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.
1651
Is the Military Turning Its Back on Trump?
The events in Lafayette Square may have have broken a dam.
20 min
1652
TBD | Is This the End of Facial Recognition?
In the space of a week, development of the powerful surveillance technology has come to a screeching halt.
20 min
1653
The Antifa Myth
What happened when a small town got itself ginned up about a threat that never came.
18 min
1654
A Momentous Vote in Minneapolis
One city council member on how he came around to the idea of disbanding the police.
17 min
1655
Ferguson Revisited: The Worst Night
Years after the death of Michael Brown, we reflect on one of the worst nights in Ferguson and ask, “What didn’t we see?”
22 min
1656
Pandemic & Protest
Activism always comes with risk. This time, the risks look a little different.
22 min
1657
TBD | Your Delivery Habit Isn't Helping
Apps like DoorDash and Grubhub are doing more harm than good.
18 min
1658
Larry Kramer Wouldn't Be Quiet
How Kramer's uncompromising activism is a lesson for this moment.
22 min
1659
A History of Violent Protest
Big structural change in America doesn’t happen without violence.
22 min
1660
Caught Between COVID and DACA
Will the Supreme Court decide to end the program that protects this doctor from deportation?
25 min
1661
Minneapolis Was a Powder Keg
All it needed was a match.
20 min
1662
TBD | Trump and Twitter Go to War
Twitter fact checked the president’s tweets. Two days later, he issued an executive order that aims to redefine free speech online.
18 min
1663
Are We Headed for a Cold War With China?
The relationship between the US and China is getting increasingly frosty.
19 min
1664
How the US Can Dodge A Depression
There’s still time to avoid even more disaster.
21 min
1665
When Coronavirus Came to Navajo Nation
“It was like wildfire.”
13 min
1666
TBD | What Is Elon Musk Thinking?
A public battle over the closure of a Tesla plant shows what happens when big tech goes up against local government.
17 min
1667
A Summer Without Camp
You can’t roast a marshmallow over Zoom.
19 min
1668
On A Wild Goose Chase for Masks
Unprecedented demand and relaxed government rules create some big winners -- and a lot of losers.
25 min
1669
Can We Even Trust the Testing Data?
Nationwide data collection is critical here. The CDC hasn’t distinguished itself.
22 min
1670
How Much Trouble Is Senator Richard Burr In?
He told the public not to worry about the coronavirus. Then he sold his stock.
20 min
1671
TBD | Decoding the Flood of COVID Data
How to turn data into decisions.
17 min
1672
Inside a COVID-19 Vaccine Trial
"People are working 24/7... it's just crazy."
19 min
1673
Will Michael Flynn Get Away With It?
There’s a reason many former prosecutors and lawyers have expressed outrage over the Department of Justice’s decision to drop Michael Flynn’s case.
24 min
1674
Italy Emerges From Lockdown. Slowly.
“Sometimes, I forget that it's still very dangerous to be out. We can get sick again.”
17 min
1675
The Shooting of Ahmaud Arbery
Why did it take local officials more than two months to make any arrests?
19 min