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
1951
Supreme Court Hands Democrats Small Win and Big...
What do the two major rulings on gerrymandering and the census tell us about how this more conservative court intends to rule?
22 min
1952
Oregon Republicans Walked Out, Democrats Caved
Will we see more minority party walkouts as a way to prevent supermajorities from legislating?
19 min
1953
Mayor Pete’s Policing Problem
In South Bend, Indiana constituents are up in arms about Pete Buttigieg’s response to a police shooting of a black man.
22 min
1954
A Polluted Town Fights for Its Right to Breathe
St John the Baptist, Louisiana has by far the highest risk of cancer from air pollution in the nation. Why isn't anyone doing anything about it?
23 min
1955
An Iran Deal Architect Watches It Get Nuked
When it comes to Iran, everyone's a hard-liner.
16 min
1956
The Smugglers Getting Rich Off Trump’s Policies
Business is booming.
14 min
1957
He Got a Pardon. Now He’s Administering Them.
After getting his second chance, Brandon Flood is the face of clemency in Pennsylvania.
15 min
1958
How Pelosi Holds the Line on Impeachment
Understanding the House Speaker’s immense power.
22 min
1959
Strange Alliances on the Supreme Court
The justices defied partisan expectations this week.
21 min
1960
For Women’s Soccer, An Elusive Goal
U.S. women’s national soccer team wants to win -- on the field and in the courts.
21 min
1961
What Bernie Gets Wrong About Socialism
As it turns out, his big speech about democratic socialism focused on something that’s incorrect.
20 min
1962
How Facebook Made an Enemy of Nancy Pelosi
Facebook’s stance on the doctored Nancy Pelosi video says a lot about how the social media giant is approaching the 2020 elections.
18 min
1963
It’s Mitch McConnell’s Swamp. We Just Live in It.
How did the Senate Majority Leader and Elaine Chao pave a path for $78 million dollars worth of grants to find their way back to Kentucky?
18 min
1964
Elizabeth Warren Is Not Here to Charm You
She’s here to educate and empower you. Will it work?
22 min
1965
Why Gun Bills in Virginia Always Die
A delegate whose life was changed by gun violence talks about all the forces at work to stop new gun laws from going into effect.
23 min
1966
Who Wants to Tax a Millionaire?
America’s one-percenters weigh their options: Higher taxes, or mobs with pitchforks?
17 min
1967
A Health Care Tale of Two States
Washington and Connecticut attempted their own health care reforms – what does it tell us about the future of Medicare for All?
16 min
1968
The Crowd-Funded Border Wall Is Not a Joke
Don’t underestimate a few hundred thousand MAGA voters and a GoFundMe campaign.
14 min
1969
The GOP Operative Haunting Republicans From the...
How Tom Hofeller’s archives could upend gerrymandering and the U.S. census.
20 min
1970
The Basketball Coach Who Won’t Hire Men
Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw wants to see a revolution in sports -- and beyond.
18 min
1971
Why Can’t California Fix Its Housing Crisis?
Lawmaking isn’t just broken in Washington.
21 min
1972
Mueller Would Like You to Read His Report, Please
The outgoing special counsel breaks his silence to make a simple request.
20 min
1973
Brexiteers Receive Milkshakes and Results
The big winners of Britain’s EU election: lactose and a firm stance on Brexit.
20 min
1974
Why Trump Keeps Losing in Court
Is the President’s legal luck about to change?
16 min
1975
The "American Taliban" Goes Free
How John Walker Lindh’s case kept the American people in the dark about extremism and state-sanctioned torture.
21 min