Slow Burn
Episodes
The L.A. Riots | 1. The Tape
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On the night of March 2nd, 1991, at a remote intersection just outside of L.A., four police officers surrounded an unarmed Black man. They struck him ...
Season 6 Trailer: The L.A. Riots
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 1992, a jury failed to convict the four Los Angeles police officers who'd been captured on videotape beating Rodney King. The city erupted into fir...
Season 6 Trailer: The L.A. Riots
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 1992, a jury failed to convict the four Los Angeles police officers who'd been captured on videotape beating Rodney King. The city erupted into fir...
One Year: Jesus on a Tortilla
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After Maria Rubio saw Jesus on a tortilla, her family got besieged by believers and gawkers and the national press. But for the Rubios, the tortilla w...
One Year: Jesus on a Tortilla
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After Maria Rubio saw Jesus on a tortilla, her family got besieged by believers and gawkers and the national press. But for the Rubios, the tortilla w...
One Year: Roots: The Saga of Alex Haley
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Haley’s Roots displayed the brutal realities of slavery to more than 100 million Americans. The book and mini-series also made a bold claim: ...
One Year: Roots: The Saga of Alex Haley
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Haley’s Roots displayed the brutal realities of slavery to more than 100 million Americans. The book and mini-series also made a bold claim: ...
One Year: Mr. Marijuana and the Drug Czar
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
America’s top weed evangelist and the nation’s drug czar shared the same goal: to loosen up the country’s marijuana laws. In 1977, everything wa...
One Year: Mr. Marijuana and the Drug Czar
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
America’s top weed evangelist and the nation’s drug czar shared the same goal: to loosen up the country’s marijuana laws. In 1977, everything wa...
One Year: Elvis, the Pledge, and Extraterrestrials
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Three stories from one day in August 1977. Elvis Presley dies, and the National Enquirer goes after the ultimate tabloid scoop: a photo of the King in...
One Year: Elvis, the Pledge, and Extraterrestrials
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Three stories from one day in August 1977. Elvis Presley dies, and the National Enquirer goes after the ultimate tabloid scoop: a photo of the King in...
One Year: The Miracle Cure
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Medical authorities said that Laetrile was dangerous quackery. It became a sensation anyway. Diana Green saw this drug made from apricot pits as her s...
One Year: The Miracle Cure
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Medical authorities said that Laetrile was dangerous quackery. It became a sensation anyway. Diana Green saw this drug made from apricot pits as her s...
One Year: Mary Shane's Rookie Season
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Shane made history with the Chicago White Sox, becoming the first woman hired as a legitimate major-league baseball announcer. But in 1977, she h...
One Year: Mary Shane's Rookie Season
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Shane made history with the Chicago White Sox, becoming the first woman hired as a legitimate major-league baseball announcer. But in 1977, she h...
Decoder Ring: The Sign Painter
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Decoder Ring is Slate's show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit, examin...
Decoder Ring: The Sign Painter
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Decoder Ring is Slate's show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit, examin...
One Year: Anita Bryant's War on Gay Rights
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Slate's new podcast One Year and will introduce you to people and ideas that changed American history--one year at a time. The show is hosted by Josh ...
One Year: Anita Bryant's War on Gay Rights
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Slate's new podcast One Year and will introduce you to people and ideas that changed American history--one year at a time. The show is hosted by Josh ...
The Road to the Iraq War | 8. Shock and Awe
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive Slow Burn episodes, bu...
The Road to the Iraq War | 8. Shock and Awe
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive Slow Burn episodes, bu...
The Road to the Iraq War | 7. Judy
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive Slow Burn episodes, bu...
The Road to the Iraq War | 7. Judy
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive Slow Burn episodes, bu...
The Road to the Iraq War | 6. Big, if True
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On Feb. 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell went to the United Nations to make the Bush administration’s closing argument for war with Iraq. Po...
The Road to the Iraq War | 6. Big, if True
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On Feb. 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell went to the United Nations to make the Bush administration’s closing argument for war with Iraq. Po...
The Road to the Iraq War | 5. Four Dicks (and Vice President Cheney)
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Four men in Congress—two from each party—helped determine whether President George W. Bush would be given the authority to invade Iraq. All of the...
