The “Fama–French model” is a Nobel laureate-designed tool for predicting the stock market. It guides hundreds of billions in investments. The problem? Its numbers keep shifting. For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Planet Money host Mary Childs about her deep dive for Bloomberg into finance mathematics. They question the nature of investing, markets, and reality itself. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by legal scholar Mehrsa Baradaran, author of The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and the Looting of America. Mehrsa explains the roots of the neoliberalism movement and how the myth of free market made the American economy more oppressive, especially against black and brown people. Also: A misogynistic party culture has been revealed at the FDIC, and small banks are feeling the economic pinch. In the Plus segment: The California wildfires weren’t caused by Jewish space lasers — but there was malfeasance behind the scenes. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: A new DEA designation for cannabis means high times for pot smokers, but what about the industry? Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the future of the cannabis business, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s lax, four-month prison sentence, and why Americans keep buying more cheap junk (but spend fortunes on ravioli). In the Plus segment: Elon Musk fired Tesla’s Supercharger network team: a bold move, or just a dumb one? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Too busy running the rat race to…run? Former Wall Street Journal fitness columnist Jen Murphy has some advice. She chats with host Emily Peck about making time for diet and exercise and the value of investing in your health at any age and stage of life. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Correction, April 29, 2024: In the audio of this podcast, Emily Peck originally misstated that the FTC sued to block the Penguin Random House–Simon and Schuster deal. It was the Department of Justice. This week: a reservation at Carbone New York may cost a thousand dollars, but you’ve always got a table at Slate Money! Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss restaurant reservation resellers, the FTC’s new non-compete clause ban, and Biden’s rules for airline fees that make getting refunds easier than ever. In the Plus segment: After sell-or-be-banned legislation, is it the end for TikTok in America? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Elon Musk wants his colossal, court-blocked pay package, and Tesla’s board wants to give it to him. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers also chat with Alicia Montgomery, current Slate audio VP and veteran of NPR, to discuss what is — and isn’t — behind NPR’s troubles. Also: inflation is high, but does the Fed really need to cut rates? In the Plus segment: Why Biden is going after Chinese steel. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five years ago, tech investor Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz bet our own Felix Salmon a 100-year-old bottle of wine that 10% of Americans would be using Bitcoin to pay for something by now. Ben lost, of course, but he’s ready to double down with a new digital wager! He and partner Chris Dixon discuss the past and present of crypto, blockchain, and AI. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Slate Money hacks the mainframe! Washington Post tech writer Shira Ovide joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss what’s wrong with America’s internet industry, how YouTube became the media empire no one talks about, and the promise and peril of the AI toothbrush. In the Plus segment: OpenAI is using YouTube to train ChatGPT. Is that legal? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Americans are less revved up about EVs. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss if Elon Musk’s mischief has played a role in slowing sales. Also: the crisis in the wine industry, and how a combination investigative publication/hedge fund wants to blow the lid off corporations — while shorting their stock. In the Plus segment: the proxy battle for the future of Disney.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this edition of Money Talks: Are you feeling trapped in Zoom/Teams/Slack purgatory? Author Cal Newport’s book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout has a way forward. Host Emily Peck speaks with him about how the digital office became an “invisible factory” and how you can take back control of your working life. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional discussion segment for every regular episode of Slate Money. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Truth Social is the latest meme stock, and buying it could win favor with a president. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what Truth Social means for Trump, whether Sam Bankman-Fried’s 25-year sentence is too harsh, and a Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement that could change credit card fees as we know them. (Platinum holders beware.) In the plus segment: Why a global chocolate shortage is racking the candy industry. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Biden’s comin’ for your iPhone! Or at least, his administration wants to make it less restrictive to third-party developers. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the new Apple DOJ lawsuit, how Reddit can leverage its massive IPO, and new rules for real estate brokers that could change the home-buying experience. In the Plus segment: Unilever is dropping Ben & Jerry’s. When did America stop screaming for ice cream? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this edition of Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Jay Newman, the former hedge fund manager who helped Elliot Management recover $2.4 billion from Argentina after that country defaulted on its loans. Jay shares his philosophy on sovereign debt and recounts a 16-year battle full of judicial intrigue. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Americans don’t care as much about work. They have better things to do. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the prospect of a four-day workweek and what it could mean for the economy. Also: How Liquid Death made water rad as hell, and the uncertain fate of TikTok in America. In the Plus segment: Tanning is back! Producer Cheyna Roth joins the hosts to discuss the rising popularity of tanning salons and self-tan products.