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
901
One Year 1942: The Year Everyone Got Married
In 1942, matrimony was a national obsession. How would those weddings change America?
40 min
902
TBD | One Year - 1942: The Most Hated Man in Am...
In 1942, it was up to Leon Henderson to stop inflation. He became a nationwide villain.
43 min
903
2022 Retrospective | Dua Lipa’s Copyright Problem
Did the "Levitating" singer rip off other artists? Or should courts stop rewarding musicians for being so litigious?
23 min
904
2022 Retrospective | How Soccer's Best Women Fi...
The US Women’s National Soccer team fought for six years to secure equal pay for equal work.
26 min
905
2022 Retrospective | Amazon Gets Its First Union
A scrappy group of Davids has bested Goliath.
24 min
906
2022 Retrospective | What the Sackler Family Won
The people behind Purdue Pharma and the reckless marketing of OxyContin are about to pay out billions in return for civil immunity.
25 min
907
TBD | Are You Ready For Lab-Grown Meat?
Many of the issues with lab-grown meat directly contradict what makes enthusiasts excited in the first place.
28 min
908
TBD | SBF's Worst Week Yet
Legal action against the former head of FTX and hearings on Capitol Hill expose just how bad things are at the once-dominant crypto exchange.
33 min
909
Germany Cribs From the QAnon Playbook
How the conspiracy that says Donald Trump will take out a cabal of pedophiles fits into the plot to topple the German government.
19 min
910
Inside the Right-Wing Judicial Machine
A candid call with a conservative judge.
27 min
911
The Magic of Messi
As he laces up for his last World Cup semifinal, a lookback on how Messi reached the top of the soccer world.
32 min
912
The Last Time NYC Tried to Hospitalize the Home...
The best way to help New York’s mentally ill homeless population is just by providing them a place to live.
27 min
913
TBD | San Francisco’s Self-Driving Mess
Self-driving cars are here. And there. And on the sidewalk. Oh boy.
25 min
914
TBD | Let’s Talk, Chatbots
ChatGPT is better than any chatbot that came before it.
28 min
915
Can Iran’s Protest Movement Survive?
After criticizing the Iranian regime, rapper Toomaj Salehi is in prison, under threat of execution. Will thousands of protesters face his fate?
25 min
916
What It Took for a Red State to Pause Executions
After string of botched lethal injections in Alabama, capital punishment’s days may be numbered.
26 min
917
The Last Senate Race
What’s still-to-be decided by Warnock vs. Walker in Georgia.
23 min
918
Out of Afghanistan
After escaping the Taliban, refugees must navigate America’s bewildering bureaucracy.
27 min
919
TBD | Big Tech’s Boogeymen In Washington
Is the most aggressive antitrust team in decades capable of reining in Silicon Valley?
34 min
920
TBD | Twitter's Vulnerabilities, Exposed
Elon's Twitter had its first test against bad actors from a foreign country. It didn't go well.
26 min
921
China’s Revolt Against “Zero COVID”
Three years of intense lockdowns is proving to be too much—for the people and the party.
24 min
922
It Isn't Time to Negotiate in Ukraine...Yet
As Russia and Ukraine settle into a winter stalemate, they still aren’t ready to try diplomacy.
21 min
923
Is This the End of College Rankings?
Law schools are leading the exodus from U.S. News & World Report’s “beauty contest.”
27 min
924
Hakeem Jeffries’ House
Progressives hoping for a big shift from the Pelosi era shouldn’t hold their breath.
22 min
925
TBD | The Trap of Buy Now, Pay Later
They're billed as a safe alternative to credit cards. But only if you use it responsibly.
30 min