The Road to the Iraq War | 5. Four Dicks (and Vice President Cheney)
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Four men in Congress—two from each party—helped determine whether President George W. Bush would be given the authority to invade Iraq. All of the...
Extra: More on the Road to Iraq
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're highlighting a few excerpts from this season's Slate Plus episodes—interviews with Ann Curry, Slate writers and editors who blogged...
Extra: More on the Road to Iraq
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're highlighting a few excerpts from this season's Slate Plus episodes—interviews with Ann Curry, Slate writers and editors who blogged...
The Road to the Iraq War | 4. Fighting Words
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the year leading up the invasion, George W. Bush sketched his justification for the war: good vs. evil, us vs. them. The president wasn’t interes...
The Road to the Iraq War | 4. Fighting Words
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the year leading up the invasion, George W. Bush sketched his justification for the war: good vs. evil, us vs. them. The president wasn’t interes...
The Road to the Iraq War | 3. Mushroom Clouds
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To start a war of choice, you need a casus belli—a case for war. Why did the Bush administration settle on weapons of mass destruction as their case...
The Road to the Iraq War | 3. Mushroom Clouds
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To start a war of choice, you need a casus belli—a case for war. Why did the Bush administration settle on weapons of mass destruction as their case...
The Road to the Iraq War | 2. Terror
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just hours after 9/11, American decision makers had already started thinking about attacking Iraq. When the anthrax attacks began a month later, those...
The Road to the Iraq War | 2. Terror
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just hours after 9/11, American decision makers had already started thinking about attacking Iraq. When the anthrax attacks began a month later, those...
The Road to the Iraq War | 1. The Exile
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Eighteen years have passed since the United States invaded Iraq. It’s a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed America’s cr...
The Road to the Iraq War | 1. The Exile
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Eighteen years have passed since the United States invaded Iraq. It’s a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed America’s cr...
Season 5 Trailer: The Road to the Iraq War
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq without provocation. Most Americans supported the war—as did most politicians and intellectuals, both libera...
Season 5 Trailer: The Road to the Iraq War
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq without provocation. Most Americans supported the war—as did most politicians and intellectuals, both libera...
Introducing: I Spy
29 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're excited to introduce you to I Spy, a production of Foreign Policy. Each week on I Spy, a former intelligence operative from somewhere around the...
Introducing: I Spy
29 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're excited to introduce you to I Spy, a production of Foreign Policy. Each week on I Spy, a former intelligence operative from somewhere around the...
Extra: What We Can Learn From 1991
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A few excerpts from Season 4's bonus interviews, and a special Slow Burn announcement. Want more Slow Burn? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately acc...
Extra: What We Can Learn From 1991
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A few excerpts from Season 4's bonus interviews, and a special Slow Burn announcement.Want more Slow Burn? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately acce...
David Duke | 6. A Concerned Citizen
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive Slow Burn episodes, bu...
David Duke | 6. A Concerned Citizen
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive Slow Burn episodes, bu...
David Duke | 5. The Road to Hell
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive Slow Burn episodes, bu...
David Duke | 5. The Road to Hell
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive Slow Burn episodes, bu...
David Duke | 4. A Silent Army
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Duke wasn’t content being a state representative. He wanted to go national, and in 1990 he expanded his base of white voters to try to attain ...
David Duke | 4. A Silent Army
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Duke wasn’t content being a state representative. He wanted to go national, and in 1990 he expanded his base of white voters to try to attain ...
Cold Call
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 1989, a Black 12-year-old girl in New Orleans found the David Duke phenomenon, and Duke himself, hard to comprehend. So she called Duke on the phon...
Cold Call
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 1989, a Black 12-year-old girl in New Orleans found the David Duke phenomenon, and Duke himself, hard to comprehend. So she called Duke on the phon...
David Duke | 3. The Nazi and the Republicans
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 1989, David Duke got a foothold in American politics. To build on that victory, he’d have to fend off a Republican official determined to bring h...
David Duke | 3. The Nazi and the Republicans
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 1989, David Duke got a foothold in American politics. To build on that victory, he’d have to fend off a Republican official determined to bring h...
David Duke | 2. Robe and Ritual
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Duke dreamed of becoming the charismatic leader who’d bring racism to the masses. He tried to make that dream a reality by seizing on America’...
