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
1901
Anti-Vaxxers Brought Back the Measles
Why the spread of a preventable disease in the Pacific-Northwest should scare Texans.
14 min
1902
Don't Call Him El Chapo
The myth of El Chapo has overpowered the hard truths his trial is revealing.
11 min
1903
Howard Schultz and the Ghost of Ross Perot
A billionaire flirts with a third party presidential run and everybody loses their mind.
15 min
1904
How Big Tech Is Bleeding American Journalism
Is it time for major media companies to boycott Facebook?
17 min
1905
The Gun Rights Case Headed to the Supreme Court
In the fight to expand Second Amendment rights, a New York City gun law could be the first domino to fall.
16 min
1906
The Opposition Comes for Venezuela’s Maduro
Venezuela has been in crisis for years. Why is a network of exiled politicians sending people into the streets now?
19 min
1907
Congress Does Something
Could Thursday mark the beginning of the end of the government shutdown?
18 min
1908
Kamala Harris & the Rise of Progressive Prosecu...
Why doesn’t the reform-minded set accept Harris as one of their own?
21 min
1909
The Women Fleeing Saudi Arabia
What it’s like to escape when your every movement is policed by men.
19 min
1910
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Flips the Script
She doesn’t need to be authoritative, or vaguely androgynous, or even right. How does AOC pull that off?
20 min
1911
The L.A. Teachers' Strike
The second-largest school district in the country is having a battle royale over charter school expansion.
24 min
1912
The Gymnast Who Went Megaviral
Remember when U.S. women’s gymnastics used to be joyful?
19 min
1913
Pardons, Presidential Power, and Worry About Bi...
What can history tell us about how William Barr will handle the Mueller investigation?
24 min
1914
The Three-Headed Beast Leading U.S. Foreign Policy
15 min
1915
The Threat of National Emergency
Can President Trump get his wall by circumventing Congress?
18 min
1916
How We Became Shutdown Nation
It doesn’t have to be like this.
18 min
1917
Clemency for Cyntoia Brown
She was serving a notably harsh sentence. But what does it mean that she was freed after a publicity blitz and a celebrity assist?
15 min
1918
Battling 2020 Fatigue
Each election is an experiment. Approach it like a scientist, armed with a few hypotheses.
20 min
1919
The Republican Party Shake-Out in Kansas
What do you do when your party leaves you behind?
17 min
1920
We're in the New York Times.
No big deal.
1 min
1921
Jeff Flake Takes Another Stand
Conservatives are beginning to check the Trump administration. Is it too little, too late?
19 min
1922
The Gun Owning Doctors Changing the Gun Debate
A pediatric surgeon recommends new ways to think about gun safety. Not only because he has seen the damage that a gun can do, but because he owns guns himself.
26 min
1923
Sins of the Fathers
What will accountability look like for the Catholic Church?
17 min
1924
The Wildfires to Come
Stephen Pyne has made fire his life’s work. He put them out for 15 summers and has thought about them ever since. Today on the show – the conversation we’re not having about wildfires.
16 min
1925
The Legacy of the Last Florida Recount
How we learned all the wrong lessons from the 2000 election and landed right back in Broward County.
18 min