1. Slate is testing out a daily news podcast called What's Next on its Slate Plus platform. The show will be hosted by Mary Harris, whom you may recognize from The Realness and Only Human. Yesterday, I discovered that Harris had posted a "secret link" to the pilot in a (not-very-secret) Twitter post. If you listen, and you're a Slate Plus member, you can provide feedback on their Facebook Slate Plus members group. -- HOT POD INSIDER (Behind PayWall)

2. Podglomerate has released a four-part series called The Wave, which takes a non-partisan look at the midterm races around the country. In each episode, host Matt Fuller interviews candidates in a single Congressional race to help illuminate what's at stake this November. Fuller also invites members of Congress, partisan operatives and others to join him as he discusses issues such as President Trump's influence on the races, the rising involvement of females in politics, and gerrymandering. -- HUFFPOST

3. Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road, makes the case that "radio has consumed the podcast world" in this piece for The Drum. As evidence he points out that "with the acquisition of Stuff Media by iHeart, this means that six of the top seven Publishers of Podcasts by streams and downloads are radio companies." He also offers up his assessment of the pros (increased capital for promotion and content) and the cons (declining ad response and industry confusion). His advice? Embrace the change. -- THE DRUM

4. The CBC has announced a new educational podcast with a twist: the host is eleven years old. Tai Asks Why features Tai Poole, an intrepid junior reporter who combs "coffee shops, universities and playgrounds" seeking answers to life's big questions. In the first episode, Tai wonders what love is; in the second, he investigates whether we should trust our gut. The first two episodes of the six-part original series land on October 24th. -- CBC

5. If you need a break from the headlines, check out these five celebrity news podcasts. Notable on the list is the dishy DirtCast from Jezebel and Snoop Dogg's GGN Podcast, where the rapper interviews stars like Khloe Kardashian and Post Malone. 

6. We've been hearing good things about 99% Invisible's six-part series on the clothes we wear, "Articles of Interest." 

7. According to Stanford University, college kids are turning away from developing radio programs to producing podcasts. “We’re able to reach a lot more people on the web. It just goes further than long-wave radio [today]," says student producer Sienna White.

8. This story provides pointers on which software you should be using to edit your podcast.

9. In this article for Radio Info, audio expert James Cridland asks, "Why are you in radio anyway?"

10. In turbulent times like these, it's good to get some perspective ...

Shane Parrish’s Knowledge Project showcases in-depth interviews with notable thinkers.

1. Bravo has released the trailer for its TV version of Dirty John -- and it looks every bit as creepy as the podcast sounded. Connie Britton and Eric Bana star in the series, which tells the true story of a romance gone extremely wrong. Bravo made a two-season commitment to the franchise; the second season will cover an entirely new (and, we trust, bone-chilling) story. The premiere episode of the first season airs on November 25th. -- DEADLINE

2. Retired teacher, Dan Jarski, is getting press in Chicago. His family is one of many who have turned to Wondery's The Vanished Podcast to help spread the word about his disappearance. Each episode of the weekly show informs the public about a new missing person (you can listen to the episode about Dan, who has been missing since September 9th, here). -- CHICAGO TRIBUNE

4. According to Apple Insider, Apple has solved the "screwy" issues with its podcast rankings. Regardless of the fix, the general consensus among industry folk can probably be summed up by this tweet from Discover Pods, "Podcasters, please stop using these charts as validation. Advertisers, don't base your rates on chart rankings. Listeners, there are tons of great podcasts out there, don't rely on these charts." -- APPLE INSIDER

5. The Weather Network has offered up its five favorite podcasts for "weather, space, and science enthusiasts." The list includes Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe ("for all the conspiracy theorists and skeptics out there"), Orbital Path (all things cosmos), Stuff You Should Know (check out "How Tsunamis Work"), Science Vs. (fact-checking everything from Lyme disease to serial killers) and The Weather Junkies (it's a thing). -- THE WEATHER NETWORK

6. The Producers behind Latina a Latina have published a curated list of their favorite Latina-hosted podcasts. The collection covers a wide range of topics including "politics, business, family, identity, music, and self-fulfillment."

7. Recovery Rocks, a new podcast from Lisa Smith, author of the memoir, Girl Walks Out of a Bar, and Tawny Lara, award-winning filmmaker of the recovery documentary, Fixed Up, caught our eye this week. The show promises to address "the issues impacting those who struggle and recover."

8. According to Midroll's 2018 Podcast Listener Demographics Report, 81% of the 151,502 people surveyed said they "sometimes or always pay attention to podcast ads" and 60% have purchased something from a podcast ad.

9. PRX CEO, Kerri Hoffman, and Google product manager, Zack Reneau-Wedeen, tell us more about the Google Podcast Creator Program (which we reported on earlier this week) in this interview with Caroline Crampton of HOT POD.

10. And finally, dear reader, should you find yourself with an extra 49 minutes, check out today's episode of Gimlet Media's Heavyweight podcast, "Skye." In it, I confront a heart-wrenching moment in my past - with a lot of help from my eleven-year-old son and host Jonathan Goldstein. If you listen, feel free to reply to this email and let me know what you thought.

“Wolverine: The Long Night” reimagines the classic radio drama, and the superhero comic book, for the podcast age.

1. At the Third Coast Awards Ceremony this week, Phoebe Wang brought down the house with her acceptance speech for Best New Artist. Giving voice to people of color, Wang devoted her remarks to sharing the frustration she feels when audio employers make excuses for why their organizations aren't more diverse. Wang gave the crowd a call to action by urging employers to send email to POCradiohires@gmail.com (an address she and others will manage) to connect with people of color who are for hire. Her speech closed to uproarious applause.  Here's the full transcript. -- HOT POD

2. The Third Coast Festival, which overcame a number of logistical difficulties over the weekend, revealed its full slate of 2018 award winners during its closing ceremony. In addition to Phoebe Wang's win for Best New Artist for God + The Gays, the winners included Counted: An Oakland Story; Host's Fat; John Thompson vs. American Justice; Espera / Wait; and a host of other outstanding projects. Check out the full list (and do some listening) here. -- THIRD COAST  

3. Food writer Iain Shaw says podcasts dedicated to the culinary arts have been largely overlooked and serves up three shows deserving of the limelight: The Sporkful, The Splendid Table and GastroPod. The first explores the quirky intersection of food and people (in one episode the host attends a Jewish Sabbath at fast food chain, Wendy's); Splendid Table dives into a single cooking theme with each episode; and GastroPod completes the circle by chronicling the history and science behind our culinary habits. -- PODCAST REVIEW