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
1526
TBD | Everybody Sues Facebook
This isn’t the first antitrust suit against a big tech company, but it is the most ambitious.
20 min
1527
What if the U.S. Just Didn’t?
America has an opportunity to take a back seat and embrace global collaboration.
23 min
1528
What Does the Teachers Union Want?
It’s actually pretty simple.
22 min
1529
How Cherokee Nation Is Beating Back COVID
Pandemic preparation done right.
23 min
1530
The NFL vs. COVID-19
A “rub some dirt in it” approach to the pandemic.
23 min
1531
TBD | How Hackers Hold Schools for Ransom
When classes move online, hackers see an opportunity.
20 min
1532
Making a Vaccine Go Viral
How do we get people to trust this thing?
20 min
1533
Biden’s Window of Opportunity With Iran
A nuclear scientist’s assassination started a ticking clock.
20 min
1534
Can Janet Yellen Save the Economy?
The progressivism of Biden’s choice for Treasury secretary.
22 min
1535
A Contract Tracer on Her Overwhelming Job
“What scares me is -- what are we going to be left with?”
25 min
1536
A Small Business Finds Opportunity In Crisis
One Chicago retailer tries to turn his boutique into a beacon of hope.
22 min
1537
A House Democrat Reflects on Her Defeat
“We pounded them on covid and they pounded us on socialism.”
28 min
1538
Georgia Runoffs Put Each Party to the Test
Can Republicans and Democrats turn out their base without Trump on the ballot?
23 min
1539
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
1540
The Perils of Prosecuting Trump
What would accountability look like for the president and his enablers?
25 min
1541
What Biden Learned From the Last Crash
Make a deal you can sell. And, when in doubt, send people checks.
23 min
1542
El Paso’s COVID Spike Didn’t Have To Happen
Multiple leadership failures paved the way for uncontrollable viral spread.
22 min
1543
Worst. Transition. Ever.
Who could have predicted this? Well, a lot of people.
26 min
1544
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
1545
Not All of the Polls Were Wrong
A conversation with the Iowa pollster who called this election right.
27 min
1546
Republicans’ Down Ballot Power Grab
2021 redistricting could entrench Republican gerrymanders for ten more years.
27 min
1547
How Democrats Took Latino Voters for Granted
Latino voters were a mixed bag for Democrats depending on where you looked.
21 min
1548
Biden Won. What Now?
Who will the Biden administration have to work with?
21 min
1549
TBD | How the Gig Economy Won in California
An unprecedented ballot measure could shape the gig economy for years to come.
18 min
1550
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