What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the...
Every Friday and Sunday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.
51
SBF Takes the Stand
It’s a high risk move, but he’s running out of options.
22 min
52
Self-Driving Cars Crash Into Reality
After numerous mistakes, Cruise has pulled all of its driverless cars off the road.
26 min
53
Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Takeover
After a fight with regulators, Microsoft officially owns Activision Blizzard, the studio behind Call of Duty. Will gamers pay the price?
24 min
54
Inside Hamas' Social Media Strategy
Since war broke out, Hamas has been using social media to spread its message in ways we’ve never seen.
24 min
55
The $30,000 Zelle Scam
What can you do when you lose $30,000 to a Zelle scammer?
22 min
56
The Israel-Hamas War Instantly Broke X
The global town square is in ruins. Where do we go from here?
30 min
57
The Man Who Turned You Into Data
How Hank Asher created the systems that track everything about you.
24 min
58
Sam Bankman-Fried—and Crypto—on Trial
The government says FTX was a house of cards. SBF says it was just business.
29 min
59
Inside Crypto's House of Cards
This week, Sam Bankman-Fried goes on trial. The entire crypto industry will be watching.
31 min
60
Who Will Pay For A COVID Vaccine?
The government is no longer footing the bill for the COVID vaccine. What does that mean for access?
27 min
61
Is Amazon a Monopoly?
How the FTC’s case against the e-commerce giant could change everything about how you shop.
25 min
62
What Instacart’s IPO Means for Tech
After years of post-pandemic turmoil, Instacart managed to do something rare in the gig economy - turn a profit.
23 min
63
Did AirBnB Need to Go?
Short-term rentals are getting blamed for a lack of affordable housing. Is that fair?
21 min
64
Can Politicians Keep Kids Safe Online?
At a time when lawmakers operate from wildly different standards of children’s “safety”, who can be trusted to regulate the internet?
27 min
65
Google Makes Its Case
The U.S. claims that Google monopolized search. Google claims that competition is just “a click away.”
29 min
66
Bad Air, Worse Vibes
Between COVID and now wildfire smoke, the case for improving school ventilation makes itself. So what’s the hold-up?
17 min
67
Tech Disrupts the School Bus
A Silicon Valley start-up promised to modernize school transportation. Instead, it stranded thousands of students.
24 min
68
Social Media’s Pivot from News
When it comes to natural disasters, getting the latest news via Twitter or Facebook is, well, disastrous.
25 min
69
Is LinkedIn...Cool Now?
Personal posts, influencers, and cultural cachet, all in a surprising place.
23 min
70
The Cost of "Sustainable" Pet Food
There's been a rise in high-end pet food, marketed as a healthy, environmentally-friendly option for our pets. The reality is much more complicated.
24 min
71
TikTok's Shady Deal with the U.S.
Inside the draft of a deal between ByteDance and the U.S. to keep TikTok in the states.
24 min
72
Digital Life After Death
Is the ghost of your online life destined to haunt your friends and family?
23 min
73
How Crypto Fails Sex Workers
Why sex workers turned to crypto, and how crypto turned on them.
22 min
74
Tech's Mask Off Moment
Richard Hanania exposes ugly truths about the power and politics of the tech industry.
26 min
75
Can Smart Guns Save Lives?
Is a gun only you can shoot really safer than a regular firearm?
26 min