Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the top storylines going into March Madness. They also assess the NFL’s big quarterback moves. Finally, they discuss the greatest Scrabble play of all time and the fascinating Kiwi who made it.
 
March Madness (5:20): Brown’s Ivy League loss, the possible showdowns in the women’s bracket, and more.
 
NFL QBs (26:56): Were the Steelers smart to get Russell Wilson AND Justin Fields?
 
Nigel Richards (41:44): A singular moment of Scrabble genius from a singular player.
 
Afterball (51:23): Joel on the Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball team’s lone victory and the student announcers who called it.
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Hang Up: The NFL’s Quarterback Shuffle

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TV & Film

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In this week’s essay, John discusses instinct versus obligation, his daughter’s wit, how he has changed since episode one, and more.
 
Notebook Entries:
Notebook 58, page 10. September 16, 2021
“You don’t measure your life the way you measure your writing.” - Nan

Notebook 75, page 46-47. September 2021
When your dog dies and son goes to college and you are confronted with your life’s work it all boils down to one alarm: the clock is ticking. If a scream is better than a thesis, I was hearing some kind of scream, but what was the thesis?

References:
Everything Is Copy – HBODocs 
 The Power of Regret – Daniel Pink

The Mezzanine – Nicholson Baker 
“The Creative Process” – James Baldwin
Slouching Towards Bethlehem – Joan Didion
“Three Paths Toward the Meaning of Life” - Arthur Brooks for The Atlantic

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com
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John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: The Meaning Behind All This Navel Gazing

Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Anna Sale, the host of Death, Sex & Money, to dive into her internet diary. After her podcast jumped to Slate, Sale took a month off and plugged into her surroundings, starting with her local library. Since its return, Death, Sex & Money has dived into diagnosed sociopaths, botox in Appalachia and the magic of mushrooms. But as Sale tells ICYMI, the podcast has developed an interesting relationship with the internet, which makes it both easier and harder to answer the questions her listeners are dying to ask.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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ICYMI: Anna Sale on Internet Sabbaticals, iPod Culture and WebCrawler

Girl groups have long been underestimated—even by the producers and managers who created them.

For women listeners, girl groups narrated profound emotions and expressed personal freedom—even when the singers were not so free themselves. For male listeners, girl groups provided inspiration, and a way to express matters of the heart.

And for all listeners across rock and soul history, girl groups pushed music forward. In the ’60s, the Shirelles, Marvelettes, Ronettes and Shangri-Las kept rock afloat between Elvis Presley and the Beatles. In the ’70s and ’80s, girl groups from the Emotions to Exposé rebooted dance music. In the ’90s, En Vogue, TLC and Destiny’s Child fused hip-hop style with old-school soul—and the Spice Girls fired up a new generation through Girl Power.

Join Chris Molanphy as we shimmy and strut through decades of bops to give girl groups the respect they deserve. You’ll love them tomorrow, because friendship never ends.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.

Want more Hit Parade? Join Slate Plus to unlock monthly early-access episodes. Plus, you’ll get ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen.
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Hit Parade: Be My Baby-Baby-Baby Edition Part 2

His law firm won a $73 million dollar settlement against Remington on behalf of nine Sandy Hook families. Now he’s filing a lawsuit against the gunmaker Daniel Defense, the video game company Activision, and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, on behalf of families in Uvalde.

Guest: Josh Koskoff, attorney

Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and 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, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.
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What Next TBD: He’s Suing Big Tech Over Uvalde

Former President Donald Trump and his supporters are furious after his conviction on all 34 counts related to his hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by legal analyst Yodit Tewolde to discuss the path to the conviction, key moments in the trial, and what the verdict says about the justice system.

Guest: Legal analyst Yodit Tewolde

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.
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Hang Up: The NFL’s Quarterback Shuffle

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