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Money Talks, Emily Peck chats with writer/director Chloe Domont, whose feminist thriller Fair Play explores what happens when an ambitious woman outshines her well-meaning but insecure partner. It was inspired by Chloe’s experience surpassing the men in her own life. (But there is a happy ending!) If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Times declared that physical wallets are on the outs. But is digital enough? Felix Salmon Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss! Also: Steve Mnuchin’s heroic $1 billion bailout of New York Community Bank, and new rules requiring public companies to report their carbon emissions. In the Plus segment, a leaked Department of Labor email to a mysterious group of “super users” may reveal why January’s inflation numbers spiked.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Money Talks. Felix Salmon chats with former trader Gary Stevenson, author of The Trading Game: A Confession. In the book and conversation, Gary tells how a card game made him Citibank’s youngest trader…and how betting on economic downfall made him its most profitable. Why did he walk away at the top of his game? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers ponder the future of computers, cars, and…fast food? They discuss why Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman and OpenAI and the altruistic origins of ChatGPT. Also: Wendy’s “surge pricing” gaff had customers crying foul and Apple’s electric car has been scrapped. In the Plus segment: The downfall of Macy’s and the American department store.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.  Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Clips in the show: After segment one: The Thinking Machine - MIT 1961 After segment two: 1975 Wendy’s Commercial Plus outro: Scene from Miracle on 34th Street Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers come with 0% interest and no fees! They discuss what the proposed merger between Capital One and Discover would mean for the rest of us and why the government probably won’t let it happen. Also: How long will Nvidia’s chip empire last, and why there are suddenly so many car washes everywhere. In the Plus segment: The gang reveals their all-time favorite kitchen gadgets.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Clips and references in the show: “‘I’m gonna get totally and utterly X-ed.’: Constructing drunkenness” 1986 Discover ad “Car Wash” by Rose Royce Vintage car wash documentary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon sits down with Carrie Sun, whose book Private Equity: A Memoir recalls her life as the right-hand woman of a billionaire hedge fund manager. Burnt out on corporate life, Carrie wanted a low-key day job while she pursued her writing career. Instead, she found herself in a world of high-octane Wall Street hustle where profit is paramount. She and Felix discuss Wall Street culture,  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers explain why factories, energy, stimulus money, and immigration have helped the U.S. economy succeed where its rivals struggle. Also: The failed Universal Music deal that silenced Taylor Swift music on TikTok, and why a typo by Lyft was the scourge of after-hours traders. In the Plus segment: Why is chocolate chip ice cream so hard to find? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BREAKING NEWS: Felix Salmon paid money to watch the Taylor Swift concert movie, he reveals it in a tell-all chat with Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers. They discuss CEO Bob Iger’s efforts to keep Disney the fairest entertainment company in the land and why New York Community Bank’s financial straits could be a win for ordinary renters. Also, has the backlash against the SAT test been misguided? Dartmouth thinks so. In the Plus segment, the gang explains Superbowl commercial trends. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Money Talks, Bianca Bosker, author of “Get the Picture,” chats with Felix Salmon about her adventures going undercover in the fine art world. Bianca worked as a museum security guard and gallery assistant, among other gigs, and got an inside peak at the smoke and mirrors of creating, collecting, and curating. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss why a Delaware judge blocked Tesla’s $55 billion compensation package for Elon Musk and what it means for his Mars dreams. Also: the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of DNA testing service 23andMe, and Felix gives us a glimpse into the world of Sotheby’s and mega-high-end art auctions. In the Plus segment: News platform The Messenger had $50 million to spend. Why did it fold in less than a year? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an off-week bonus episode of Money Talks, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Yale finance professor James Choi, who has cross-referenced the advice of more than 50 pop finance books with actual economic theory. How much should you save in your 20s and 30s? Should you put your money in a savings account or the stock market? Is it bad to change your retirement plan? James Choi spills the finance tea! If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss record-breaking rents that see most renters forking over more than 30% of their dough. Also: Infant apparel brand Kyte Baby’s maternity leave scandal, and why Josh wine is such a hit. In a British Slate Plus segment: An American professor says to put salt in our tea; Felix cries foul and explains how to make a proper English cuppa. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this edition of Money Talks, Grace Rauh, director of the 5BORO Institute, makes the case for office-to-residential conversion. The pandemic pushed people out of offices, and they don’t want to come back. Meanwhile, demand for affordable, urban housing is on the rise. Can we solve both problems at once? Grace and Felix Salmon discuss.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Axios tech and policy reporter Ashley Gold joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss the scuttled Spirit/Jet Blue merger and the ambitious anti-trust efforts of Trade Commission chair Lina Kahn. Also: how hybrid work won the office wars and why conflict in the Middle East isn’t really affecting oil prices. In the Slate Plus segment: Will a squabble with Epic Games crack Apple’s stranglehold on the app market? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears asked you to weigh in on your preferred map app: Reigning champ Google, or late bloomer Apple? This week, they reveal your answers and discuss the merits of each. Also: Boeing’s airplane malfunctions, and what Bitcoin’s ETF approval means for crypto. In the Plus segment: Untangling the plagiarism drama of billionaire Bill Ackman and his wife Neri Oxman. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our inaugural edition of Money Talks, Felix Salmon sits down with veteran fashion writer Marisa Meltzer, author of Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier. Marisa discusses the real-life woman behind Glossier’s iconic CEO, the feminism of the beauty industry, and why French is the language of glamour. