What Next Plus
The 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.
201
TBD | Is Amazon a Monopoly?
How the FTC’s case against the e-commerce giant could change everything about how you shop.
25 min
202
Can Marriage Fix America?
Why is this institution being touted as an economic cure-all?
20 min
203
Wait, China’s Taking Our Pandas Back?
A story of soft (and cuddly) power.
27 min
204
The Writer’s Strike Is Over: Who Won?
A tentative agreement has been reached between the studios and the writers’ guild. But what about the actors?
23 min
205
Rupert Murdoch and the Future of Fox
The audience that the network cultivated is now leaving it behind.
25 min
206
TBD | What Instacart’s IPO Means for Tech
After years of post-pandemic turmoil, Instacart managed to do something rare in the gig economy - turn a profit.
23 min
207
TBD | Did AirBnB Need to Go?
Short-term rentals are getting blamed for a lack of affordable housing. Is that fair?
21 min
208
The Case For Harm Reduction—And Beyond
Getting community support means addressing community needs.
29 min
209
How Wisconsin is a “Laboratory for Destroying D...
State Republicans are trying to cling to power—no matter what the electorate says.
25 min
210
The UAW Enters the Ring
Why auto workers are walking off the job now.
24 min
211
McCarthy’s Impeaching Biden to Keep His Job
The speaker is forever at the whim of the Freedom Caucus.
20 min
212
TBD | Can Politicians Keep Kids Safe Online?
At a time when lawmakers operate from wildly different standards of children’s “safety”, who can be trusted to regulate the internet?
27 min
213
TBD | Google Makes Its Case
The U.S. claims that Google monopolized search. Google claims the competition is just “a click away.”
29 min
214
The Case Against Harm Reduction
A safe consumption site is at odds with area homeowners’ vision for the neighborhood.
28 min
215
Fighting “Disaster Fatigue”
Natural disasters exact a mental toll—from the front lines of the recovery to those experiencing it second-hand.
20 min
216
How DeSantis Turned New College into a Circus
The conservative vision of education comes down on a Florida liberal arts school.
23 min
217
Prison for the Proud Boys. Now What?
What do the harsh sentences for January 6th mean for right-wing extremism?
21 min
218
This American Life: The Call
A journey into the opioid epidemic via an overdose hotline.
61 min
219
TBD | Bad Air, Worse Vibes
Between COVID and now wildfire smoke, the case for improving school ventilation makes itself. So what’s the hold-up?
17 min
220
TBD | Tech Disrupts the School Bus
A Silicon Valley start-up promised to modernize school transportation. Instead, it stranded thousands of students.
24 min
221
Can Kids Catch Up After the Pandemic?
Test scores remain low, but students missed more than just academics.
23 min
222
Our Aging Congress Is a Problem
How money in politics turned our federal government into a gerontocracy.
22 min
223
To Impeach a Republican In Texas
After 15 years of allegations against AG Ken Paxton, the Texas Senate votes on articles of impeachment today.
24 min
224
One Year: The Team Nobody Would Play
In 1955, a team of Black Little Leaguers battled the white establishment in the Deep South.
54 min
225
TBD | Social Media’s Pivot from News
When it comes to natural disasters, getting the latest news via Twitter or Facebook is, well, disastrous.
25 min