that manages to capture Julia’s feeling about color.  Podcast production by Palace Shaw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

In this Money Talks: Succession may be over but the drama continues for the Roy family’s real world counterparts. Felix Salmon [https://www.axios.com/authors/fsalmon] is joined by McKay Coppins [https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mckay-coppins/] to discuss his experience getting up close and personal with the Murdoch family [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/04/rupert-murdoch-family-succession-james-murdoch/681675/] and break down the dynamics behind the battle over the family empire.  Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? 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 Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slate-money/id876523888] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2AgxNbNcUOckZSww9mk8mX]. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=Money&utm_source=episode_summary] to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

At his first press conference as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr. gave a glimpse of what the department will look like under his leadership: a smaller overall budget, relitigating settled scientific questions.   Guest: Kiera Butler [https://bsky.app/profile/kieraevebutler.bsky.social], senior editor and reporter [https://www.motherjones.com/author/kiera-butler/] at Mother Jones and author of Raise: What 4-H Teaches Seven Million Kids and How Its Lessons Could Change Food and Farming Forever [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N1U59YS/?tag=slatmaga-20]. 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]