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A welfare caseworker first told Ms. Pat she had a knack for turning painful stories into comedy. She was 20, fresh out of prison for selling drugs, and already in charge of six kids–some hers, some the children of family members who needed a safe place to stay. It would take 10 more years for Ms. Pat to get on stage at an open mic, but once she started, she didn’t stop. She now sells out shows and has starred in a BET+ sitcom based on her life for five seasons.
In this episode, Ms. Pat talks about moving between economic classes and the lies she told to blend in, learning to manage money from her husband, and building the big, full house she never had growing up.
Ms. Pat’s latest memoir is called Ms. American Dream: A Memoir of Making It, No Matter What.
Podcast production by Zoe Azulay
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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 deathsexmoney@slate.com.
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On one of the biggest political nights of the year, audiences weren’t turning into traditional networks for their news. Instead, they were on YouTube and Twitch, where streamers like Hasan Piker dominated with up to over 200,000 concurrent viewers at once. While broadcasters like NBC, CBS, and CNN were also streaming their coverage online, they were fighting for attention amongst new media livestreamers—a shift that’s been happening for some time. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Semafor Media editor and Mixed Signals co-host Max Tani to talk about how livestreaming is beginning to eclipse cable news, and how both are having to adapt.

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.
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A major vulnerability is threatening the entire internet as we know it. Should we let it? As talk of an internet apocalypse looms, some users can’t help but feel it’s high time to turn the whole thing off and on again. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior tech editor Tony Ho Tran to talk about what is actually happening to the internet, how nervous we should be, and why the nightmare scenario of the entire internet shutting down actually sounds like…a dream?

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.
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In New Jersey, the tomato is king. Almost a century ago, a scientist at Rutgers University developed a variety that became the tomato that lined grocery store shelves for decades. Now, Rutgers scientists are at it again—they’ve invented a new grape tomato called Scarlet Sunrise. Will it become the next hot item in the produce aisle? How do you even invent a new tomato? And why are new varieties of fruits and veggies becoming more popular than ever? This week, we’re presenting an episode from The Sporkful in collaboration with Planet Money that aims to find out. In it, Dan Pashman and Kenny Malone investigate these grocery store mysteries, and see if this hot new tomato can win over a longtime grape tomato skeptic.

From Planet Money, this episode was produced by James Sneed, edited by Keith Romer, fact checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Cena Loffredo and Jimmy Keely. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell.

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In 2002, when Elizabeth Smart was taken from her bed by a stranger, the media covered it day and night. When Elizabeth returned home nine months later, she slowly began to learn to tell her own story, in her own words. This week on the show, she explains what it’s been like to revisit those traumatic details in her 2013 memoir, in a Netflix documentary, and in her new podcast The Survivor Files, where she and other victims walk through their experiences slowly and carefully. She also talks about her new bodybuilding hobby and how she talks to her kids about safety and risk-taking.
Podcast production by Cameron Drews.
Get more with Death, Sex & Money Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen.
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 email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.