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.


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Daily News
News Commentary
Politics
226
TBD | Death of the Weather Forecast?
Climate and weather aren’t the same thing, but the Trump administration would have you understand neither one.
23 min
227
TBD | The Immigration Data Dragnet
25 min
228
The Flight Attendant Who Wants You to Go on Strike
Is organized labor the sleeping giant that could stop Trump’s agenda?
23 min
229
Fed Up!
Why the White House has turned on its own Federal Reserve appointee.
24 min
230
Ciao Papa
Remembering what made Pope Francis special.
23 min
231
Why Did Big Law Fold So Easily?
What kind of high-powered law firm just gives in like that?
23 min
232
TBD | The Baby Monitor Trap
How a device designed to give parents some space demands that they pay more attention than ever.
25 min
233
TBD | The U.S. vs Meta
The U.S. alleges Meta has a social media monopoly. Meta claims that in 2025, that's simply not true.
20 min
234
Should Hospitals Drug Test New Moms?
False positives are common. The legal consequences can be devastating.
24 min
235
When a State Tells Trump 'No'
Maine’s governor said she’d follow her state’s laws—then the federal government launched more than a half dozen investigations.
24 min
236
Trump’s Weaponized IRS
It's likely counter to the law and almost definitely going to cost us tax revenue.
25 min
237
Project 2025’s Plan for Your Family
24 min
238
TBD | TikTok: Somehow Also Affected by the Tariffs
Like everything else, TikTok finds itself subject to changing winds of one President Trump.
18 min
239
TBD | Trump Tariffs Hit Mushroom Kingdom
How Nintendo tried to save their console princess.
20 min
240
Impeachment From the Bottom Up
"Hands Off" isn't specific enough. Tell them what you want.
23 min
241
A Cancelled Actor Scripts His Comeback
What to make of Jonathan Majors’ return to the press circuit.
22 min
242
The Mass Grave in Gaza
In the days since the ceasefire fell apart, Gazans have faced bombardment, malnutrition, and a dire political plan for their future.
26 min
243
The Upside Of Tariffs
Make no mistake: this is gonna hurt.
26 min
244
TBD | Why Wall Street Can’t Quit Elon
Your 401k loves him too.
29 min
245
TBD | Where DOGE Is Taking Us
What happens when you run the government like how Elon Musk runs a business?
24 min
246
The Lives Ruined by Trump's Deportation Machine
The pretexts are flimsy; due process is absent, and mistakes have already been made.
28 min
247
How the Supreme Court Could Gut Planned Parenthood
25 min
248
Free Speech? Not If You’re A Foreign Student.
The administration is sending a message by detaining Rumeysa Ozturk and Mahmoud Khalil.
23 min
249
Will Elon Musk Buy Another Election?
All eyes are on a State Supreme Court race in Wisconsin.
26 min
250
TBD | This Is Your Brain On Ketamine
And Silicon Valley's too.
22 min