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
The Putin Problem
What more can the Biden administration do to check Russian ambitions?
23 min
1402
Fear and Paranoia in American Policing
Everything around police officers tells them that they should be scared.
25 min
1403
TBD | Seduced by Substack
Is leaving a stable job to peddle a newsletter based on your personal brand crazy, or the future?
21 min
1404
The Confusion Over Johnson & Johnson
And why the science is working.
19 min
1405
How Republicans Weaponized Cancel Culture
And why it’s working.
21 min
1406
The Lab Leak Theory
Nutty conspiracy, or plausible explanation of COVID’s source?
26 min
1407
What's Different About the Chauvin Trial
Tone vs. Substance
25 min
1408
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
1409
One Man’s Mission to Protect Chinatown
A block-by-block effort to make the community feel safe.
21 min
1410
How Worried to Be About Michigan
Are we headed for a fourth wave?
22 min
1411
Biden’s Big Swing
How America could change if Biden’s infrastructure plan gets the green light.
21 min
1412
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
1413
TBD | The Fight Over Vaccine Passports
Standardizing vaccine credentials won’t be an easy task.
22 min
1414
LA’s Housing Crisis Hits A Boiling Point
Who owns the public park?
21 min
1415
The Wedge Issue of Republicans’ Dreams
How “reopen the schools” became Democrats’ biggest political headache.
20 min
1416
Can a Highway Be Racist?
Why federal civil rights investigators are looking into a Texas highway project.
19 min
1417
Should Florida Cancel Spring Break?
Miami Beach is a guinea pig in the state’s back-to-normal experiment.
17 min
1418
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
1419
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
1420
Migrant Families Are Still Being Separated
Less has changed at the border than President Biden might have hoped.
19 min
1421
One Month Without Water
Why Jackson’s next water crisis isn’t so far off.
23 min
1422
Why Don’t We Know More About the Atlanta Victims?
The conversation is complicated by the politics of race and sex.
24 min
1423
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
1424
Why Cuomo Won’t Resign
The New York governor faces compounding scandals.
27 min
1425
Our Year: Emergency Mode Can’t Last Forever
When do we decide to move on with our lives?
25 min