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
676
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
677
From a Texas Bus to the New York Subway
Where the new candy sellers are coming from, and why they came.
22 min
678
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
679
Why The Blind Side's Narrative Fell Apart
Inside the gap between reality and the “feel-good” film.
23 min
680
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
681
TBD | Digital Life After Death
Is the ghost of your online life destined to haunt your friends and family?
23 min
682
TBD | How Crypto Fails Sex Workers
Why sex workers turned to crypto, and how crypto turned on them.
22 min
683
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
684
Fani Willis Takes on Trump
How bluster became a criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Black voters.
22 min
685
The Trials of Hunter Biden
Searching for straight answers in the legal turmoil that surrounds the president’s son.
21 min
686
Trump’s Spiraling Legal Fees
With every indictment, Trump gets another fundraising boost—and another huge legal expense.
19 min
687
TBD | Tech's Mask Off Moment
Richard Hanania exposes ugly truths about the power and politics of the tech industry.
26 min
688
TBD | Can Smart Guns Save Lives?
Is a gun only you can shoot really safer than a regular firearm?
26 min
689
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
690
Haiti’s Kidnapping Crisis
Though the international response has been slow, Kenya has offered help.
18 min
691
Judges on the Trump Trials
How Judges Aileen Cannon and Tanya Chutkan will preside.
26 min
692
Florida Public Schools' New Anti-Woke Partner
How right-wing propaganda made it into Florida classrooms.
23 min
693
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
694
TBD | Tesla's Big Lie
Elon Musk’s most recent scandal may upend the way we think of an electric future.
26 min
695
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
696
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
697
After the Strike
Winning a new contract was the end of the strike. The fight is still ongoing.
22 min
698
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
699
TBD | America’s Downtown Ghost Towns
What happens to those offices when employees don’t “return to work?”
29 min
700
TBD | Washington vs. A.I.
The government's starting to focus on regulating A.I. But have they learned from previous efforts to keep an eye on the tech industry?
24 min