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.
1101
The Red States Punishing Green Businesses
The “party of big business” is using public funds to dictate how private companies invest.
21 min
1102
Will Kentucky Fail Breonna Taylor Again?
An ambitious attorney general failed to hold the cops accountable. Will he obstruct future investigations?
22 min
1103
What the DOJ Should Do About Trump
One former federal prosecutor thinks the agency is missing an opportunity to explain its approach to the former president.
25 min
1104
Who Influences the Influencers?
Political money and messaging is flowing, unregulated, onto social media.
26 min
1105
TBD | Big Pharma’s Bet on Psychedelics
Psychedelic drug research is increasingly being funded by pharmaceutical companies.
22 min
1106
TBD | Crypto Could Leave Texas in the Dark
How crypto mining is taxing the Texas power grid.
22 min
1107
The Crisis of Trust That Dobbs Created
A ruptured ectopic pregnancy left a Texas woman wondering if her treatment was delayed because of her state’s abortion ban.
23 min
1108
Is This Climate Bill Worth the Wait?
And how long until we know it’s working?
20 min
1109
The Taliban vs. the Press
How one journalist’s reporting trip turned into a nightmare.
26 min
1110
The New Era of Child Labor
A teen girl vanished in Alabama. The search for her revealed kids as young as 12 working in an Alabama factory.
19 min
1111
TBD | The Homes We Forgot to Build a Decade Ago
Is there a way to fix the never-ending housing crisis in the US?
24 min
1112
The Democrats’ MAGA Gambit
Elevate far-right extremists in the primary for an easier win in the general—what could go wrong?
22 min
1113
Is It Time to Free the “Merchant of Death”?
Does Russia want Viktor Bout back badly enough to send Brittney Griner home?
19 min
1114
Kansas's Sketchy Abortion Vote
From confusing language to the election’s odd timing, conservative lawmakers are using every trick in the book to try and restrict access to reproductive healthcare.
20 min
1115
The Jan. 6 Rioter Whose Son Turned Him In
Facing a 15 year sentence for domestic terrorism, will they make an example of Guy Reffitt?
24 min
1116
TBD | The Dark Web of Online Spider Sales
How the pandemic and social media turbocharged the online spider trade.
18 min
1117
TBD | Paging Dr. Bezos
Amazon's latest push into health care raises questions about data privacy.
26 min
1118
Why Adoption Isn’t Enough
The “pre-Roe” world of adoption is not something to aspire to. Neither is the current system.
22 min
1119
The Fight to Defend Gay Marriage
It’s a winning issue, so why aren’t Senate Democrats hurrying it to a vote?
28 min
1120
The Worst Drought in 1,200 Years
The Southwest is struggling today, and it's not prepared for what may follow tomorrow.
23 min
1121
The Price Liz Cheney Will Pay
Oppose Trump vocally? Pay for it locally.
23 min
1122
TBD | Smart City: Dumb Idea?
Is the promise of the smart city over?
25 min
1123
TBD | Europe Is Burning
How will Europe deal with climate change?
24 min
1124
Three Theories on Joe Manchin
Why the West Virginia senator kept telling the Democrats ‘no’ on climate — and why the Democrats kept on asking.
21 min
1125
A Different Kind of Pollution
“Sensory pollution” in the environment can be just as harmful as chemical pollution—but it’s also much easier to fix.
23 min