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.
1176
Rapid Test Blues
Why is the U.S. still falling down on COVID testing?
22 min
1177
Is the Pandemic Getting Better... Or Worse?
The omicron variant is scrambling our plans, our workplaces, and our confidence.
21 min
1178
The Coup Next Time
What if January 6 was just a first attempt?
23 min
1179
The Capitol Rioters, A Year Later
The number of defendants facing federal charges continues to grow.
26 min
1180
TBD | Best of 2021: It’s Time to Talk About U.F...
A new report shows that the government is changing its tune on unidentified aerial phenomena.
21 min
1181
Best of 2021 | When Your Town Burns Down
Greenville, California was a microcosm of America: full of heart and bedeviled by bitter arguments over how to face the long-term threat of climate change.
27 min
1182
Best of 2021 | Will the NFL Finally Support Gay...
Standing behind Carl Nassib is going to take more than a tweet.
31 min
1183
Best of 2021 | How Should We Remember Colin Pow...
Untangling the former general’s complicated legacy.
28 min
1184
Best of 2021 | God Doesn’t Want Me Vaccinated
Examining the religious claims of the COVID vaccine’s conscientious objectors.
25 min
1185
TBD | Best of 2021: Are We Getting COVID Testi...
It may be time to reimagine how we use tests in the U.S.
26 min
1186
Best of 2021 | When the Culture War Comes For Y...
It started with a Facebook group and ended with violent threats.
29 min
1187
Best of 2021 | One Woman’s Year Protecting Geor...
Why activists held onto the block where George Floyd was murdered.
34 min
1188
Best of 2021 | The Plight of the Delivery Worker
New York City depends on food carriers. So why are they struggling to survive?
28 min
1189
Joe Biden's Putin Problem
The west still has a way to keep Russia from pushing further into Ukraine.
22 min
1190
TBD | The Carbon Capture Fantasy
The IPCC says we may need to pull carbon out of the atmosphere to keep the planet from overheating. That won’t be easy.
23 min
1191
What Mark Meadows Knew
The former White House chief of staff is being held in contempt of Congress for the things he won’t say about January 6.
22 min
1192
Why Didn’t Maryland Democrats Go For the Jugular?
All is fair in love and elections?
22 min
1193
Abrams vs. Kemp vs. Perdue
Georgia’s gubernatorial race is now a three-way showdown.
23 min
1194
When Your Book Gets Banned By the School Board
How did Ashley Pérez’s novel Out of Darkness get blackballed from schools across the country?
27 min
1195
TBD | Who Online Justice Leaves Behind
The courts’ arrival in the modern era came with some unexpected tradeoffs.
15 min
1196
The School Shooting Down the Street
Republicans have blocked nearly all consideration of gun laws in Michigan. After the latest tragedy, Democrats are trying to revive the debate
25 min
1197
What Peng Shuai Started
The tennis player unraveled China’s carefully-curated image.
24 min
1198
House Democrats’ Long-Shot Plan to Dodge Disaster
An interview with the guy in charge of making it happen.
22 min
1199
The 30-Year Plan to End Roe
When it comes to abortion rights, conservatives played the long game.
25 min
1200
TBD | Did @jack Ruin Twitter?
In the post-Dorsey era, Twitter will try to grow as large as its competitors. Is that a good thing?
14 min