{"success":true,"data":{"id":"5f9bfbda-ec3b-4ed8-b7f6-b9e9e976e635","title":"Off-the-Record: Neil the Seal’s Whole Deal","summary":"","content":"*   Account[Account](https://slate.com/account)[Sign out](https://slate.com/sign-out)  \n\nMenu Menu\n\n Light \n\n Light  Dark  Auto \n\n Light \n\n Light  Dark  Auto \n\nJuly 10, 2026 2:01 PM\n\n# Off-the-Record: Neil the Seal’s Whole Deal\n\nIt’s time to reassess “outsiders with bristly facial hair.”\n\nOnly Slate Plus members can gift Slate stories. [Become a member](https://slate.com/plus?redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fslate.com%2Fpodcasts%2Fwhat-next%2F2026%2F07%2Fneil-the-seal-graham-platner-emmys%3Fvia%3Drss) to share 10 free articles a month.\n\n**Choose your preferred player:**\n\nFor questions about subscriptions or your Slate Plus feed, [check our FAQ](https://slate.com/podcastfaqs).\n\n### Get Your Slate Plus Podcast\n\nIf you can't access your feeds, please contact customer support.\n\nThanks! 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Please contact us at [plus@slate.com](https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next/2026/07/plus@slate.com) for help.\n\n### Episode Notes\n\nAh high summer—time for Emmy nominations, giant aquatic mammals to take over seaside towns, and Democrats to point fingers as they frantically try to swap out candidates at the last minute.\n\nThis episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts.You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on[Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-next-daily-news-and-analysis/id1438906889)and[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/7IT5Yn1zGDH1cYXh38dned). Or, visit[slate.com/whatnextplus](https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=What_Next&utm_source=episode_summary)to get access wherever you listen.\n\nPodcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.\n\nPaige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.\n\n### About the Show\n\nThe problem with the news right now? It’s everywhere. And each day, it can feel like we’re all just mindlessly scrolling. It’s why we created What Next. This short daily show is here to help you make sense of things. When the news feels overwhelming, we’re here to help you answer: What next? Look for new episodes every weekday morning.\n\n### Hosts\n\n*   **[Mary Harris](https://slate.com/author/mary-harris)**is the host and managing editor of What Next, Slate's new daily news podcast. She has reported throughout the public radio system, for NPR, Marketplace, and WNYC.\n\n*   **[Lizzie O’Leary](https://slate.com/author/lizzie-oleary)** is the host of What Next: TBD, Slate’s show about technology, power, and the future. Previously, she created and hosted _Marketplace Weekend_. She has reported for CNN, Bloomberg News, and the New York Times Magazine, among others. She is also a contributing writer at the Atlantic.","source_name":"Slate","source_url":"https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next/2026/07/neil-the-seal-graham-platner-emmys?via=rss","url":"https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next/2026/07/neil-the-seal-graham-platner-emmys?via=rss","author":"Mary Harris and Lizzie O’Leary","author_name":"Mary Harris and Lizzie O’Leary","published_at":"2026-07-10T18:01:54.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-10T18:01:54.000Z","image_url":"https://slate.com/media/sites/slate-com/apple-podcasts-icon.svg","category":"world","topic":"world","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":3,"word_count":517,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot"}}