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
401
Experts Feared a Wider War. It's Finally Here
We’re in a “history defining moment that will shape the Middle East for years to come.”
25 min
402
Vance and Walz Debate
Was that a vision of MAGA-after-Trump?
25 min
403
How To Debate JD Vance, From His Last Opponent
To prepare, find someone you’re ready to absolutely loathe, to play Vance.
25 min
404
Will Eric Adams Cost the Dems the House?
New York Democrats remain in disarray.
22 min
405
TBD | American Life is a Highway
Another lane isn’t going to unsnarl the traffic.
20 min
406
Bonus: The Surge | Indicted for Swagger
Jim Newell from Slate’s The Surge newsletter joins Mary for a Slate Plus exclusive.
3 min
407
TBD | Big Tech Fears Her
A conversation with Europe's top antitrust regulator.
28 min
408
Will North Carolina Pick The President?
The Democrats thought the state was in play. And that was before the Mark Robinson scandal broke.
25 min
409
Why More Democrats Are Buying Guns
The emerging bipartisan consensus on packing heat.
24 min
410
The New Rules of Campus Protest
How “free” does your “free speech” get to be?
29 min
411
What Was The Point of Israel’s Pager Attack?
Was this the opening salvo of open war with Hezbollah? An attack on communication in Lebanon? A terrorizing taunt?
26 min
412
TBD | Trump Called. Laura Loomer Answered.
How a rightwing provocateur entered the chat, right into the former president’s inner circle.
22 min
413
Bonus: The Surge | 45 Days from Election Day
Jim Newell from Slate’s The Surge newsletter joins Mary for a Slate Plus exclusive.
4 min
414
TBD | Can Instagram Really Keep Kids Safe?
Is a safer social media just a few settings away?
27 min
415
Inside Israel’s October 7th Tourism
It’s the site of a massacre—and a new tourist attraction.
26 min
416
The View from Springfield, Ohio
Trump’s words dropped like a bomb on the town. And now residents are left to sort through the wreckage.
28 min
417
When Cops Police Your Vote
Election integrity, or voter intimidation?
26 min
418
The Kamala Endorsement (Taylor’s Version)
If Taylor delivers the Swifties, can it sway the election?
26 min
419
TBD | Is Boeing Lost in Space?
How the Starliner derailed Boeing’s space ambitions.
21 min
420
TBD | TikTok Goes to Court
The law has been signed, but lawmakers are still on the app.
22 min
421
The Pandemic Lessons We’ve Forgotten
A long summer COVID surge—and outbreaks of mpox and bird flu—have mostly been met with a shrug.
24 min
422
Trump and Harris, Head to Head
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump make their cases to the nation.
24 min
423
Her Sister Died in 9-11. She Almost Got Justice.
After 23 years, a plea deal seemed in reach—then the Secretary of Defense canceled it.
29 min
424
Should Parents Face Charges for Kids’ Crimes?
Prosecuting parents seems like another way to treat a symptom and ignore the disease.
26 min
425
TBD | The Misguided Buzz About Mosquitoes
21st century mosquitoes need 21st century solutions.
20 min