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
1401
What Does the Teachers Union Want?
It’s actually pretty simple.
22 min
1402
How Cherokee Nation Is Beating Back COVID
Pandemic preparation done right.
23 min
1403
The NFL vs. COVID-19
A “rub some dirt in it” approach to the pandemic.
23 min
1404
TBD | How Hackers Hold Schools for Ransom
When classes move online, hackers see an opportunity.
20 min
1405
Making a Vaccine Go Viral
How do we get people to trust this thing?
20 min
1406
Biden’s Window of Opportunity With Iran
A nuclear scientist’s assassination started a ticking clock.
20 min
1407
Can Janet Yellen Save the Economy?
The progressivism of Biden’s choice for Treasury secretary.
22 min
1408
A Contract Tracer on Her Overwhelming Job
“What scares me is -- what are we going to be left with?”
25 min
1409
A Small Business Finds Opportunity In Crisis
One Chicago retailer tries to turn his boutique into a beacon of hope.
22 min
1410
A House Democrat Reflects on Her Defeat
“We pounded them on covid and they pounded us on socialism.”
28 min
1411
Georgia Runoffs Put Each Party to the Test
Can Republicans and Democrats turn out their base without Trump on the ballot?
23 min
1412
TBD | Inside Biden’s COVID Team
One of the president-elect’s coronavirus advisers says Trump’s refusal to concede is costing lives.
20 min
1413
The Perils of Prosecuting Trump
What would accountability look like for the president and his enablers?
25 min
1414
What Biden Learned From the Last Crash
Make a deal you can sell. And, when in doubt, send people checks.
23 min
1415
El Paso’s COVID Spike Didn’t Have To Happen
Multiple leadership failures paved the way for uncontrollable viral spread.
22 min
1416
Worst. Transition. Ever.
Who could have predicted this? Well, a lot of people.
26 min
1417
TBD | How Tough Will Biden Really Be on Big Tech?
His presidency may be the last chance to constrain the far-reaching power of the tech giants.
18 min
1418
Not All of the Polls Were Wrong
A conversation with the Iowa pollster who called this election right.
27 min
1419
Republicans’ Down Ballot Power Grab
2021 redistricting could entrench Republican gerrymanders for ten more years.
27 min
1420
How Democrats Took Latino Voters for Granted
Latino voters were a mixed bag for Democrats depending on where you looked.
21 min
1421
Biden Won. What Now?
Who will the Biden administration have to work with?
21 min
1422
TBD | How the Gig Economy Won in California
An unprecedented ballot measure could shape the gig economy for years to come.
18 min
1423
What We Know So Far
Joe Biden is knocking on the door of the presidency. If he wins, can his governing style work?
24 min
1424
And Now We Wait
This is not the landslide scenario. This is the grind-it-out scenario.
23 min
1425
First-Timers: An NBA Player's First Time Voting
Larry Nance Jr. talks about his efforts to address voting accessibility issues in Ohio.
23 min