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As Mitt Romney heads into retirement, is the idea of a moderate Republican being retired as well?

Guest: McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic, author of Romney: A Reckoning

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**THIS EPISODE CONTAINS REPEATED PROFANITY, AND MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LISTENERS.**

Leslie Jones got her big break, joining the cast of Saturday Night Live, at the age of 47. She says that the long wait for stardom meant that she knew her worth and how to stand up for herself, even when the stakes were high. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Leslie Jones to discuss her new book, “Leslie Fucking Jones: A Memoir.” 

Guest: Comedian Leslie Jones

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

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The FBI was overwhelmed trying to ID people who stormed the Capitol on January 6th. An online group picked up the slack and helped catch hundreds of rioters. 

Guest: Ryan Reilly, Justice reporter at NBC News, and author of Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

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This week, host June Thomas talks to Katherine Howe, a writer of both historical fiction and nonfiction books. In the interview, Katherine starts by discussing her upcoming novel A True Account, which tells a fictional story about the very real Golden Age of Piracy. Then she talks about her work collaborating with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on historical nonfiction books. Their latest is called Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune. 

After the interview, June and co-host Kristen Meinzer discuss the challenges of juggling multiple projects and the use of “storytelling habits.” 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Katherine shares some of her favorite works of historical fiction. She also explains her fascination with witches. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected] or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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In this episode, Maeve Higgins (author of Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl From Somewhere Else) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to respond when everyone thinks your toxic ex is brave and amazing, where to turn when your absentee dad has done psychedelics and forgiven himself a little too enthusiastically, and what to do when you can’t stop making nasty comments to your dog.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. 

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months. 

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

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David Plotz talks with author and 12-year Amazon senior employee, Kristi Coulter about her new memoir, Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career. They discuss the good, the bad, and the confusing parts of Coulter’s career at Amazon, starting in 2006. They talk about the culture of Amazon, the frustrating gender dynamics, and why she was constantly “a year away” from a promotion. 

Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

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In this episode, Roxane Gay (best-selling author of Bad Feminist and Opinions) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to decline a colleague’s invitation to dinner, when it’s okay to ghost a friend for good reasons, and whether it’s possible to say positive about love when you’re burned out on dating apps.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

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On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux is joined by Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, authors of This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained. They explain how puberty has changed over the last few decades, what these shifts mean for today’s kids, and how caregivers can guide these young adults through this transition. If you want to check out more of Cara and Vanessa’s wonderful advice, they also host The Puberty Podcast. 

Recommendations: 

Elizabeth: Clubhouse Games (Nintendo Switch) 

Zak: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Jamilah: You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] 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. 

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Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie.

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On this week’s episode of The Waves: the case for taking a sabbatical. 

Host TK Dutes speaks with author and former television writer Patty Lin on her latest book End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood. Lin worked in some of the most notable writers' rooms like Friends, Freaks and Geeks, Desperate Housewives and Breaking Bad. But when she hit a breaking point, she made a big change and stopped working for an entire year. After that? Her relationship with work–and everything else–transformed.

In Slate Plus: Patty Lin on how her closest relationships changed after going on sabbatical

If you liked this episode, check out: Female CEOs Can’t Save Us

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to [email protected].

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On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim talk to writer Cyrena Touros about Dracula Daily, a newsletter that emails bite-sized passages from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel to more than 235,000 readers. As an epistolary novel, Dracula is broken into letters written between May and November. Dracula Daily emails those letters to readers, who have now created a book club-like fandom rife with memes and sidebars about a guy stuck in a vampire’s castle.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

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