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.

News
401
TBD | Amazon Wants Your Handprint
Biometric payment methods are coming to Whole Foods and beyond. Should we be worried?
19 min
402
Homelessness Before the Supreme Court
A doctor who takes care of the unhoused community watched his town become the center of Grants Pass v. Johnson.
29 min
403
Slow Burn: Defend Our Children
John Briggs’ crusade against gay teachers tapped into a deep well of conservative anxiety.
49 min
404
How IVF Became the GOP's Next Battle
It’s a widespread, common procedure—and it’s shaping up to be the next abortion fight.
24 min
405
What's Eating the Economy?
The economic termites making everything more expensive and worse.
19 min
406
TBD | The FBI Made a Phone Network. It Was A Trap.
Anom was used by thousands of criminals. It was run by the FBI.
29 min
407
TBD | Apple Goes Intelligent
The giant Silicon Valley holdout joins the AI race. But is the demand real or artificial?
21 min
408
She Met the Alitos—and Got Them on Tape
How Lauren Windsor got the Alitos talking about their flags so candidly.
23 min
409
Wait, Is JUUL Banned or Not?
Through the haze of FDA review, bans that didn’t remove JUUL from the marketplace, and its provisional green light.
22 min
410
Hunter Biden’s Judgment Day
If his last name were Smith, would the case have gone to trial?
19 min
411
What’s Biden Doing with the Border?
To beat Trump, must Biden imitate him?
23 min
412
TBD | Fee’d Up: A Musician’s Take on Ticketmaster
Look what you made Merrick Garland do
19 min
413
TBD | The Secret Semiconductor War
The race is on and America is trailing. Why is it important to catch up?
19 min
414
The Hollywood Strikes Are Over. No One's Back T...
Film and TV crewmembers were burning through their savings during the last Hot Strike Summer. Their own union contracts are running out this July.
19 min
415
Rafah Under Fire
While Biden touted a ceasefire agreement that both sides may find acceptable, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 Palestinians in the southern city.
26 min
416
It’s Supreme Court Blockbuster Season
The highest procrastinators in the land are facing a full docket this June, from guns to abortion to presidential immunity.
25 min
417
Election Workers in the Crosshairs
Working elections was never glamorous, but lately it’s become dangerous.
26 min
418
TBD | Would You Buy Poop On the Internet?
The wild world of peer-to-peer Fecal Microbial Transplants.
20 min
419
TBD | He’s Suing Big Tech Over Uvalde
The lawsuit includes the gunmaker, Meta, and Activision, the company behind Call of Duty.
23 min
420
Amicus: Trump Guilty on All 34 Counts
A New York City jury voted to convict former President Donald J Trump of falsifying records to cover up the story of an affair with a porn star that threatened his chances in the 2016 presidential election.
23 min
421
An “Apprentice” Producer’s Mea Culpa
An account from one person who helped create the image that propelled Trump to the presidency.
27 min
422
The View from Israel
An Israeli reservist on what people far from the war don’t understand.
29 min
423
The Death of Bidenomics
Our economy is stronger than ever. But the vibes are bad – and they aren’t getting better.
23 min
424
Slow Burn: A Hotbed of Homosexuality
In the 1970s, California played host to the biggest gay rights fight the country had ever seen.
46 min
425
TBD | Why Hospitals Keep Getting Hacked
New computer security systems may not be a priority for your hospital. They should be.
20 min