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
826
Haiti’s Kidnapping Crisis
Though the international response has been slow, Kenya has offered help.
18 min
827
Judges on the Trump Trials
How Judges Aileen Cannon and Tanya Chutkan will preside.
26 min
828
Florida Public Schools' New Anti-Woke Partner
How right-wing propaganda made it into Florida classrooms.
23 min
829
TBD | Another Summer of COVID
COVID infections are up this summer - again. But it's hard to tell just how bad it is.
25 min
830
TBD | Tesla's Big Lie
Elon Musk’s most recent scandal may upend the way we think of an electric future.
26 min
831
It’s Hot as Hell. Why Are Pools Closed?
Americans are hot,sweaty, and eager to learn how to swim. But public pools across the country are closed.
22 min
832
U.S. vs Trump
It’s the first indictment to tackle the former president’s alleged attempts to interfere in the 2020 election—and cover it up.
22 min
833
After the Strike
Winning a new contract was the end of the strike. The fight is still ongoing.
22 min
834
Congress Wants to Know: Do Aliens Exist?
Three officials say UFOs aren’t just real; in the military, they’re an open secret.
26 min
835
TBD | America’s Downtown Ghost Towns
What happens to those offices when employees don’t “return to work?”
29 min
836
TBD | Washington vs. A.I.
The government's starting to focus on regulating A.I. But have they learned from their previous tech regulation woes?
24 min
837
Jason Aldean’s “Dog-Whistle Anthem”
How “Try That in a Small Town” outraged the left, tickled the right – and shot up the charts.
24 min
838
Has Netanyahu Lost Control?
From progressive protesters to far-right politicos, Israel’s Prime Minister no longer has his hands on the wheel.
21 min
839
How Far Will Texas Go?
The Justice Department plans to sue Texas over a recent escalation at the border. Governor Abbott says - “see you in court.”
24 min
840
Climate Change Goes to Court
Can we sue our way out of the climate crisis?
24 min
841
TBD | Why Tech Lays Women Off First
Rounds of layoffs have disproportionately affected women in tech—including those on maternity leave.
27 min
842
TBD | America’s $5 Trillion Grid Problem
The electric grid is the only thing making parts of America habitable this summer. It desperately needs a makeover.
24 min
843
Judging the Supreme Court
Senate Democrats want the Court to adopt a code of ethics. Do the Justices have to listen?
22 min
844
The Indefensible Defense Bill
The National Defense Authorization Act has been drafted into the culture wars.
19 min
845
How Hollywood Shot Itself in the Foot
The paltry wages of the streaming economy made these strikes inevitable.
29 min
846
Thousand-Year Floods, Annually
The floodplain maps are falling out of relevance faster than they can be replaced.
21 min
847
TBD | America’s Killer Car Problem
U.S. infrastructure doesn't prioritize the lives of pedestrians. Why?
32 min
848
TBD | Will UPS Workers Join "Hot Strike Summer?"
It's not just Hollywood—UPS workers may soon be striking too.
29 min
849
QAnon Goes to the Movies
How "The Sound of Freedom" wove conspiracy theories into box office gold.
23 min
850
What Homelessness Is Really Like
A landmark study on the crisis in California.
27 min