Whether Democratic leadership wants it or not, “corruption” was a top priority for voters. And judging from how the Trump administration has been acting, it seems like they—like the voters—expect Democrats to try to do something about it.

Guest: Liz Oyer, former US Pardon Attorney, and host of the podcast Is This Really Legal?

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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As Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang is one of the most important people in the A.I. boom and, therefore, of the economy as a whole. So when he has an extramarital affair with someone U.S. intelligence suspects of being a Chinese operative, it’s not exactly a “My family and I appreciate privacy at this time,” sort of situation.

Guest: Elizabeth Lopatto, senior writer at The Verge.

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The “blue tsunami” of the midterms swept Democrats into power in places they haven’t won in decades and decades. What will it take for the Dems to hold what they’ve won?

Guests:

Clare Malone and Galen Druke, co-hosts of the podcast “Still Counting.”

Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer and author of The Surge newsletter.

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dire safety warnings and escalating security breaches have become a regular feature of the tech world’s breakneck race for A.I. dominance. Is there any way to avoid disaster?

On this episode of Money Talks, host Elizabeth Spiers talks to Justin Hendrix of Tech Policy Press, about the importance of A.I. regulation and what effective tech safety policy looks like.

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 and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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As Democrats were routing their way through the midterms, Hakeem Jefferies said they were going to be focused on affordability, not on getting even. But corruption was a big issue for voters. What should the priorities be when the Democrats take control of Congress next January?

Guests:

Adam Smith, congressman from Washington’s 9th district and ranking member of the House armed services committee.

JoAnna Mendoza, representative elect for Arizona’s 6th congressional district.

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, get to know Political Gabfest co-host John Dickerson, beyond his political analysis.

In this special feed drop from NPR's Wild Card with Rachel Martin, John steps away from politics for a candid conversation about his childhood, his relationship with faith and what comes next after leaving CBS News.

Using questions drawn from a deck of cards, Rachel invites John to reflect on the experiences and relationships that have shaped his life.

For more conversations that go deeper than the usual interview, follow NPR's Wild Card with Rachel Martin on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. You'll hear revealing conversations with guests including Michelle Obama, Harrison Ford, David Sedaris, Oprah Winfrey, Brené Brown, and more.

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In the wake of this week’s sweeping midterm rebuke of Donald Trump, Protect Democracy co-founder Ian Bassin joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss how voters pushed back against authoritarianism—and how the country can turn that victory into lasting change. Bassin argues that congressional investigators must do more than expose corruption: They should preserve the evidence a future attorney general would need to recoup taxpayers’ money. As he explains, Trump’s pardons can’t shield ill-gotten gains.

Later, the conversation turns to the Supreme Court’s response to election interference, the case for term limits for justices, and why repairing the Justice Department cannot mean turning a blind eye to abuses of power. Drawing on other countries’ struggles with authoritarianism, Dahlia and Ian consider whether this moment will usher in a revival of “small-d” democracy—and why the answer still depends on what the people do next.

Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll 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.

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This Week: We saw the culmination of the $11.87 billion that was spent on political ads for the midterms. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck bring on Axios’ Sarah Fischer to explain where that money went and what role it played (or didn't play) in Tuesday's election. Then they turn their eyes to how the stock market is responding to the election and A.I. data center backlash. Finally, in a bit of counter-programming, they talk about how to make a bottle of scotch look as extravagant as its $36,000 price tag.

In the Slate Plus episode: What's going on with right-wing media after a big blue wave?

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 and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Democrats wouldn’t let themselves believe the polls heading into Tuesday’s midterms, and Republicans didn’t seem all that worried about them either. But as returns started coming in Tuesday night, no one could believe their eyes.

Guest: Molly Olmstead, Slate staff writer.

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 —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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As an electoral issue during the midterms, artificial intelligence was tied up with money in politics, with industry and government in cahoots, and with data centers feeling forced into communities. It was a big winner for Democrats this year, and all of these—plus the implications for employment—are going to be bigger issues in 2028.

Guest: Rob Flaherty, political strategist and founder of Tomorrow Together, a tech-focused political action committee.

Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme, Patrick Fort and Micah Phillips.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the results of the midterm elections and what they tell us about the state of the country, what kind of balance new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate should strike between legislation and investigations of the Trump administration and what this means for the 2028 conversation already underway, and what ballot initiatives say about voter sentiment on issues like abortion and AI.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Jacob Stern for The New York Times Magazine: He Ran a Youth-Basketball Empire. He Also Had a Massive Drug Operation.

John: Kiran Stacey for The Guardian: Andy Burnham launches campaign against ‘headphone dodgers’ on public transport

David: Bullock Texas State History Museum; Exhibit: Building the Lone Star Identity

Listener chatter from George Twigg in Jericho, Vermont: Bill Donahue for Offrange: Moose Tracks

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss their picks for obscure yet interesting midterm election results, including Washington D.C.'s ballot initiative to ban foie gras in restaurants, the apparent failure of the California billionaire tax, and what it could mean for the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact now that enough state legislatures and governors have flipped.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John Dickerson interviews Angela Duckworth about her new book, Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best. This new book argues that the most successful people don’t just grind harder; they reshape their circumstances to make success feel automatic.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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 and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

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