David Duke | 2. Robe and Ritual
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Duke dreamed of becoming the charismatic leader who’d bring racism to the masses. He tried to make that dream a reality by seizing on America’...
David Duke | 1. White Knight
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first half of the 1980s, it looked like David Duke’s career as a professional racist was over. But the former Ku Klux Klan leader had a comeb...
David Duke | 1. White Knight
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first half of the 1980s, it looked like David Duke’s career as a professional racist was over. But the former Ku Klux Klan leader had a comeb...
Season 4 Trailer: David Duke
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a white supremacist became an American political phenomenon. David Duke’s rise to power and prominence—his elec...
Season 4 Trailer: David Duke
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a white supremacist became an American political phenomenon. David Duke’s rise to power and prominence—his elec...
Live: Party & Bullshit
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A special edition of Slow Burn features Joel Anderson live on stage, with legendary producers Nashiem Myrick and Easy Moe Bee, and Reverend Conrad Til...
Live: Party & Bullshit
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A special edition of Slow Burn features Joel Anderson live on stage, with legendary producers Nashiem Myrick and Easy Moe Bee, and Reverend Conrad Til...
Announcement: Slow Burn's Watergate Season on TV
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Slow Burn's Watergate season is now a TV docu-series, premiering Feb. 16 on Epix. Read more about it in this interview with host Leon Neyfakh. Learn m...
Announcement: Slow Burn's Watergate Season on TV
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Slow Burn's Watergate season is now a TV docu-series, premiering Feb. 16 on Epix. Read more about it in this interview with host Leon Neyfakh. Hosted...
Introducing: Broken Record
27 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hey Slow Burn listeners. We have something special for you this week. It's an episode of Broken Record, a music podcast from Pushkin Industries, co...
Introducing: Broken Record
27 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hey Slow Burn listeners. We have something special for you this week. It's an episode of Broken Record, a music podcast from Pushkin Industries, co...
Biggie and Tupac | Epilogue: Got a Story to Tell
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Slate Plus members get a bonus episode of Slow Burn every week. This is a preview of the bonus episodes released this season:—interviews with Slow B...
Biggie and Tupac | Epilogue: Got a Story to Tell
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Slate Plus members get a bonus episode of Slow Burn every week. This is a preview of the bonus episodes released this season:—interviews with Slow B...
Biggie and Tupac | 8. Dead Wrong
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Questions have swirled around the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls ever since their deaths. Who killed them, and why? How come no one was eve...
Biggie and Tupac | 8. Dead Wrong
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Questions have swirled around the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls ever since their deaths. Who killed them, and why? How come no one was eve...
Biggie and Tupac | 7. To Live and Die in LA
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode: After Tupac’s murder: Revenge killings in Compton, a day of atonement in Harlem, and Biggie Smalls risks everything by going...
Biggie and Tupac | 7. To Live and Die in LA
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode: After Tupac’s murder: Revenge killings in Compton, a day of atonement in Harlem, and Biggie Smalls risks everything by going...
Biggie and Tupac | 6. Til Somebody Kills You
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: In the summer of 1996, Tupac Shakur seemed to be on the verge of a decision—about what kind of career he wanted to have, and what k...
Biggie and Tupac | 6. Til Somebody Kills You
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: In the summer of 1996, Tupac Shakur seemed to be on the verge of a decision—about what kind of career he wanted to have, and what k...
Biggie and Tupac | Plus: "East vs. West"
30 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this Slow Burn bonus episode, host Joel Anderson and producer Christopher Johnson discuss the growing feud between Tupac and Biggie and the role of...
Biggie and Tupac | Plus: "East vs. West"
30 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this Slow Burn bonus episode, host Joel Anderson and producer Christopher Johnson discuss the growing feud between Tupac and Biggie and the role of...
Biggie and Tupac | 5. Wrath of a Menace
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Tupac claims—loudly, publicly, and with very little evidence—that he’s been sleeping with Faith Evans, Biggie’s estranged wif...
Biggie and Tupac | 5. Wrath of a Menace
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Tupac claims—loudly, publicly, and with very little evidence—that he’s been sleeping with Faith Evans, Biggie’s estranged wif...
Biggie and Tupac | 4. Against Those Thugs
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Gangsta rap becomes a huge money maker. Civil rights activist C. Delores Tucker and conservative culture warrior Bill Bennett launch ...
