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
1001
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
1002
The Democrats’ MAGA Gambit
Elevate far-right extremists in the primary for an easier win in the general—what could go wrong?
22 min
1003
Is It Time to Free the “Merchant of Death”?
Does Russia want Viktor Bout back badly enough to send Brittney Griner home?
19 min
1004
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
1005
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
1006
TBD | The Dark Web of Online Spider Sales
How the pandemic and social media turbocharged the online spider trade.
18 min
1007
TBD | Paging Dr. Bezos
Amazon's latest push into health care raises questions about data privacy.
26 min
1008
Why Adoption Isn’t Enough
The “pre-Roe” world of adoption is not something to aspire to. Neither is the current system.
22 min
1009
The Fight to Defend Gay Marriage
It’s a winning issue, so why aren’t Senate Democrats hurrying it to a vote?
28 min
1010
The Worst Drought in 1,200 Years
The Southwest is struggling today, and it's not prepared for what may follow tomorrow.
23 min
1011
The Price Liz Cheney Will Pay
Oppose Trump vocally? Pay for it locally.
23 min
1012
TBD | Smart City: Dumb Idea?
Is the promise of the smart city over?
25 min
1013
TBD | Europe Is Burning
How will Europe deal with climate change?
24 min
1014
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
1015
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
1016
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
1017
The Biden Problem
Why do party leaders keep getting caught flat-footed?
18 min
1018
TBD | Silicon Valley's Hidden Discrimination
How a DEI talk about caste bias exposed discrimination in tech.
21 min
1019
TBD | Can Twitter Sue Elon Musk Into Submission?
A look at Twitter's internal operations as they take Elon Musk to court.
25 min
1020
The Proud Boys' New Plan for Power
From a loose coalition of “ironic misogynists” to a political force in the GOP.
22 min
1021
The Real Risks of Monkeypox
The latest outbreak threatens more than any one community.
23 min
1022
The Russians Invaded. The Opera Played On.
Facing bombardment and blockade, music has returned to Odesa’s storied theater.
24 min
1023
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
1024
TBD | Paxlovid's Mysteries
Is Paxlovid really a miracle drug?
22 min
1025
TBD | Can FEMA Keep Up With Climate Change?
Does the agency need to rethink disaster aid?
24 min