Slate Plus Podcasts

Shazad Latif and Manny Montana have paid their dues and it’s time to give them the recognition they deserve. From Spooks to Penny Dreadful to Star Trek: Discovery, Shazad has shown he has the range. But it’s as Ash Tyler that his vulnerability and yearning leave us utterly captivated. Manny Montana has been working his way to Good Girls since 2008, and his character Rio is worth the wait. Manny makes Rio vibrate with barely-controlled passion, keeping us on the edge of our seats. Yes, Shazad and Manny are thirst-worthy, but they’re both incredibly talented as well, and we’re ready to watch their stars rise.  In this week’s Slate Plus, Bim leads “Explain Yourself,” as she tries to convince Nichole, notorious for her love of a long-haired man, to give sexy bald men a chance. With such compelling evidence as Boris Khodjoe, Sir Patrick Stewart, Corey Stoll, and more, can Bim win her case?

On this week’s episode of the Waves, Christina, June, Marcia, and Nichole talk to Emily Oster about pregnant women choosing to give birth at home instead of going to hospitals during the pandemic. They also discuss parenting visibility and additional labor while working from home. Then, they review FX’s new show Mrs. America, the story of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the countermovement headed by Phyllis Schlafly. Finally, the panel discusses the sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden. In Slate Plus: Is the treatment of coronavirus task force member Dr. Deborah Birx sexist? Other Items Discussed:  “For Pregnant Women Who Are Scared of Hospitals Right Now, Is Switching to Home Birth Better?” by Emily Oster.  “Biden accuser Tara Reade: "I wanted to be a senator; I didn't want to sleep with one"” by Katie Halper.  “Has Deborah Birx Crossed the Line?” by Tim Murphy.  Recommendations: Marcia: Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed, the historical documentary about Shirley Chisholm’s campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.   June: The BBC podcast, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics.   Christina: Learning to cut hair and investing in a good pair of clippers.   Nichole: Fiction DB, a database that allows users to search for fiction by subject, genres, subgenres, author, title, ect. Plus, once you’ve located the title, order the book through a local independent bookstore.  Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. Production assistance by Cleo Levin.

The Navy prides itself on being ready for just about anything. Sailors are even trained to fight fires, if need be. But when the coronavirus started rapidly spreading aboard the USS Roosevelt in early March, the ship’s captain sent out an SOS. Instead of a calm and collected response, the Navy’s top leadership imploded.  Guest: Adam Weinstein, national security editor at The New Republic.

On the Gist, oversight is a funny word. In the interview, Mike talks with journalist and creator of the Killing Eve novellas, Luke Jennings about adapting his British cat-and-mouse thriller series Killing Eve for television. They discuss the character’s feminine gaze, why he self-published some of the novellas, and how Villanelle would be dealing with the Coronavirus outbreak and quarantine. His most recent book in the series is called Killing Eve: Die For Me and is available wherever e-books are sold. In the spiel, Bernie almost won because he never changed. Email us at thegist@slate.com

Aymann tries to make sense of new polling data that shows men aren’t taking the outbreak of COVID-19 as seriously as women. First he talks to David Vega, a medical student who contracted the virus in early March after attending multiple gatherings with friends and family. Now, David says he should’ve been much more cautious, and he urges other men to learn from his mistakes. Then Aymann talks to Dr. Michael Smith, an internal medicine doctor and chief medical editor of WebMD. He says men have always been lousy at health precautions and now is the time for them to realize the error of their ways.  How has the coronavirus affected you, or a man in your life? What other stories should we tell about manhood in this crisis? Let us know, and we might help you work through it on the show. Give us a call at 805-626-8707 or email us at manup@slate.com