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.
1201
Biden's Immigration Mess
The administration plans to rescind a Trump policy that limited immigration into the U.S. Why are Democrats running scared?
23 min
1202
A Caseworker Quits Over Texas’ Trans Kids Policy
One transgender man quit his job as a child welfare worker in Texas after having to investigate families of trans kids for child abuse.
18 min
1203
Cracking Down on Ghost Guns
Biden wants to regulate homemade weapons. Will it make a difference?
20 min
1204
TBD | How TurboTax Tricks Taxpayers
The popular software is the product of a 20-year fight to make free tax filing nearly impossible.
18 min
1205
TBD | Elonnnnnnnnnnnnn!
What does Elon Musk really want with Twitter?
16 min
1206
Is France About to Elect a Far-Right President?
Emmanuel Macron appears to have taken reelection for granted.
21 min
1207
Disney vs. DeSantis
The entertainment giant is going head-to-head with Florida’s governor over what critics are calling the “don’t say gay” law.
22 min
1208
Pennsylvania’s Nutty Senate Race
This club has everything: moderates, populists, and exactly one (1) Trump endorsement.
26 min
1209
From Homeless to Housing Reporter
How living in a car for a year helped shape one journalist’s trajectory.
24 min
1210
TBD | Uber Makes Nice With Cabs
New York City taxis are headed to the Uber app.
18 min
1211
TBD | Elon Trolls the SEC
The Tesla billionaire is now Twitter's largest shareholder. Will he remake the platform in his image?
19 min
1212
Who Can Hold Russia Accountable?
Ambassador Stephen Rapp says prosecutors are already collecting evidence of war crimes in Ukraine. Will it matter?
24 min
1213
Amazon Gets Its First Union
A scrappy group of Davids has bested Goliath.
23 min
1214
The Fight Over Free Lunch
How inflation, supply chains, and a tussle in Congress are leaving a pandemic-era food program hanging in the balance.
21 min
1215
Marjorie Taylor Greene vs. Everyone
The Republican firebrand faces party pressure, political challengers, and a lawsuit seeking her disqualification from Congress.
21 min
1216
TBD | A Conversation With Europe's Top Tech Cop
Margrethe Vestager just wants big tech companies to play by the same rules as everyone else.
17 min
1217
TBD | The White House's Favorite Tech Billionaire
Google's Ex-CEO built considerable influence in Biden's Office of Science and Technology. Did he cross the line?
19 min
1218
NATO, Back From the Brink
A brief history of an alliance that, mere years ago, was on the ropes.
25 min
1219
Ginni Thomas Wanted a Revolution
How the wife of a Supreme Court justice found herself at the center of the January 6th insurrection — and a congressional investigation.
24 min
1220
Dua Lipa’s Copyright Problem
Did the "Levitating" singer rip off other artists? Or should courts stop rewarding musicians for being so litigious?
22 min
1221
Where is Brittney Griner?
The WNBA star has been detained by Russia since mid-February, with no signs of release on the horizon.
27 min
1222
TBD | The Cost of Going Off-Grid
Is there a downside to being entirely energy self-sufficent?
18 min
1223
TBD | Why the Zelensky Deepfake Failed
Even low-quality deepfakes can have an enormous impact.
19 min
1224
Syria Was Putin’s Testing Ground
And now he’s using the same tactics in Ukraine.
23 min
1225
Congress Is In Denial About COVID
Some federal COVID relief funds dry up this week – and it doesn’t look like new funding will be coming anytime soon.
22 min