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
601
TBD | The Cost of "Sustainable" Pet Food
There's been a rise in high-end pet food, marketed as a healthy, environmentally-friendly option for our pets. The reality is much more complicated.
24 min
602
TBD | TikTok's Shady Deal with the U.S.
Inside the draft of a deal between ByteDance and the U.S. to keep TikTok in the states.
24 min
603
From a Texas Bus to the New York Subway
Where the new candy sellers are coming from, and why they came.
22 min
604
What’s Vivek Ramaswamy’s Deal?
Trailing Trump substantially and telling voters he’s not interested in VP or a cabinet position, the political newcomer is campaigning tirelessly.
25 min
605
Why The Blind Side's Narrative Fell Apart
Inside the gap between reality and the “feel-good” film.
23 min
606
Why Tuition’s So Damn High
State schools across the country are trying to raise their rankings no matter the cost—because students foot the bill.
21 min
607
TBD | Digital Life After Death
Is the ghost of your online life destined to haunt your friends and family?
23 min
608
TBD | How Crypto Fails Sex Workers
Why sex workers turned to crypto, and how crypto turned on them.
22 min
609
Who Failed Hawaii?
Did an aging electrical grid, a failed warning system, or an overstretched fire department contribute to the deadliest American wildfire in a century?
18 min
610
Fani Willis Takes on Trump
How bluster became a criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Black voters.
22 min
611
The Trials of Hunter Biden
Searching for straight answers in the legal turmoil that surrounds the president’s son.
21 min
612
Trump’s Spiraling Legal Fees
With every indictment, Trump gets another fundraising boost—and another huge legal expense.
19 min
613
TBD | Tech's Mask Off Moment
Richard Hanania exposes ugly truths about the power and politics of the tech industry.
26 min
614
TBD | Can Smart Guns Save Lives?
Is a gun only you can shoot really safer than a regular firearm?
26 min
615
Justice for the Gilgo Beach Murder Victims
All these years later, questions remain about whose disappearance gets investigated—and whose families are left to wonder.
24 min
616
Haiti’s Kidnapping Crisis
Though the international response has been slow, Kenya has offered help.
18 min
617
Judges on the Trump Trials
How Judges Aileen Cannon and Tanya Chutkan will preside.
26 min
618
Florida Public Schools' New Anti-Woke Partner
How right-wing propaganda made it into Florida classrooms.
23 min
619
TBD | Another Summer of COVID
COVID infections are up this summer - again. But it's hard to tell just how bad it is.
25 min
620
TBD | Tesla's Big Lie
Elon Musk’s most recent scandal may upend the way we think of an electric future.
26 min
621
It’s Hot as Hell. Why Are Pools Closed?
Americans are hot,sweaty, and eager to learn how to swim. But public pools across the country are closed.
22 min
622
U.S. vs Trump
It’s the first indictment to tackle the former president’s alleged attempts to interfere in the 2020 election—and cover it up.
22 min
623
After the Strike
Winning a new contract was the end of the strike. The fight is still ongoing.
22 min
624
Congress Wants to Know: Do Aliens Exist?
Three officials say UFOs aren’t just real; in the military, they’re an open secret.
26 min
625
TBD | America’s Downtown Ghost Towns
What happens to those offices when employees don’t “return to work?”
29 min