Best FACTCHECK Podcasts (2025)

1
The FTC’s Merger Shakedown 27:31

Play Pause

3d ago27:31

27:31

Under a normal administration, a merger between two large advertising firms might attract the government’s interest for anti-monopoly reasons. Under this one, the Federal Trade Commission is creating conditions to…ensure that X still gets advertiser dollars? Guest: Kate Conger, technology reporter for the New York Times. Want more What Next TBD? Su…

1
Has Russia suffered a million casualties in the Ukraine war? 8:59

4d ago8:59

8:59

It’s been over three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the human toll is growing on both sides. Recently, politicians and journalists have declared a grim milestone, one million Russian casualties. But is this number accurate? Tim talks to Seth Jones, from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Olga Ivshina, f…

1
The Other Iran-Israel War 27:29

5d ago27:29

27:29

In addition to the three-dimensional war of bombs and missiles, Iran and Israel—and the US—are squaring off in a cyber battle. With everything from water infrastructure to banking connected to the internet in some way, how much damage can cyberattacks do? Guest: Maggie Miller, POLITICO cybersecurity reporter Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Sl…

1
Why is data on grooming gangs so bad? 28:48

6d ago28:48

28:48

Tim Harford looks at some of the numbers in the news and in life. In this episode: Why is the data on the ethnicity of grooming gangs of such poor quality? Iran has apparently enriched uranium to 60%, but what does that number mean? Adam Curtis’s latest series, Shifty, includes claims about Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power. We ask Sir John Curtice…

1
Airlines Are Selling Your Data to the Government 29:13

10d ago29:13

29:13

ARC, the data broker owned by the country’s major airlines, has been selling domestic flight data in the US to Customs and Border Protection. But in the contract, they told CBP not to reveal where the data was from… why? Guest: Joseph Cox, co-founder of 404 Media and the co-host of the 404 Media Podcast. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate …

1
How to spot a suspicious statistic 8:58

11d ago8:58

8:58

Untruths sneak into our lives in all kinds of ways. Sometimes they’re outright lies. Blatant misinformation. But in this episode, we’re going to talk about something else - those sneaky numbers and claims that bounce around our society and that aren’t exactly false, but are leading you down the wrong path. That’s the subject of a book called May Co…

1
We Deport. You Laugh? 33:03

12d ago33:03

33:03

The Trump administration's anti-immigration campaign has become defined by distasteful memes that gleefully portray the mass deportations being carried out across the country. It’s impossible to ignore… which is exactly what the administration wants. Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter at the Washington Post. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Sl…

1
Are 4% of young women in the UK on OnlyFans? 28:49

14d ago28:49

28:49

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news, and in life. This week: We debunk a false claim that the hotel bill for immigrants is the size of the tax bill for Manchester. An article in the Spectator claimed that 4% of women aged between 18 and 34 in the UK are OnlyFans creators. We track down the source and discover that it is not ver…

1
Summer Travel Tips To Not Get Detained 30:34

17d ago30:34

30:34

A guide to keeping your phone, and your digital life, safe when you’re crossing the border. Guest: Lily Hay Newman, senior writer for WIRED covering information security. Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Slate Podcasts

1
Could you be hit by a falling satellite? 9:55

18d ago9:55

9:55

The number of satellites orbiting our planet has been rapidly increasing in recent years. But what are the risks when they start falling back down to earth? The European Space agency estimate that by 2030 there will be 100,000 satellites in orbit. We look at whether that estimate is realistic and what it means for those of us living on the ground b…

1
New DOGE, New Tricks 30:47

19d ago30:47

30:47

Elon Musk has ridden off into the sunset acrimoniously (maybe), but the Department of Government Efficiency is just getting started. Will DOGE continue wildly cutting or is something even more chaotic coming next? Guest: Makena Kelly, senior writer at WIRED. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole W…

1
Hate Mail From A Cult Leader: inside MOVE's language of control 42:30

20d ago42:30

42:30

WARNING: disturbing language and content. Behind the veneer of revolutionary rhetoric and claims of natural living lies a darker reality that few have ever glimpsed. For decades, MOVE has carefully cultivated an image of a loving, principled liberation movement, but newly uncovered internal communication reveals something far more sinister. These n…

1
How do you make something 10-times more lethal? 28:28

20d ago28:28

28:28

What does the government mean when it commits to developing a “10-times more lethal” army? Why was the much-missed Sycamore Gap tree said to be worth a strikingly exact £622,191? Are there really twice as many people teaching Yoga as there are in the fishing industry? Is the number of workers per pensioner really falling from 4 to 3 to 2? And what …

1
Love Letters From A Cult Leader: inside MOVE's language of control 34:38

22d ago34:38

34:38

“I love y’all so much. Ain’t nothing I wouldn’t do for y’all.” —John Africa (Vincent Leaphart), founder of MOVE Thanks to a confidential source, we gained access to dozens of private MOVE letters sent to incarcerated followers. At first glance, some of these letters appear warm, loyal, even loving - representative of what MOVE says they are - a cho…

