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
1276
TBD | Tim Apple vs. Mark Facebook
Two of the most powerful tech companies in the world have very different ideas about how the internet should work.
18 min
1277
Inside India’s COVID Wards
The country's hospitals are so overrun that people are turning to Twitter for emergency medicine.
25 min
1278
A Better Way to Talk About Gun Violence
There are glaring holes in the national conversation.
23 min
1279
The Invasion of Lake Tahoe
When the pandemic hit, some rich Bay Area residents decamped to a small vacation town. It hasn’t gone well.
19 min
1280
The Case for Going Maskless Outdoors
Why it might be time to re-evaluate mask rules.
21 min
1281
TBD | What's Causing the Tesla Crashes?
Two men died after their car plowed into a tree. Police say no one was at the wheel.
19 min
1282
Patriot or Outcast?
One town’s battle over a local teacher’s role on January 6th.
28 min
1283
The Chauvin Verdict
Community members in George Floyd Square say this is just the start.
29 min
1284
The Putin Problem
What more can the Biden administration do to check Russian ambitions?
23 min
1285
Fear and Paranoia in American Policing
Everything around police officers tells them that they should be scared.
25 min
1286
TBD | Seduced by Substack
Is leaving a stable job to peddle a newsletter based on your personal brand crazy, or the future?
21 min
1287
The Confusion Over Johnson & Johnson
And why the science is working.
19 min
1288
How Republicans Weaponized Cancel Culture
And why it’s working.
21 min
1289
The Lab Leak Theory
Nutty conspiracy, or plausible explanation of COVID’s source?
26 min
1290
What's Different About the Chauvin Trial
Tone vs. Substance
25 min
1291
TBD | The Rise of the Therapy Apps
The pandemic opened up a window to transform mental health care as we know it. Is that a good thing?
22 min
1292
One Man’s Mission to Protect Chinatown
A block-by-block effort to make the community feel safe.
21 min
1293
How Worried to Be About Michigan
Are we headed for a fourth wave?
22 min
1294
Biden’s Big Swing
How America could change if Biden’s infrastructure plan gets the green light.
21 min
1295
The Bizarre Origin Story of the Gaetz Scandal
Each piece of the story is just the tip of an even more terrible iceberg.
24 min
1296
TBD | The Fight Over Vaccine Passports
Standardizing vaccine credentials won’t be an easy task.
22 min
1297
LA’s Housing Crisis Hits A Boiling Point
Who owns the public park?
21 min
1298
The Wedge Issue of Republicans’ Dreams
How “reopen the schools” became Democrats’ biggest political headache.
20 min
1299
Can a Highway Be Racist?
Why federal civil rights investigators are looking into a Texas highway project.
19 min
1300
Should Florida Cancel Spring Break?
Miami Beach is a guinea pig in the state’s back-to-normal experiment.
17 min