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.
326
Martial Law (Briefly) in South Korea
The declaration barely lasted a few hours, but could have lasting effects on the nation’s democracy.
21 min
327
Did Biden Break the Presidential Pardon?
If he wasn’t Hunter Biden, he wouldn’t be pardoned. But if he wasn’t Hunter Biden, would he have been tried in the first place?
20 min
328
The House’s Gift to Trump
Under an unimpeachable name, the “Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act” hides something pernicious.
23 min
329
TBD | When Your Flight’s GPS Gets Spoofed
Drone warfare is commonplace. Commercial planes are collateral damage.
22 min
330
TBD | The Post-Election Social Media Wars
Is this the end of having one, shared “digital public square”?
24 min
331
Decoder Ring | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie…Wil...
How a popular children’s book got caught up in the culture wars.
33 min
332
Which Came First, the Bird Flu or the Egg?
Bird flu has made the leap to mammals and the impact is already at the grocery store.
21 min
333
A New Strategy for Banning Abortion
The latest attempt to ban medication for abortions uses some old, ugly arguments in a new, ugly way.
20 min
334
When Jesus Is on the Curriculum
The Texas State Board of Education takes a particular—and potentially unconstitutional—point of view of religion and history.
22 min
335
TBD | Is Sickle Cell Anemia…Cured?
The new treatment is painful and expensive. It could also be life-saving.
28 min
336
Bonus: The Surge | A Fumble Right Out the Gaetz
Jim Newell from Slate’s The Surge newsletter joins Mary for a Slate Plus exclusive.
23 min
337
TBD | What's Google Without Chrome?
Does the search giant’s break-up begin with its browser?
20 min
338
Mass Deportation How?
It seems unimaginable, but it’s not without historical precedent.
23 min
339
Trump’s Shadow Cabinet
The unelected czars running the Trump administration — no Senate approval required.
25 min
340
Welcome to Trump City, USA
Why did Democrats lose so many urban voters in 2024?
24 min
341
Jamie Raskin: “We Can’t Let The Fear Paralyze Us”
He led Trump’s second impeachment effort. Now he’s preparing for Trump’s second term.
21 min
342
TBD | The X-odus
So long and thanks for all the clicks
22 min
343
Bonus: The Surge | Enter the Goon Squad
Jim Newell from Slate’s The Surge newsletter joins Mary for a Slate Plus exclusive.
22 min
344
TBD | The Manosphere That Delivered Trump Back ...
Deeply retrograde, reactionary politics find life in the new media landscape.
18 min
345
Can SNL Meet the Moment?
How do you parody someone who is both so cruel and ridiculous?
28 min
346
Trump Vs The World
Putin and Netanyahu will have their preferred candidate back in the White House.
22 min
347
Protecting Abortion, Electing Trump
Reproductive rights remain popular—even, it seems, among Trump voters. It was never clear what they meant to Trump.
23 min
348
How to Prepare for the Worst
Politicians, civil servants, and everyday Americans are getting ready for an authoritarian in the Oval Office.
26 min
349
TBD | The Polls Weren’t Wrong
The public just doesn’t understand what they mean.
22 min
350
Bonus: The Surge | Deeeep Breath
Jim Newell from Slate’s The Surge newsletter joins Mary for a post-election (post-elections?) Slate Plus exclusive.
26 min