This week: OpenAI has moved away from being run as a non-profit.  Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the stated reasons behind the move and what it actually means to be a not-for-profit company. Then, the rates for next year's Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance have come out, and the prices have skyrocketed, reflecting an increase in healthcare costs across the board in the US. The hosts examine the reasons for this depressing trend. And finally, lovers of Maurizio Cattelan’s “America”, rejoice. Though his original piece was stolen, it turned out there was a spare 14k gold toilet all along and it will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s amid record high gold prices. 

In the Slate Plus episode: AI Job Apocalypse…Now?

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Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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“The Chief Justice… is presiding over the end of the rule of law in America”. That quote did not come from host Dahlia Lithwick, but this week’s guest, former Federal Circuit Court Judge and George H. W. Bush appointee, J Michael Luttig. On this week’s show, Judge Luttig explains the unprecedented split we’re seeing between the federal courts and the highest court in the land in response to Trump’s lawlessness on everything from tariffs, to due process, to deploying the National Guard, and what it all means for the future of American democracy. 

Next, Dahlia talks to the CEO of the small family business at the center of the tariffs case that will be argued at SCOTUS on Wednesday. Rick Woldenberg of Learning Resources explains why he’s standing up to Trump’s monarchic power grab, and why he sees himself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with James Madison.

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On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by producer Vic Whitley-Berry, whose favorite animated shows like Hazbin Hotel have been funded by the internet—not big studios. In fact, as major studios consolidate and cut resources for animation, platforms like Patreon and YouTube are keeping the genre afloat. If we don’t continue to support independent artists, then crude animated musicals about religious trauma and pegging won’t get the audience they deserve!

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

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Walk into any store or flip on a radio, and you’ll probably hear the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” sooner or later. Thanks to that ubiquity, the swooning, menacing megahit’s songwriter—Sting—is a very wealthy man.

Now his former bandmates, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, are suing Sting over who deserves to profit from “Breath” and other Police songs. No matter how that dispute turns out, it’s a reminder of Sting’s uncanny songwriting skill and his charmed life of hitmaking.

For more than four decades, Sting seems to resurface every few years with a new earworm, from “Roxanne” to “Russians,” blending New Wave rock with another genre—reggae, jazz, classical, country, even rap and Raï—and in the process, getting sampled by new generations of millennial and zoomer hitmakers.

Join Chris Molanphy as he recounts the long, varied, sophisticated, but catchy career of the King of Pain. Whatever he tries, every little thing Sting does is magic.

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One legacy of the internet is the millions of subcultures that it helps flourish. Another is pornography—and lots of it. At a “gooner meet-up,” the two collide. 

Guest: David Kolitz, author of “The Goon Squad” for Harper’s Magazine.

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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This week, live from Chicago to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump vs. Chicago showdown and the dynamics between progressive and centrist Democrats with former Chicago Mayor and Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, what threat President Trump poses to the future of American elections and how to push back, and memorable moments from Gabfest history.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, live from Chicago to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily, John, and David take audience questions and discuss whether the damages caused by the Trump administration can ever be reversed, the most controversial topics from the show’s history, and more.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Yale law professor John Witt about his new book, The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America. They explore the remarkable story of the Garland Fund—a small 1920s foundation that bankrolled early work by A. Philip Randolph, and others who would go on to shape the civil rights and labor movements.

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 and Jake Sorgen

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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Why SNAP benefits potentially won’t be replenished Nov. 1, and what happens to the people who depend on them to eat.

Guest: Dr. Lindsay Allen, health economist and policy researcher at Northwestern University.

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

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On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen have a tough listener question about what to do when a relative is an alcoholic and don’t think the environment is safe for the relative’s kid. To answer this question, they’re joined by Lisa Smith from Parallel Recovery. They unpack how to set real boundaries with family members without shaming them; acceptable ultimatums; how to “pre-game” for tough situations; and more. 

But first, they share their latest triumphs and fails. We’ve got two triumphs and a tribulation this episode. Lucy is triumphing over breakfast and Zac and his lovely wife had a Halloween-themed getaway. But Elizabeth is stressing over a big solo trip with the kids. 

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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production

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Having successfully gotten their photo ops, the National Guard receded from the streets of Los Angeles, but an aggressive border patrol, with an eye on raising arrest numbers, has taken their place. In the South Bay, an activist group has formed to monitor where raids are happening, who’s conducting them, and try to help residents keep themselves safe.

Guest:  Alexander Sammon, politics writer for Slate. 

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

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As MCC grew as a denomination, they tried to figure out if and how to relate to other churches. Would any befriend a queer church? And if so, would that friendship help other churches shift their perspective on homosexuality? These questions got harder as AIDS numbers grew—it made people more afraid yet friendship more vital. But sometimes friendship emerges in the most unlikely of places. Like when a children’s choir visited an AIDS ward in San Francisco and sang for an MCC member there. That connection started a partnership between their churches that changed them both.

For images and links about this episode visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/episode-4.

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Production credits: 

When We All Get to Heaven is produced by Eureka Street Productions. It is co-created by Lynne Gerber, Siri Colom, and Ariana Nedelman. Our story editor is Sayre Quevedo. Our sound designer is David Herman. Our managing producer is Krissy Clark. Tim Dillinger is our consulting producer and Betsy Towner Levine is our fact-checker. We had additional story editing help from Sarah Ventre, Arwen Nicks, Allison Behringer, and Krissy Clark. For a complete list of credits, please visit https://www.heavenpodcast.org/credits.

This project received generous support from individual donors, the Henry Luce Foundation (www.hluce.org), the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (www.CalHum.org).

Eureka Street Productions has 501c3 status through our fiscal sponsor FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds.

The music for this episode is from the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco’s archive. It was performed by MCC-SF’s musicians and members with Bob Crocker and Jack Hoggatt-St.John as music directors. Additional music is by Domestic BGM.

“Who Kept Us” is by Dr. Margaret Douroux.

“The Wicked Shall Cease” is by Jessy Dixon.

“Jesus is Here Right Now” is by Leon Roberts.

“Child of God” and “Walk Together Children” are traditional African American spirituals. 

Special thanks to

Mary Clover Obrzut, Stephen’s sister, for insights into his life and for so much great audio.

Dr. Cheryl Townsend Gilkes for telling us about Stephen’s time at Union Baptist and connecting us with folks there. 

Alfred Williams for helping us get connected to Double Rock.

Dr. April Parker and Mardy Coates for facilitating the use of “Who Kept Us.” 

And to the folks at Double Rock Baptist Church, past and present, especially the beloved Minister of Music.  

Great thanks, as always, to the members and clergy of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco who made this project possible.  

Some links to good groups

Balm in Gilead – works to integrate public health and faith principles. It was founded by Dr. Pernessa Seale in to help Black churches address HIV/AIDS and support people and families living with AIDS.

Double Rock Baptist Church – is still worshipping and ministering in Bayview/Hunters Point. They were deeply involved in community support during the Covid-19 epidemic. 

Love All People – is the ministry that introduced MCC to Margaret Douroux’s song, Who Kept Us, to MCC. 

National Minority AIDS Council – works for heath equality and racial justice to end the AIDS epidemic.

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