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
1
Can Kash Patel Survive This?
The Patel era is less about investigations and more about posting stuff Trump likes.
26 min
2
Who’s Winning the War on Higher Education?
The Trump administration has silenced professors, withheld more than two billion dollars in research funding, and forced administrators out.
30 min
3
Hasan Piker Knew Charlie Kirk
The leftist streamer says that in the rush to mourn Kirk and condemn political violence, Kirk’s own words and politics are in danger of being whitewashed or ignored.
25 min
4
TBD | Her Daughter Killed Herself. Then She Saw...
Should A.I. have warned someone?
31 min
5
Bonus: “We Got Him”
The internet made Charlie Kirk. Did it make his killer too?
3 min
6
TBD | You Can't Escape the Charlie Kirk Video
Content moderation is dead, algorithms are designed to serve you horrific videos - is this the future of life online?
32 min
7
How the Supreme Court Legalized Racial Profiling
According to the court, college admissions offices can’t consider race. ICE, however…
26 min
8
Trump Blew Up 11 People. Is That Legal?
The president takes the “because I say so” theory of authority into international waters.
28 min
9
The Democrats Have Leverage. Will They Use It?
Rep. Jamie Raskin and the Democrats are considering all of their options for stopping Trump’s authoritarian agenda.
23 min
10
Can You Get a COVID Vaccine?
RFK Jr. undid in one summer something decades in the making.
24 min
11
TBD | End of an Electric Avenue
Are Americans ready and willing to pay full-price for an electric vehicle?
20 min
12
TBD | Is the A.I. Bubble Bursting?
An “A.I. hater” makes the case.
31 min
13
Decorator-In-Chief
Turning the White House to Mar-A-Lago North.
23 min
14
Can Congress Stop Trump's Takeover?
You’re a coequal branch of government! Act like it!
26 min
15
Presidency for Sale
Trump's not being particularly sly about profiting from his office this term. But how much has he made so far?
24 min
16
ICYMI | The Great Girlboss Comeback
Just a few years after their cancellations, some girlbosses are starting their second acts.
49 min
17
TBD | A24 Meets A.I.
Risk alienating your “auteurs”—or risk being left behind?
22 min
18
Bonus: I’ll Gav What She’s Gavin
Is the California governor fighting fire with fire—or just sinking to their level?
2 min
19
TBD | The Great Celebrity Spotify Playlist Hack
What the “Panama Playlists” revealed, other than JD Vance’s taste.
23 min
20
Could Artificial Blood Save Lives?
The hunt for a shelf-stable, life-saving substitute for human blood.
23 min
21
What the John Bolton Raid Means
Scooch over, National Guard, and make room for a “chilling effect” descending on Washington.
24 min
22
The Man Behind Trump’s Firing of Lisa Cook
Meet the president's attack dog.
27 min
23
The Womanosphere Wants To Make America Hot Again
Is the future of MAGA female?
27 min
24
TBD | Trump Vs. Cancer Research
Wait, it’s ‘Vs. Cancer,’ right? No? Wow.
26 min
25
TBD | The CDC Under Fire
A widespread suspicion of public health—something HHS head RFK Jr. does nothing to tamp down—has metastasized into something much more dangerous.
21 min