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.

Daily News
News Commentary
Politics
1076
TBD | Crypto Could Leave Texas in the Dark
How crypto mining is taxing the Texas power grid.
22 min
1077
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
1078
Is This Climate Bill Worth the Wait?
And how long until we know it’s working?
20 min
1079
The Taliban vs. the Press
How one journalist’s reporting trip turned into a nightmare.
26 min
1080
The New Era of Child Labor
A teen girl vanished in Alabama. The search for her revealed kids as young as 12 working in an Alabama factory.
19 min
1081
TBD | The Monkeypox Vaccine Monopoly
How intellectual property laws make health crises worse.
24 min
1082
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
1083
The Democrats’ MAGA Gambit
Elevate far-right extremists in the primary for an easier win in the general—what could go wrong?
22 min
1084
Is It Time to Free the “Merchant of Death”?
Does Russia want Viktor Bout back badly enough to send Brittney Griner home?
19 min
1085
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
1086
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
1087
TBD | The Dark Web of Online Spider Sales
How the pandemic and social media turbocharged the online spider trade.
18 min
1088
TBD | Paging Dr. Bezos
Amazon's latest push into health care raises questions about data privacy.
26 min
1089
Why Adoption Isn’t Enough
The “pre-Roe” world of adoption is not something to aspire to. Neither is the current system.
22 min
1090
The Fight to Defend Gay Marriage
It’s a winning issue, so why aren’t Senate Democrats hurrying it to a vote?
28 min
1091
The Worst Drought in 1,200 Years
The Southwest is struggling today, and it's not prepared for what may follow tomorrow.
23 min
1092
The Price Liz Cheney Will Pay
Oppose Trump vocally? Pay for it locally.
23 min
1093
TBD | Smart City: Dumb Idea?
Is the promise of the smart city over?
25 min
1094
TBD | Europe Is Burning
How will Europe deal with climate change?
24 min
1095
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
1096
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
1097
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
1098
The Biden Problem
Why do party leaders keep getting caught flat-footed?
18 min
1099
TBD | Silicon Valley's Hidden Discrimination
How a DEI talk about caste bias exposed discrimination in tech.
21 min
1100
TBD | Can Twitter Sue Elon Musk Into Submission?
A look at Twitter's internal operations as they take Elon Musk to court.
25 min