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
551
One Year: 1990: Mandrake the Magician
How a single dad with a secret identity took on Big Tobacco.
47 min
552
TBD | Is Your Car Tracking You?
She was fleeing her abusive partner—but their car was telling him exactly where she was.
19 min
553
TBD | Boeing’s Max Mess
A door flew off at 16,000 Feet. But Boeing's problems are bigger than just that.
31 min
554
2024’s Primary Season is Already Chaos
Our primary process is in shambles – but the outcome has never been in doubt.
22 min
555
The NRA’s Wayne’s World Era is Over
Its membership is dwindling; its long-time leader is gone, and an election looms.
20 min
556
The Anti-Defamation League at War
Is the ADL’s support for Israel conflicting with its mission?
23 min
557
GOP Bets It All on the Border
A partial government shutdown is just 10 days away.
15 min
558
TBD | Tesla's Cybertruck Problem
Is it safe for anyone?
21 min
559
TBD | Why the New York Times Sued OpenAI
Media are determined not to make the same mistake this time.
25 min
560
22 States Hiked the Minimum Wage. Now What?
Who is helped by a rising minimum wage—and who is left behind?
22 min
561
How Ukraine Loses The War
Far from the battlefield, the outcome could be determined by American voters.
20 min
562
The Murder of Wadee Alfayoumi
A Muslim-American family grapples with the aftermath of the unthinkable.
23 min
563
The Renewable Energy Shell Game
The cheap, easy, and likely counterproductive path to “going green” that the federal government is hooked on.
21 min
564
TBD | Who’s Afraid of A.I.? | 2023 In Review
Real harm from A.I. doesn’t have to look like Skynet—it’s already happening.
30 min
565
TBD | America’s Killer Car Problem | 2023 In Re...
U.S. infrastructure doesn't prioritize the lives of pedestrians. Why?
33 min
566
Does Steven Spielberg Have an Oscars Curse? | 2...
It’s hard to call the most commercially-successful director of all time “underappreciated” but Spielberg’s relationship with the Academy hasn’t been particularly rosy.
26 min
567
Congress Wants to Know: Do Aliens Exist? | 2023...
Three officials say UFOs aren’t just real; in the military, they’re an open secret.
27 min
568
Wait, China’s Taking Our Pandas Back? | 2023 In...
A story of soft (and cuddly) power.
28 min
569
The Plot Against Pope Francis | 2023 In Review
The 86-year-old knows there are people in the Vatican working to undo everything he’s done once he’s dead—but he has succession ideas of his own.
26 min
570
TBD | Stephen King Is Just as Confused About Bl...
A meltdown over its subscription service reveals Twitter’s wheels coming off.
31 min
571
FT News Briefing: Markets, Elections, and A.I. ...
A look at how the world might look next year.
14 min
572
TBD | Can Hybrid Cars Save Us?
Are hybrids a bridge to fully electric vehicles, or a dead end?
24 min
573
Marvel’s Disastrous Year
The commercially-declining MCU ends 2023 with its rising star found guilty of reckless assault and harassment.
20 min
574
When a Miscarriage Becomes a Crime
How an anti-abortion legal strategy turned a miscarriage into “abuse of a corpse.”
20 min
575
Oh the Humanities!
It’s been three months since West Virginia University cut more than two dozen programs. We go inside an academic culling.
23 min