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.
Get more of What Next with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of What Next and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit slate.com/whatnextplus for access wherever you listen.
801
His Son Died in Uvalde. He’s Still Fighting.
Brett Cross’s gun control advocacy has taken him to Austin and Washington.
27 min
802
Georgia Takes on Trump
His phone call to Brad Raffensberger seems to be getting painstaking legal scrutiny.
27 min
803
TBD | Did a Twentysomething Con America’s Bigge...
How the start-up “Frank” went from a shiny new acquisition to “a huge mistake” for JP Morgan Chase.
29 min
804
TBD | How COVID Changes Our Immune Systems
The data doesn't tell the whole story.
25 min
805
The Plot Against Pope Francis
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.
24 min
806
The Hysteria Over D.C.’s New Crime Bill
Updating the district’s motley 1901 criminal code patchwork isn’t the “reform” activists have called for—or tough-on-crime types fear.
24 min
807
From Rodney King to Tyre Nichols
After three decades of outrage and activism, why is this still happening?
26 min
808
Who Doesn’t Have Classified Documents?
When everything is secret, then nothing is secret.
25 min
809
TBD | Did A.I. Write This Headline?
No, but Silicon Valley thinks it can.
31 min
810
TBD | Will Google Get Broken Up?
The tech giant's online ad business has printed money for more than a decade. The Justice Department is coming for it.
24 min
811
Election Deniers Shot at Her
A New Mexico state senator woke up to bullet holes in her daughter’s room.
18 min
812
The "Other NRA" Fighting Restaurant Workers
Why the food-service industry is in turmoil—and how it can survive.
28 min
813
Will the Debt Ceiling Cave in This Time?
A divided Congress dusts off an old fight—and for what?
22 min
814
Cities’ Wetter, Wilder Future
America already experiences an “urban flooding event” every 2 or 3 days—and more rain is coming.
22 min
815
TBD | Does Meta Even Care When Its Users Get Ha...
The surest way to get your Instagram account back is to know somebody who works there.
26 min
816
TBD | An Antivax Dog Whistle Goes Viral
A data scientist and epidemiologist is just answering questions.
26 min
817
Latin America’s Lost Decade
In the 2000s, citizens grew accustomed to rising prosperity; they’re still looking for leaders who can deliver it.
25 min
818
The Spike at the End of “Zero COVID”
The people and the economy seemed ready to be done with restrictions—but was the country ready to fully open?
24 min
819
Hospice for Profit
End-of-life care is full of people looking for a big return on little effort.
26 min
820
How To!: End Political Violence (From an Ex-Gan...
Curtis Toler on using the future to reduce harm in the present, Part 2.
35 min
821
TBD | Tesla’s No Good, Very Bad Year
Elon Musk promised an “epic end of year” to Tesla investors in 2022. But the stock crashed instead. What happened?
28 min
822
TBD | Why the Feds Want to Kill Noncompetes
How the proliferation of noncompete clauses hurts workers and costs the economy billions.
19 min
823
How They Got El Chapo’s Son
At least 29 people died in a raid to capture “the baby” of the Sinaloa cartel.
23 min
824
A Sex Crimes Lawyer's New Mission
A new law in New York might not get survivors "justice." But it could get them money.
27 min
825
Mr. Santos Goes to Washington
He’s made it to Congress—but what exactly did he get away with?
21 min