Biggie and Tupac | 4. Against Those Thugs
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Gangsta rap becomes a huge money maker. Civil rights activist C. Delores Tucker and conservative culture warrior Bill Bennett launch ...
Biggie and Tupac | 3. What's Beef?
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Biggie releases “Who Shot Ya,” an instant hip-hop classic that Tupac takes as a personal affront. Tupac calls out Biggie and Puff...
Biggie and Tupac | 3. What's Beef?
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Biggie releases “Who Shot Ya,” an instant hip-hop classic that Tupac takes as a personal affront. Tupac calls out Biggie and Puff...
Biggie and Tupac | 2. Cops on My Tail
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1992, Ronald Ray Howard shot and killed Texas state trooper Bill Davidson. His lawyer argued he’d been driven to murder by the music he’d been ...
Biggie and Tupac | 2. Cops on My Tail
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1992, Ronald Ray Howard shot and killed Texas state trooper Bill Davidson. His lawyer argued he’d been driven to murder by the music he’d been ...
Biggie and Tupac | 1. Against the World
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On the first episode of Slow Burn’s third season: How a violent robbery severed Tupac’s friendship with Biggie Smalls and sparked a bicoastal beef...
Biggie and Tupac | 1. Against the World
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On the first episode of Slow Burn’s third season: How a violent robbery severed Tupac’s friendship with Biggie Smalls and sparked a bicoastal beef...
Season 3 Trailer: Biggie and Tupac
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In its first two seasons, Slow Burn looked back at two of the biggest stories of the late 20th century—the Watergate scandal and the impeachment of ...
Season 3 Trailer: Biggie and Tupac
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In its first two seasons, Slow Burn looked back at two of the biggest stories of the late 20th century—the Watergate scandal and the impeachment of ...
Introducing The Queen
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Linda Taylor was a con artist, a kidnapper, maybe even a murderer. She was also America’s original “welfare queen,” the villain Ronald Reagan ne...
Introducing The Queen
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Linda Taylor was a con artist, a kidnapper, maybe even a murderer. She was also America’s original “welfare queen,” the villain Ronald Reagan ne...
Slow Burn Live: The Kingdom and the Power
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A special edition of Slow Burn features Leon Neyfakh live on stage. In the second of two episodes, Leon was joined in by Emily Bazelon, Wesley Morris,...
Slow Burn Live: The Kingdom and the Power
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A special edition of Slow Burn features Leon Neyfakh live on stage. In the second of two episodes, Leon was joined in by Emily Bazelon, Wesley Morris,...
Slow Burn Live: Keyholes
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A special edition of Slow Burn features Leon Neyfakh live on stage. In the first of two episodes, Leon was joined in by Ruth Marcus and Rick Perlstein...
Slow Burn Live: Keyholes
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A special edition of Slow Burn features Leon Neyfakh live on stage. In the first of two episodes, Leon was joined in by Ruth Marcus and Rick Perlstein...
The Clinton Impeachment | 8. Move On
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Juanita Broaddrick told Ken Starr’s team of prosecutors that Bill Clinton had raped her in 1978. Her story wasn’t included in the Starr Report—b...
The Clinton Impeachment | 8. Move On
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Juanita Broaddrick told Ken Starr’s team of prosecutors that Bill Clinton had raped her in 1978. Her story wasn’t included in the Starr Report—b...
The Clinton Impeachment | Secret Tracks
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Every week, Slate Plus members get a special episode of Slow Burn in which Leon Neyfakh talks to people connected with the Clinton impeachment saga. T...
The Clinton Impeachment | Secret Tracks
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Every week, Slate Plus members get a special episode of Slow Burn in which Leon Neyfakh talks to people connected with the Clinton impeachment saga. T...
The Clinton Impeachment | 7. Bedfellows
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today it’s conventional wisdom that all feminists hypocritically turned their backs on Monica Lewinsky. In fact, the scandal provoked an intense deb...
The Clinton Impeachment | 7. Bedfellows
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today it’s conventional wisdom that all feminists hypocritically turned their backs on Monica Lewinsky. In fact, the scandal provoked an intense deb...
The Clinton Impeachment | 6. God Mode
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the most withering criticism of Clinton came from a coalition of conservative activists whose political views were bound up with their faith. ...