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
626
The Fall of Ron DeSantis
The GOP firebrand used to be Trump’s biggest threat. What happened?
19 min
627
TBD | Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture?
"Filterworld" makes the case that algorithms, not people, decide what we like.
32 min
628
TBD | The Great British Library Hack
How a cultural institution became the target of a ransomware attack.
24 min
629
And God Gave Us Trump
How white Evangelicals learned to stop worrying and love the Donald
19 min
630
Is Israel Committing Genocide?
South Africa brings the war in Gaza before the International Court of Justice.
23 min
631
Trump Just Won Iowa. Where’s Biden?
Is he a master of reaching across the aisle or the only thing keeping the vandals at bay?
20 min
632
One Year: 1990: Mandrake the Magician
How a single dad with a secret identity took on Big Tobacco.
47 min
633
TBD | Is Your Car Tracking You?
She was fleeing her abusive partner—but their car was telling him exactly where she was.
19 min
634
TBD | Boeing’s Max Mess
A door flew off at 16,000 Feet. But Boeing's problems are bigger than just that.
31 min
635
2024’s Primary Season is Already Chaos
Our primary process is in shambles – but the outcome has never been in doubt.
22 min
636
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
637
The Anti-Defamation League at War
Is the ADL’s support for Israel conflicting with its mission?
23 min
638
GOP Bets It All on the Border
A partial government shutdown is just 10 days away.
15 min
639
TBD | Tesla's Cybertruck Problem
Is it safe for anyone?
21 min
640
TBD | Why the New York Times Sued OpenAI
Media are determined not to make the same mistake this time.
25 min
641
22 States Hiked the Minimum Wage. Now What?
Who is helped by a rising minimum wage—and who is left behind?
22 min
642
How Ukraine Loses The War
Far from the battlefield, the outcome could be determined by American voters.
20 min
643
The Murder of Wadee Alfayoumi
A Muslim-American family grapples with the aftermath of the unthinkable.
23 min
644
The Renewable Energy Shell Game
The cheap, easy, and likely counterproductive path to “going green” that the federal government is hooked on.
21 min
645
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
646
TBD | America’s Killer Car Problem | 2023 In Re...
U.S. infrastructure doesn't prioritize the lives of pedestrians. Why?
33 min
647
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
648
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
649
Wait, China’s Taking Our Pandas Back? | 2023 In...
A story of soft (and cuddly) power.
28 min
650
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