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
26
D.C’s Senator Knew This Would Happen
Sen. Ankit Jain says, “we need to be willing to enforce red lines.’
26 min
27
Can Trump Kill Mail-In Ballots?
The president returned from Alaska with a surprising new fixation.
24 min
28
Zelensky Brings a Posse to Washington
Putin, Zelensky, and Europe vie for Trump’s ear.
22 min
29
How Trump Brought Home a Murderer
Trump’s immigration enforcement defies both logic and the justice system.
23 min
30
TBD | Down the Text-Scam Rabbit Hole
Ever wonder what happens if you accept one of those SPAM-text job offers?
29 min
31
Bonus: Kill Tony, Alive and Thriving
Since making a joke too racist even for Donald Trump, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe has only become more powerful.
3 min
32
TBD | Trump Dips into NVIDIA’s Chips
Trump takes a page from China’s book of “state capitalism” with a dubiously legal export fee.
23 min
33
In Gaza, Journalism Is a Death Sentence
Targeting journalists is a war crime. Does Israel care?
25 min
34
Why Washington, D.C.
Thanks to quirks of the district, Trump gets to watch the troops he deployed right out the window.
25 min
35
South Park Understands the Assignment
MAGA’s not offended, of course, but not for want of effort.
29 min
36
Gutting Our National Parks
“America’s best idea” slams into some of its worst tendencies.
25 min
37
TBD | Here Comes the A.I. Music Slop
No singer, no songwriter, all slop…but paid equally.
26 min
38
TBD | What Happened After Meta Fired Its Fact-C...
The truth is, Zuckerberg’s new system isn’t working very well.
25 min
39
Donald Trump Vs. Reality Itself
You can’t change the weather by firing the weatherman. The rain will fall.
23 min
40
A Rabbi’s Plea for Peace
More than a thousand Jewish leaders want an end to starvation in Gaza. She’s one of them.
27 min
41
Don’t Mess With Texas’s Election Maps
The Lone Star State’s attempt to tip the House of Representatives to the GOP could have nationwide repercussions.
24 min
42
Was Democracy Voted Out?
Is America still a democracy? Was it ever?
22 min
43
TBD | The A.I. Data Center Push That Wasn't
The Trump administration touted Stargate as a 500 billion dollar investment in American data centers. So far, it hasn't panned out.
24 min
44
Bonus: When the French Bombed Greenpeace
What we can learn from the violent measures taken to suppress protest in 1986.
5 min
45
TBD | The Death of an Online Whisper Network
Your safety? There isn’t an app for that.
25 min
46
How Elon Musk Colonized NASA
They used to go to the moon. Now they rely on contractors.
28 min
47
Why Are So Many Institutions Caving to Trump?
Jerome Powell can stay and fight, or take the road of less resistance and quit.
25 min
48
Trans and Shut Out in Trump’s America
Clinics for trans youth are closing, incorrect passports have been issued, and trans people are having to make emergency health care plans, even in blue states.
25 min
49
Why The Shelves Aren't Empty (Yet)
It doesn’t mean the economy’s doing all that great.
27 min
50
TBD | Dupes!
Is your skincare/skirt/vacation island as good as the real thing?
29 min