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Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the hit horror film A Quiet Place, the new adaptation of Howard's End on the BBC and Starz, and Barbara Ehrenreich's essay: "Why I'm Giving Up On Preventative Care".

Jacob Weisberg talks to Tim O'Brien, Executive Editor of Bloomberg View, to catch up about the latest surrounding the Michael Cohen story and why it may not be all the media is cooking it up to be. Plus, who are the two names we should be looking for as the investigation into the Trump organization moves forward?Steve Waltien and Asher Perlman improvised today's sketch in our Brooklyn studio.Did you like today's show? If so, show your support by voting for us for a Webby!

On Tuesday’s Gist, that old Watergate maxim, “the cover-up is worse than the crime,” should be revised to recognize the Michael Cohen effect. Plus, we take a closer look at the vertical merger of AT&T and Time Warner, and why the Justice Department has sued to stop it. Wall Street Journal reporter Brent Kendall walks us through the case so far. And in the Spiel, who is the “famous Houston sketch artist” drawn into the Stormy Daniels affair?

Prudence is joined this week by Paola Dayanan, a TV-obsessed HR professional from Northern Virginia. First, a letter writer struggles with work after two devastating losses and a manager who doesn’t seem supportive. Next, a concerned letter writer cannot contain their horror as they watch their friend grab handfuls of expensive bulk snacks while walking through the grocery store without paying - is a confrontation looming? Then, a friend group questioned this letter writer’s sexuality and very identity and they’re having trouble coming to terms with it and wondering if the friendship is salvageable. Hear more Prudence by joining Slate Plus: Slate.com/Prudiepod.Email: prudencepodcast@gmail.comProduction by Max Jacobs

John McWhorter on why the 16th letter of our alphabet is a fancy little thing.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com

Now that it’s conquered the cineplex and Netflix, Marvel is going after your earbuds — with its first scripted podcast,Wolverine: The Long Night. It tells the story of Special Agents Pierce and Marshall, who arrive in a small Alaskan fishing town to investigate a series of mysterious murders and a suspicious loner living in the woods. Producers Brendan Baker and Chloe Prasinos reveal the high-tech and low-tech ways they made this sound-rich audio drama.For now, Wolverine: The Long Night is only available on Stitcher Premium, so you’ll need to join to listen. Because even superhuman claws can’t tear through a paywall. Listen free for one month with code “MARVEL”This podcast was produced by Studio 360’s Zoe Saunders.

Pierre Bienaimé has three things to know today—from Hannity's lawyer, to James Comey's press tour, to a deadly prison riot.

On Monday’s Gist, we’re counting Pulitzers and powering up. Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms sort power into two categories: old and new. Old power is like Congress: top-down, official. New power is like Facebook: decentralized, crowd-sourced. What is the best way to meld both kinds of influence to improve our lives? Heimans and Timms have the beginnings of an answer. They’re the authors of New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World – and How to Make It Work for You.In the Spiel, James Comey does seem ego-driven. That’s not always a bad thing. 

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the musical Small Ball with Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell joins to talk about why the NFL is bad at scouting quarterbacks, and The Good Place’s Mike Schur explains his love for Dan Le Batard. Small Ball (1:55): The day after the Rockets’ win in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, general manager Daryl Morey talks about his passion for musical theater, which led him to commission a basketball-themed musical. Quarterbacks (18:00): Why can’t the NFL separate the Akili Smiths from the Carson Wentzes? Bill Barnwell crunched the numbers for ESPN and joins the show to theorize about why the league can’t figure out which signal-callers to draft. Dan Le Batard (37:39): Mike Schur, the creator of Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, discusses why he’s obsessed with the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and what makes it such a special radio show. Afterballs(57:17): 

In Working: Classics, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes from past arcs of the show.There's no workplace that looms larger in Washington, D.C. than the White House. Hundreds of employees work within its walls, but most of us don't know much about what really goes on there. We're talking to Fiona Reeves, the Director of Presidential Correspondence. Every day Reeves and her staff sort through thousands of letters and emails that President Obama receives from his constituents. She ultimately selects ten for him to read each night. She talked to us about some of the most memorable letters she's examined, from the sad, to the funny, to the hopeful. And in a Slate Plus extra, Reeves tells us how social media and email have informed the art of letter writing. Start your two-week free trial at slate.com/workingplus.Email: working@slate.comTwitter: @Jacob_Brogan

It seems as though a slow motion constitutional crisis may be upon us. In this episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Lawfare blog editor and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Ben Wittes, to assess the threats to the rule of law posed by presidential pique, and whether fired FBI director James Comey’s book could be used as a pretext for ending the Mueller probe. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. Our email is amicus@slate.com.Podcast production by Sara Burningham.

The Rusal sanctions, lawyers, and credit default swaps on this week's episode with Felix Salmon, Anna Szymanski, and Matt Levine. Production work by Daniel Schroeder

Mary Wilson has today’s three things: Facebook faces more trouble abroad, why our money’s on Australia’s punk turtle, and the trolling of Mick Mulvaney. 

On The Gist, have you heard? Chemistry has been debunked. Thank Russia.Ed Helms is best known for comedic roles—see Andy Bernard on The Office. But in the drama Chappaquiddick, Helms plays Joseph Gargan, the cousin and lawyer of Sen. Ted Kennedy. Gargan found himself in Kennedy’s inner circle as the young senator came under scrutiny for his role in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne.In the Spiel, pervs are making news again. Plus: say hello to a new Lobstar of the Antentwig.

Jamelle Bouie talks to Mother Jones' Rebecca Leber about the "liberties" Scott Pruitt is taking as a public official and how it's effecting the EPA as a whole.Trumpcast will be live in Brooklyn, NY on May 30th at 7:30PM (ET). Tickets are currently on sale.