Why the Democrats’ electoral strategy of “hire consultants to tell you which positions poll well enough to take” has run its course—and where they should look to start rebuilding.

Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate senior writer and author of “How Strategist Brain Took Over the Democratic Party”.

Cited in this episode: 

The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics (Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld)

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Robert D. Putnam)

The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions—And How the World Lost Its Mind (Dan Davies)

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 Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Jordan is mired in a bitter war over off-leash pups at an unofficial dog park. With pro-leash forces deploying fake signage, ambush videos, and questionable zip-tie tactics in a campaign of shame aimed at her fellow dog owners, Jordan is ready to take matters into her own hands. In this first installment of How To’s guide to becoming an antihero, Courtney Martin brings on writer, storyteller, and comedian Matthew Dicks to counsel Jordan in the art of getting even. (Read Slate’s Revenge Week spectacular.)

A little treat: ⁠Jordan's pup, Ziggy! ⁠

Next week: How To Be an Ethical Hater. (Can’t wait for antihero guidance? Check out How To Be the Next Erin Brockovich and How To Confront a Crazy Neighbor (Featuring Tig Notaro).

Are you carrying a petty grudge? Don’t get over it—we want to hear your story! Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer. Special thanks to Sophie Summergrad.

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Silvia Camila Muñoz and Bradley Bartell had been married for less than a year when ICE stopped them at the airport on the way back from their honeymoon in Puerto Rico. Silvia Camila came to the United States in 2019 to work at a Wisconsin waterpark for one season. The pandemic caused her to overstay her visa and continue to work without authorization. That’s when she met Bradley, a local factory worker, and a Trump supporter. 

In this episode, Anna talks to Bradley and Silvia Camilla about her 49-day stay in immigration detention, how it changed their relationship and friendships within their community. 

Podcast production by Zoe Azulay

Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.

And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].

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Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs are joined by Giri Nathan, co-founder of Defector and author of the new book Changeover, for a discussion of Jannik Sinner’s breakthrough win and Iga Świątek’s domination at Wimbledon. The panel also digs into the Atlanta Braves’ surprisingly disappointing season, and then they welcome sportswriter Henry Bushnell to post-mortem the FIFA Club World Cup.

Plus, Lindsay has an Afterball on the amazing career and retirement of soccer player Tobin Heath.

On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel discusses the NCAA’s proposed plan to expand March Madness even further.

Wimbledon (3:18): Sinner grabs glory

The Atlanta Braves (30:18): The prospective world beaters now suck?

Club World Cup (47:21): Was it worth it?

Afterballs (1:05:30): Tobin Heath Retires.

(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.)

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You can email us at [email protected].

Podcast production and editing by Kevin Bendis, with production assistance from Ben Richmond.

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This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to vote on Emil Bove, who has been promoted from Trump’s personal lawyer to his current nominee for a lifelong appointment to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. In any other administration, Bove would be a real outlier. But here? He’s par for a very strange course. 

Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls and Strikes.

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Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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On this episode: Elizabeth Newcamp, Zak Rosen, and Lucy Lopez dive into a letter from a parent who’s stuck in the food fight crossfire between their college-aged child—who has both celiac and ARFID—and a preschooler who’s suddenly mimicking the restrictive eating. Is this a passing phase? A red flag? Or just one of those strange sibling mirrors? The hosts unpack family dynamics, poop accidents, and how to keep everyone’s plate (and gut) happy.

And then, we’ll circle up for a round of check-ins and on Slate Plus, the hosts bust some common parenting myths.

If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how.

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.

Producer: Palace Shaw

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He started using ChatGPT to help with spreadsheets. But their relationship took a turn, and before long it was telling him he could leap off a 19-story building and fly.

Guest: Kashmir Hill, features writer at the New York Times.

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This week: Trump's supersized “One Big Beautiful Bill” is now one big BS act. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers the economic ramifications of congress passing the controversial megabill. Then, Trump’s trade war continues to shock and confuse. The hosts discuss the logic, or lack thereof, of his latest tariff proposals. And finally, buried in the big ol’ spending bill is something called a Trump Account which includes $1,000 for newborns. Should you open one?

In the Slate Plus episode: The Plight of the Middle Manager

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Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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After a contestant was kicked off Love Island USA for resurfaced racist social media posts, the internet backlash was swift. But some think the show mishandled her exit, especially in light of the UK franchise’s past failure to protect the mental health of those in the villa. Hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay dive into the show’s rocky relationship with social media harassment during its decade on air, including the tragic deaths of two UK contestants and host, Caroline Flack. How can the USA series learn from these tragedies, and how can the fandom stan—and unstan—responsibly?

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay.

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In this episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick sits down with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to dissect the most recent Supreme Court term and its implications. They explore Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's emerging role and influence, the patterns of bias within the court that she’s calling out, and the broader systemic issues facing the judiciary. Their conversation also delves into the “worst possible nominee” for a lifetime appointment to a US court of appeals, Emil Bove. Next, they tackle climate inaction, Democrats’ failure to respond to the billionaire takeover of the Supreme Court, and why Senator Whitehouse is still optimistic about challenging, even fixing, these systems.

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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