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
1301
TBD | The AstraZeneca Saga
By all accounts, Oxford and AstraZeneca made a good vaccine. So why has the path to approval been so painful?
22 min
1302
One Colorado Man’s Crusade Against Gun Violence
What the Boulder shooting reveals about the fight for gun control measures in the state.
21 min
1303
Migrant Families Are Still Being Separated
Less has changed at the border than President Biden might have hoped.
19 min
1304
One Month Without Water
Why Jackson’s next water crisis isn’t so far off.
23 min
1305
Why Don’t We Know More About the Atlanta Victims?
The conversation is complicated by the politics of race and sex.
24 min
1306
TBD | Hate, Lies, and AI
Artificial Intelligence transformed technology across Facebook. But it’s not being employed to fix the company’s biggest problem.
23 min
1307
Why Cuomo Won’t Resign
The New York governor faces compounding scandals.
27 min
1308
Our Year: Emergency Mode Can’t Last Forever
When do we decide to move on with our lives?
25 min
1309
Our Year: 1 Out of 530,000
When the pandemic hit home.
18 min
1310
Our Year: Who's “Essential” Now?
Do we treat essential workers like they’re essential?
29 min
1311
TBD | Does Google Actually Want to Hire Black E...
The tech giant’s partnerships with HBCUs are still coming up short.
21 min
1312
The Fight to Reopen Schools in Memphis
How the state forced school leaders' hand.
19 min
1313
White, Republican, and Vaccine Skeptical
Vaccine hesitancy lingers in many pockets of the country. What does that mean for the spread of the virus?
23 min
1314
Who Gets to Work on Capitol Hill?
Congress is more diverse than ever. Why isn’t its staff?
17 min
1315
Derek Chauvin on Trial
This will not be a simple prosecution.
20 min
1316
TBD | The Failing Lifeline for Low-Income Ameri...
A Reagan-era program designed to provide phone access for the poor has hardly changed in 40 years.
20 min
1317
Good Luck Voting in Georgia Next Election
After the presidential elections, state republicans want to change the rules they made.
28 min
1318
A National Wave of Anti-Trans Bills
The coordinated flood of legislation isn’t new. But now, it’s targeting kids.
24 min
1319
Biden’s First Foreign Policy Test
It wasn’t really what he wanted.
21 min
1320
Texans Can't Catch a Break
What it’s like to live from disaster to disaster.
22 min
1321
TBD | Australia’s Kinda-Sorta Win Over Big Tech
A new type of legislation could change the way governments and big tech do business.
19 min
1322
A Biden Pick in Trouble
Neera Tanden’s OMB nomination is hanging by a thread.
26 min
1323
The Marines’ Sexual Assault Problem
Years of scandals seem to have wrought little change.
25 min
1324
Should Student Debt Be Canceled?
Diving into one solution to several problems.
24 min
1325
Will Andrew Cuomo Say Sorry?
Even on the cusp of having his emergency powers revoked, a mea culpa is probably not in the cards.
22 min