What Next | Daily News and Analysis
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.
Get more of What Next with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of What Next and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit slate.com/whatnextplus for access wherever you listen.
226
TBD | Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta-Morphosis
Is this a pivot? Or was the Meta CEO always this way?
23 min
227
What the Ceasefire Is and Isn’t
An end to the war? A win for Biden? For Trump? A map to peace?
22 min
228
Does Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 Report Matter?
The Special Counsel says Trump would have been convicted if he wasn’t elected President.
26 min
229
Can Trump End Birthright Citizenship?
As far as laws go, this one seems pretty settled. But it’s Trump we’re talking about here.
24 min
230
Who’s to Blame for the LA Fires?
How a global problem looks on a regional scale.
24 min
231
TBD | Why Tech Is Bending the Knee
Meet the man running Trump's FCC.
22 min
232
TBD | Will the Supreme Court Save TikTok?
The ban has now reached the highest court in the land.
25 min
233
Greenland’s a Distraction
Sen. Chris Murphy rewrites the opposition party playbook.
22 min
234
Blake Lively Vs. Hollywood
Sorting through the grievances and counter-suits.
25 min
235
Justin Trudeau Steps Down
The incumbent curse comes to Canada.
25 min
236
Is ISIS Back? Or Did It Never Leave?
The caliphate is gone – but the propaganda remains.
25 min
237
TBD | Bitcoin Takes the White House
Cryptocurrency folks see the future, and with Trump returning to office, it looks like a giant pool of money.
20 min
238
TBD | Musk vs. MAGA
Elon Musk and the base discovered their opinions on immigration are actually pretty far apart.
22 min
239
The Struggle to Get Aid to Gaza
In 2025, it’s about to get a lot more difficult to distribute humanitarian assistance.
27 min
240
How To Exorcise Your Fitness Demons
Danielle Friedman on building a workout plan around the things you love.
38 min
241
The Trump Restoration
The good news is this year is ending, but alas, another is on its way.
20 min
242
Jimmy Carter’s Legacy
White evangelicals are now a Republican constituency. But Carter—a Democrat—was the first one in the Oval office.
18 min
243
TBD | The Cost of Suicide Prevention Software
Is this the best way to address an urgent mental health crisis? The data isn’t there yet.
24 min
244
TBD | 2024 In Review: Would You Buy Poop On the...
The wild world of peer-to-peer Fecal Microbial Transplants.
20 min
245
2024 in Review: What the WNBA Salary Debate Misses
Caitlin Clark’s $76,000 pay is shocking—but the story is bigger than her.
26 min
246
2024 in Review: Why Miss USA is Imploding
Miss USA’s resignation letter is vague. But the first letter of each sentence spells out “I am silenced.”
25 min
247
2024 in Review: Wait, Is JUUL Banned or Not?
Through the haze of FDA review, bans that didn’t remove JUUL from the marketplace, and its provisional green light.
23 min
248
2024 in Review: Would You Die For MrBeast?
Contestants on his new show got more than they bargained for—it sounds like MrBeast did too.
24 min
249
TBD | Influencer vs. Influencer
When everyone’s aiming for the same target, some convergence seems inevitable.
27 min
250
Plus | A Karaoke Holiday With What Next
For Slate Plus subscribers, Mary Harris and Death, Sex & Money host Anna Sale chat about the catharsis of grabbing the mic during a time of great uncertainty.
4 min