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
1551
The NFL vs. COVID-19
A “rub some dirt in it” approach to the pandemic.
23 min
1552
TBD | How Hackers Hold Schools for Ransom
When classes move online, hackers see an opportunity.
20 min
1553
Making a Vaccine Go Viral
How do we get people to trust this thing?
20 min
1554
Biden’s Window of Opportunity With Iran
A nuclear scientist’s assassination started a ticking clock.
20 min
1555
Can Janet Yellen Save the Economy?
The progressivism of Biden’s choice for Treasury secretary.
22 min
1556
A Contract Tracer on Her Overwhelming Job
“What scares me is -- what are we going to be left with?”
25 min
1557
A Small Business Finds Opportunity In Crisis
One Chicago retailer tries to turn his boutique into a beacon of hope.
22 min
1558
A House Democrat Reflects on Her Defeat
“We pounded them on covid and they pounded us on socialism.”
28 min
1559
Georgia Runoffs Put Each Party to the Test
Can Republicans and Democrats turn out their base without Trump on the ballot?
23 min
1560
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
1561
The Perils of Prosecuting Trump
What would accountability look like for the president and his enablers?
25 min
1562
What Biden Learned From the Last Crash
Make a deal you can sell. And, when in doubt, send people checks.
23 min
1563
El Paso’s COVID Spike Didn’t Have To Happen
Multiple leadership failures paved the way for uncontrollable viral spread.
22 min
1564
Worst. Transition. Ever.
Who could have predicted this? Well, a lot of people.
26 min
1565
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
1566
Not All of the Polls Were Wrong
A conversation with the Iowa pollster who called this election right.
27 min
1567
Republicans’ Down Ballot Power Grab
2021 redistricting could entrench Republican gerrymanders for ten more years.
27 min
1568
How Democrats Took Latino Voters for Granted
Latino voters were a mixed bag for Democrats depending on where you looked.
21 min
1569
Biden Won. What Now?
Who will the Biden administration have to work with?
21 min
1570
TBD | How the Gig Economy Won in California
An unprecedented ballot measure could shape the gig economy for years to come.
18 min
1571
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
1572
And Now We Wait
This is not the landslide scenario. This is the grind-it-out scenario.
23 min
1573
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
1574
First-Timers: A True Independent Voter
This first time voter wants an end to the two-party system as we know it.
17 min
1575
A Giant Test for Election Law
With just one day to go, what lawsuits are still hanging around?
22 min