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
1526
Grief, Comedy, and COVID
Dying from the coronavirus isn't funny. Laurie Kilmartin is.
22 min
1527
Is Bill Barr Winning?
The attorney general is running amok. Can anybody stop him?
18 min
1528
TBD | Why Remote Learning Failed
After three months of school closures, data about the impact of the coronavirus on learning is starting to trickle in. It’s far from reassuring.
20 min
1529
The Belated National Embrace of Juneteenth
More institutions are embracing the holiday. What does that really mean?
14 min
1530
A Politician's Brush with NYPD Abuse
Zellnor Myrie got cuffed & pepper sprayed at peaceful protests in Brooklyn. Two weeks later, he was passing police reform in Albany.
29 min
1531
A Victory for LGBTQ Americans
From your friends on the conservative Supreme Court.
21 min
1532
Is the Military Turning Its Back on Trump?
20 min
1533
TBD | Is This the End of Facial Recognition?
In the space of a week, development of the powerful surveillance technology has come to a screeching halt.
20 min
1534
The Antifa Myth
What happened when a small town got itself ginned up about a threat that never came.
18 min
1535
A Momentous Vote in Minneapolis
One city council member on how he came around to the idea of disbanding the police.
17 min
1536
Ferguson Revisited: The Worst Night
Years after the death of Michael Brown, we reflect on one of the worst nights of the protest and ask, “What didn’t we see?”
22 min
1537
Pandemic & Protest
Activism always comes with risk. This time, the risks look a little different.
22 min
1538
TBD | Your Delivery Habit Isn't Helping
Apps like DoorDash and Grubhub are doing more harm than good.
18 min
1539
Larry Kramer Wouldn't Be Quiet
How Kramer's uncompromising activism is a lesson for this moment.
22 min
1540
A History of Violent Protest
Big structural change in America doesn’t happen without violence.
22 min
1541
Caught Between COVID and DACA
Will the Supreme Court decide to end the program that protects this doctor from deportation?
25 min
1542
Minneapolis Was a Powder Keg
All it needed was a match.
20 min
1543
TBD | Trump and Twitter Go to War
Twitter fact checked the president’s tweets. Two days later, he issued an executive order that aims to redefine free speech online.
18 min
1544
Are We Headed for a Cold War With China?
The relationship between the US and China is getting increasingly frosty.
19 min
1545
How the US Can Dodge A Depression
There’s still time to avoid even more disaster.
21 min
1546
When Coronavirus Came to Navajo Nation
“It was like wildfire.”
13 min
1547
TBD | What Is Elon Musk Thinking?
A public battle over the closure of a Tesla plant shows what happens when big tech goes up against local government.
17 min
1548
A Summer Without Camp
You can’t roast a marshmallow over Zoom.
19 min
1549
On A Wild Goose Chase for Masks
Unprecedented demand and relaxed government rules create some big winners -- and a lot of losers.
25 min
1550
Can We Even Trust the Testing Data?
Nationwide data collection is critical here. The CDC hasn’t distinguished itself.
22 min