1
The Future of the Internet Hinges on Gail Slater 31:52

24d ago31:52

31:52

Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater inherited the government’s antitrust case against Google and is eager to follow it through—but likely not for the same reasons as her predecessors. Guest: Nancy Scola, reporter and contributing writer at POLITICO. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Ne…

1
Is the world’s population being miscounted? 8:58

25d ago8:58

8:58

Exactly how many people live on our planet is one of those difficult-to-answer questions. The UN estimates is 8.2 billion, but that’s largely based on census data, which is certainly not a perfect measure. So when a recent study from Finland found that rural populations around the world had been underestimated by 50 to over 80%, the media got quite…

1
Is Palantir Building a Data Big Brother? 32:45

26d ago32:45

32:45

One of the goals of DOGE was to get rid of the “silos” that keep government agencies from sharing freely amongst themselves efficiently and instead organize data using tools offered by companies like Palantir. The thing is, a lot of those silos are there by design, and removing them could be a nightmare for privacy advocates. Guest: Sheera Frenkel,…

1
MOVE lies about John Gilbride Part 2- Look Who's Talking 46:12

27d ago46:12

46:12

*warning: discussion of violence, threats, and the use of a racial slur that is explained but is censored. What happens when a cult's carefully crafted narrative faces public scrutiny? The answer lies in this shocking exploration of MOVE's 2005 radio appearance and their confrontation with America's Most Wanted five years later. Following Fox 29's …

1
Does the average American have fewer than three friends? 28:48

28d ago28:48

28:48

Tim Harford is here to sprinkle a refreshing shower of statistical insight over the parched lawns of misinformation. This week, we try to unpick the confusion over a claim made by London Mayor Sadiq Khan about the contribution skilled immigrants make to the nation’s finances. Mark Zuckerberg says that the average American has fewer than 3 friends. …

1
MOVE lies about John Gilbride Part 1: Play The Tape 1:05:19

29d ago1:05:19

1:05:19

When MOVE feels threatened, they turn to friendly media outlets to control their narrative. This episode takes you inside a revealing 2005 WURD Radio broadcast where MOVE members responded to a Fox News segment about the unsolved murder of John Gilbride. The previously unreleased audio exposes how cult propaganda works in real-time. Ramona Africa, …

1
So Long, Elon 32:20

1M ago32:20

32:20

His time in Washington was brief, but we’ll be picking up the pieces for a long time. What Elon’s exit signals for the future of DOGE, and Musk’s political career. Guest: Kate Conger, reporter for the New York Times covering X and other technology companies. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole W…

1
Factchecking the Trump administration’s Autism claims 9:14

1M ago9:14

9:14

Picking Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine sceptic, as the Secretary for Public Health might not be the most ‘out there’ thing the Trump administration has done but it certainly raised some eyebrows. Since his appointment Kennedy has been on a mission to ‘Make America Healthy again’ and has set his sights on finding ‘the cure’ for Autism. Autis…

1
The Drone Wars 28:40

1M ago28:40

28:40

The war between Ukraine and Russia is being fought increasingly via drone —and NATO and US military leadership is training troops for future conflicts that will pit man against machine. Guest: Jake Epstein, senior defense reporter for Business Insider. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Ne…

FACTCHECK Podcasts

1
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1
More or Less: Behind the Stats

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1
Ritalin

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1
What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future

Slate Podcasts

1
Article Podcast — Tech Geek Fact

TechGeekFact.com

1
Murder at Ryans Run: exposing the cult of John Africa

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1
The MDMALifestyle Wave Content Channel

TheMDMALifestyleWAVE LLC.

1
The FTC’s Merger Shakedown 27:31

1
Has Russia suffered a million casualties in the Ukraine war? 8:59

1
The Other Iran-Israel War 27:29

1
Why is data on grooming gangs so bad? 28:48

1
Airlines Are Selling Your Data to the Government 29:13

1
How to spot a suspicious statistic 8:58

1
We Deport. You Laugh? 33:03

1
Are 4% of young women in the UK on OnlyFans? 28:49

1
Summer Travel Tips To Not Get Detained 30:34

1
Could you be hit by a falling satellite? 9:55

1
New DOGE, New Tricks 30:47

1
Hate Mail From A Cult Leader: inside MOVE's language of control 42:30

1
How do you make something 10-times more lethal? 28:28

1
Love Letters From A Cult Leader: inside MOVE's language of control 34:38

1
The Future of the Internet Hinges on Gail Slater 31:52

1
Is the world’s population being miscounted? 8:58

1
Is Palantir Building a Data Big Brother? 32:45

1
MOVE lies about John Gilbride Part 2- Look Who's Talking 46:12

1
Does the average American have fewer than three friends? 28:48

1
MOVE lies about John Gilbride Part 1: Play The Tape 1:05:19

1
So Long, Elon 32:20

1
Factchecking the Trump administration’s Autism claims 9:14

1
The Drone Wars 28:40