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.
1001
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
1002
Inside the Right-Wing Judicial Machine
A candid call with a conservative judge.
27 min
1003
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
1004
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
1005
TBD | San Francisco’s Self-Driving Mess
Self-driving cars are here. And there. And on the sidewalk. Oh boy.
25 min
1006
TBD | Let’s Talk, Chatbots
ChatGPT is better than any chatbot that came before it.
28 min
1007
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
1008
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
1009
The Last Senate Race
What’s still-to-be decided by Warnock vs. Walker in Georgia.
23 min
1010
Out of Afghanistan
After escaping the Taliban, refugees must navigate America’s bewildering bureaucracy.
27 min
1011
TBD | Big Tech’s Boogeymen In Washington
Is the most aggressive antitrust team in decades capable of reining in Silicon Valley?
34 min
1012
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
1013
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
1014
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
1015
Is This the End of College Rankings?
Law schools are leading the exodus from U.S. News & World Report’s “beauty contest.”
27 min
1016
Hakeem Jeffries’ House
Progressives hoping for a big shift from the Pelosi era shouldn’t hold their breath.
22 min
1017
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
1018
Ticketmaster's Swift Meltdown
The trouble with Ticketmaster began long before the Eras Tour, with a grunge band’s defiance and a controversial decision from the U.S. Department of Justice.
29 min
1019
Why Outlawing Slavery Won't Outlaw Slavery—Yet
State ballot initiatives took aim at an exemption written right into the 13th Amendment.
22 min
1020
The Real Danger of Fentanyl
The problem has little to do with illegal immigration.
25 min
1021
TBD | The End of the Tech Boom
After decades of growth, tech companies are now focusing on profits.
27 min
1022
TBD | The Case Against Climate Reparations
There’s a great moral argument. Practically, it falls apart.
29 min
1023
The Shiny New Target for Political Spending
Whether it's allowed or not, partisan politics—and all the money that entails—have come to judicial races.
18 min
1024
Will SCOTUS Take Native Children Away From Thei...
Brackeen v. Haaland could impact everything from child adoption to tribal land rights to native sovereignty.
25 min
1025
How New York Democrats Blew It
The road to potentially losing the House of Representatives started with an overreaching redistricting map of the Empire State.
26 min