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
TBD | The Monkeypox Vaccine Monopoly
How intellectual property laws make health crises worse.
24 min
927
TBD | The Homes We Forgot to Build a Decade Ago
Is there a way to fix the never-ending housing crisis in the US?
24 min
928
The Democrats’ MAGA Gambit
Elevate far-right extremists in the primary for an easier win in the general—what could go wrong?
22 min
929
Is It Time to Free the “Merchant of Death”?
Does Russia want Viktor Bout back badly enough to send Brittney Griner home?
19 min
930
Kansas's Sketchy Abortion Vote
From confusing language to the election’s odd timing, conservative lawmakers are using every trick in the book to try and restrict access to reproductive healthcare.
20 min
931
The Jan. 6 Rioter Whose Son Turned Him In
Facing a 15 year sentence for domestic terrorism, will they make an example of Guy Reffitt?
24 min
932
TBD | The Dark Web of Online Spider Sales
How the pandemic and social media turbocharged the online spider trade.
18 min
933
TBD | Paging Dr. Bezos
Amazon's latest push into health care raises questions about data privacy.
26 min
934
Why Adoption Isn’t Enough
The “pre-Roe” world of adoption is not something to aspire to. Neither is the current system.
22 min
935
The Fight to Defend Gay Marriage
It’s a winning issue, so why aren’t Senate Democrats hurrying it to a vote?
28 min
936
The Worst Drought in 1,200 Years
The Southwest is struggling today, and it's not prepared for what may follow tomorrow.
23 min
937
The Price Liz Cheney Will Pay
Oppose Trump vocally? Pay for it locally.
23 min
938
TBD | Smart City: Dumb Idea?
Is the promise of the smart city over?
25 min
939
TBD | Europe Is Burning
How will Europe deal with climate change?
24 min
940
Three Theories on Joe Manchin
Why the West Virginia senator kept telling the Democrats ‘no’ on climate — and why the Democrats kept on asking.
21 min
941
A Different Kind of Pollution
“Sensory pollution” in the environment can be just as harmful as chemical pollution—but it’s also much easier to fix.
23 min
942
The Prosecutors Stuck With Abortion Bans
In conservative states, some public attorneys are trying to signal that they'll treat Dobbs-triggered cases with skepticism.
26 min
943
The Biden Problem
Why do party leaders keep getting caught flat-footed?
18 min
944
TBD | Silicon Valley's Hidden Discrimination
How a DEI talk about caste bias exposed discrimination in tech.
21 min
945
TBD | Can Twitter Sue Elon Musk Into Submission?
A look at Twitter's internal operations as they take Elon Musk to court.
25 min
946
The Proud Boys' New Plan for Power
From a loose coalition of “ironic misogynists” to a political force in the GOP.
22 min
947
The Real Risks of Monkeypox
The latest outbreak threatens more than any one community.
23 min
948
The Russians Invaded. The Opera Played On.
Facing bombardment and blockade, music has returned to Odesa’s storied theater.
24 min
949
The War on LGBTQ+ Rights
How The Trevor Project sees the impact of the GOP’s newly-introduced, anti-LGBTQ+ laws on American youth.
26 min
950
TBD | Paxlovid's Mysteries
Is Paxlovid really a miracle drug?
22 min