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears debate the value of massive, tax-deductible donations that spend years in administrative limbo. Also: Biden is cranking up production in American factories, and private equity may be making healthcare sick. In the Plus segment: Should we be afraid of Trump in 2024? (Spoiler: Yes.) We’re also excited to announce Money Talks, a new interview series from Slate Money. Every second Tuesday, Felix or Emily will sit down for one-on-one chats with authors, analysts, investors, entrepreneurs, and other movers and shakers of the business world. Tune in this Tuesday, January 9 for Felix’s conversation with Marisa Meltzer, author of Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Henry Farrell, author of Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy. Henry explains how American hegemony shifted from guns and tanks to SWIFT codes and internet policies. Can China or Russia beat it at its own game? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and guest host Edmund Lee, media reporter for the New York Times, recap the 2023 economic year, which saw strong growth, reduced inflation, and soaring stocks. Also: What a potential Warner Bros.-Paramount merger means for the entertainment business, and why a growing number of pedestrians are being killed by cars at night. In the Plus segment: Can the news industry profit from ChatGPT?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, director Rob Reiner gave the world a band named Spinal Tap. No one knows who they were or what they were doing … except for legendary designer Paula Scher, the mind behind 40 years of music artwork and branding. She chats with Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers about the true stories that inspired the classic mockumentary. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speculate on the Federal Reserve’s surprising new interest rates, whether Starbucks’ store closings are anti-union, and the financial machinations of Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani. In the Plus segment, Felix and Emily hash it out over the usefulness of the UN’s climate change conference.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Pavia Rosati, founder of travel platform Fathom, chats with Felix Salmon and the hotel industry in the post-COVD era. They discuss why prices are so unpredictable, those exorbitant fees for coffee and yoga classes, and how the industry is recovering from a historic crash.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.  Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss their Christmas shopping strategies and whether it’s time for self-checkouts to check out. Also: What big airline mergers mean for those of us in economy class, and whether the podcast bubble has finally burst. In the Plus segment: Do we really need to have meetings? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, sports journalist Mina Kimes joins the huddle with Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss the 90s football rom-com Jerry Maguire. Mina explains how real-world sports agents do business, and the squad debates whether a young Tom Cruise can keep this somewhat poorly-aged classic on the varsity string. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort and Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Rory Stewart of GiveDirectly and the author of “How Not to Be a Politician.” They discuss the faults of many approaches to philanthropy, and why giving cash to those in need may be the most effective way to help.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Slate Money Travel, Felix Salmon speaks with Craig Mod about why he loves to walk on vacation. Check out Craig Mod’s latest book, “Things Become Other Things”.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Sam Altman’s triumphant return to OpenAI and ponder the future of the artificial intelligence industry. They also discuss the legal woes of crypto exchange Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao. Finally: the economic policies of Argentina’s president-elect Javier Milei. In the Plus segment: Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers joins OpenAI’s board of directors Podcast production by Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of Slate Money Goes to the Movies, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers talk with Joe Nocera, author of “The Big Fail” about Dumb Money. Can you make a good movie about something that happened two years ago? What’s it like to watch the COVID pandemic on the big screen? Who made money in the GameStop craze?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Ed Conway, economics and data editor of Sky News, whose new book “Material World” tells how a handful of everyday resources built civilization — and remain incredibly important today. Also: the astounding secrets of car paint…and why new cars look like mud. Podcast production by Patrick Fort and Jared Downing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of Slate Money’s Travel series, Felix Salmon talks with The New York Times’ Lydia Polgreen about her time as a foreign correspondent and big-time business exec. What was it like to carry $10,000 in cash? And how buttery is the leather on a private jet?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Rob Copeland of The New York Times to discuss his new book The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend, which examines the vast difference between Ray Dalio’s public persona and Bridgewater’s private reality. Then, Felix, Emily and Elizabeth cover the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and WeWork’s bankruptcy.  In the Plus segment: More with Rob Copeland! Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Slate Money crew is joined by a familiar voice in Jordan Weissmann to discuss “The Insider”. They talk about the many conflicts of interest, how to make journalism look interesting, and the problem with Michael Mann movies. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers tackle the verdict in the Sam Bankman-Fried trial and a lawsuit against realtors. They also discuss the UAW contract negotiations and how it will affect car manufacturers in the rest of the United States.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers and Emily Peck talk about the latest GDP numbers and why people still feel bad about the economy. They also break down two big fossil fuel mergers, and Felix explains why dimes shouldn’t exist. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Movies series, the Slate Money gang talks with BNN Bloomberg’s Amanda Lang about “BlackBerry”. Are there really vampires in Waterloo, Ontario? Why are all movie business guys just people who yell?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices