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
926
An Out Teen in the “Don’t Say Gay” State
Will Larkins, a high school senior, had a life-saving conversation with a queer teacher last year. Would it have been possible under Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act?
22 min
927
The Christian College Upending Florida's Schools
Florida is a useful laboratory for conservatives who want to reshape public education across the country.
20 min
928
One Year - 1986: The Ultimate Field Trip
They competed for a spot on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Then they watched it explode.
56 min
929
TBD | The Summer Vaccine of the Future
A new Lyme vaccine that's in late-stage trials would be the first in 20 years.
15 min
930
TBD | A.I. Made to Fight Child Porn Ensnared an...
The unintended victims of Google's A.I. used to fight child predators.
24 min
931
Best Of 2022 | The Michigan Democrat Who Said “...
One freshman state senator shows Democrats how to parry Republican attacks designed to stoke fear and anger.
27 min
932
Best Of 2022 | When Your Book Gets Banned By th...
How did Ashley Pérez’s novel Out of Darkness get blackballed from schools across the country?
27 min
933
Best Of 2022 | The NFL’s Race Problem
A former head coach alleges that the league’s hiring practices are discriminatory. What will it take for them to change?
27 min
934
Best Of 2022 | Ginni Thomas Wanted a Revolution
How the wife of a Supreme Court justice found herself at the center of the January 6th insurrection — and a congressional investigation.
25 min
935
TBD | The Streaming TV Bloodbath
We're seeing a course correction in the streaming market.
24 min
936
TBD | The Hacker Blowing the Whistle on Twitter
Inside the explosive whistleblower complaint against Twitter.
30 min
937
How Serena Transcended Tennis
Her on-court accomplishments are unparalleled, but Serena Williams’s impact stretches much further.
26 min
938
Abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention
Decades of accusations and alleged cover-up have the church’s leadership under a DOJ investigation.
28 min
939
Oklahoma's Upcoming Execution Spree
Sister Helen Prejean is imploring both church and state to be “pro-life” even for the guilty.
22 min
940
The Migrants Texas Sent to New York City
What can New York do for asylum seekers who have been sent as a political stunt?
18 min
941
TBD | We're Expecting the Wrong Things From the...
What to make of the latest COVID-19 guidelines from the CDC.
24 min
942
TBD | What All That Money for Green Tech in the...
The Inflation Reduction Act is fast-tracking climate technologies.
23 min
943
The Red States Punishing Green Businesses
The “party of big business” is using public funds to dictate how private companies invest.
21 min
944
Will Kentucky Fail Breonna Taylor Again?
An ambitious attorney general failed to hold the cops accountable. Will he obstruct future investigations?
22 min
945
What the DOJ Should Do About Trump
One former federal prosecutor thinks the agency is missing an opportunity to explain its approach to the former president.
25 min
946
Who Influences the Influencers?
Political money and messaging is flowing, unregulated, onto social media.
26 min
947
TBD | Big Pharma’s Bet on Psychedelics
Psychedelic drug research is increasingly being funded by pharmaceutical companies.
22 min
948
TBD | Crypto Could Leave Texas in the Dark
How crypto mining is taxing the Texas power grid.
22 min
949
The Crisis of Trust That Dobbs Created
A ruptured ectopic pregnancy left a Texas woman wondering if her treatment was delayed because of her state’s abortion ban.
23 min
950
Is This Climate Bill Worth the Wait?
And how long until we know it’s working?
20 min