Shows / What Next | Daily News and Analysis
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…
Episodes
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHow Immigration Enforcement Became So Violent
How ICE and Border Patrol’s mission became harassing the president’s personal enemies. Guest: Radley Balko, journalist and the author of Rise of the Warrior…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisEveryone Saw CBP Kill Alex Pretti
Once again, federal agents have shot and killed a legal observer in Minneapolis. Once again, the shooting is on video. And once again, the Trump Administration…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisDavid Ellison, Eldest Boy
Having already taken over Paramount, David Ellison was vying to add Warner Bros. Discovery to his portfolio. Are his dad’s politics behind his drive to run…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Right’s Minneapolis Outrage Machine
The administration’s justification for their actions in Minneapolis owe a lot to the right-wing influencers—and they seem happy to keep this vicious cycle…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisPresident TACO’s Greenland Gambit
Donald Trump isn’t one for clear policy objectives, but one of his top priorities, apparently, is making Greenland part of the United States–even at the…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisSCOTUS Might Actually Let Trans Kids on the Field
The Supreme Court heard arguments over state-level bans on trans athletes competing in public schools last week. Though it’s hard to imagine the…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Care and Feeding | The World Is On Fire. How Do We Tell the Kids?
While the What Next team takes the holiday, enjoy this episode from our colleagues at Care and Feeding, featuring a familiar voice. What Next will be back with…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisMinnesota’s AG Will See ICE in Court
Attorney General Keith Ellison is one of the few top Minnesota officials not being investigated by the DOJ… yet. We ask him why, talk about charges for…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisChatGPT, MD
Doctors are already using artificial intelligence to take notes while with patients—but are large language models ready to consult? Guest: Brittany Trang…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisBonus SchadenFriday: How a Lefty Journalist Stumbled Into an ICE Job
She just wanted to report on an ICE recruiting session. She didn’t expect to get a job offer. Guest: Laura Jedeed, journalist who wrote “You’ve Heard About Who…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHow and Why to Vaccinate Now
Where do you turn for vaccination advice for your kids—or yourself—when the government’s own recommendations can’t be trusted anymore? Guest: Dr. Lauren…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWould You Die To Stop ICE?
The Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire went viral for telling clergy to have their affairs in order as they prepare to defend the most vulnerable, at a prayer…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisShould Congress Defund ICE?
Rep. Adam Smith is the ranking member of the House committee that’s supposed to have oversight on the Department of Defense—yes, that’s what he still calls it…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Case for a Blue Wave
Midterm elections are typically bad for the president’s party. Given how Trump’s second term is going, do the Democrats have a chance to do something historic?…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisEmperor Trump Wants Greenland
Is Trump genuinely interested in expanding America’s borders or is this all just to further their mission of “looking tough online”? For the people surprised…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHow Grok Filled X With Deepfake Porn
To kick off the new year, users on X have been asking Grok to nudify people - and kids - at an astonishing rate. And X leadership is egging them on. Guest…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisBetting on Venezuela
While the U.S. was busy capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, someone online was busy placing bets on prediction markets on the ouster. And these…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisEveryone Saw ICE Kill Renee Good
After the Trump administration launched a massive Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operation in Minnesota, protesters gathered to defend immigrant…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Scandal That Took Down Tim Walz
How a mixture of real investigations, wild allegations, evidence of actual fraud, and the right-wing echo chamber ended Tim Walz’s governor campaign in…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Jan 6ers: Where Are They Now?
The investigation into the 2021 attack on the Capitol was the largest in FBI history. Then Trump came back into office—and started undoing it. Guest: Ryan…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisDon’t Call It a Regime Change
The Trump administration has a handful of answers to the question “Why did the United States pluck Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela?”—it was for narcoterrorism…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisAre We Over the Moon?
The Trump administration wants NASA to land astronauts on the moon by 2027. They also want them to do it with their budget slashed, a leadership carousel and…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisBonus: What It’s Going to Take
Host Mary Harris appeared on stage a few weeks back to speak in response to a night of “Resistance Theater,” considering how she, as a journalist, is preparing…
What Next | Daily News and Analysis2025: Dystopian Tech of the Year
Artificial intelligence boosters spent the year wedging the tech into our lives – whether we wanted it or not. But one new product brought A.I. from every app…
What Next | Daily News and Analysis2025: The Music of the Year
2025 might not have been a great year —but the music sure was stellar. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole…
What Next | Daily News and Analysis2025: The Advice of the Year
With rising authoritarianism, terrifying speech crackdowns, and violence in the streets, this year we found ourselves turning to our friends over at How To for…
What Next | Daily News and Analysis2025: The Movie(s) of the Year
If you were to sum up 2025 in a film, which would you pick? The question that nearly wrecked the brain of Slate’s chief movie critic. Guest: Dana Stevens…
What Next | Daily News and Analysis2025: The Game of the Year
Canada and the United States usually have a pretty good-natured sports rivalry—but from hockey to baseball, that was not the case in 2025. Guest: Alex…
What Next | Daily News and Analysis2025: The Meme of the Year
With so much online content, it can be hard for a meme to stay in the collective consciousness for more than a few days. But one meme this year managed to…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisIs the A.I. Bubble Bursting? | 2025 in Review
All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisA Rabbi’s Plea for Peace | 2025 in Review
All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Gutting Our National Parks | 2025 in Review
All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
He Wrote About Anti-Fascism—Then Fled the Country | 2025 in Review
All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
The Flight Attendant Who Wants You to Go on Strike | 2025 in Review
All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWe Made a Memecoin | 2025 in Review
All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisBonus: SchadenFriday: Spewing Bile and Susie Wiles
Is the president falling into the very trap that launched him back into office by telling people the economy is actually great when they say it isn’t? Is this…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisData Center Space Race
While the A.I. boom has created a data center boom, rich guys are turning their computing dreams to the skies. With its impending IPO, SpaceX stands to lead…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhy Antisemitism Is Everywhere
It’s not that antisemitism ever went away, but it’s still jarring to watch people spread its oldest and most vile tropes on social media in a way that would’ve…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Unaffordable Economy
Even though the economy looks to be slowing down, prices are still rising. And while presidents don’t have a ton of control over the economy, there is…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisCandace Owens at a Turning Point
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, the right-wing commentator Candace Owens didn’t simply blame liberals. Her antisemetic conspiracy theories have become so…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Boot Camps Treating Kids’ Pain
Are “boot camp” clinics that treat kids and teenagers with chronic pain symptoms helping or inflicting more damage on patients who have trouble advocating for…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhole Shopping List
Whole Foods based its brand on a certain standard of quality—but there are some things that shoppers nevertheless want. Amazon believes it has found a way to…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisReady for Chatbot Canvassers?
The good news is voters are more persuaded by factual claims than emotional appeals or appeals to fear. But the bad news is that A.I. chatbots, trying to…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHis Mom Got Deported. Then He Went Viral.
Today’s TikTok influencers share every aspect of their lives: from their morning routines, to getting ready to go out, to their parents being detained and…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
The Fight Over The Future of Movies
Last Friday, Netflix announced that they would be acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, a massive megamerger that would let the number one streaming service…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Healthcare Is Expensive. It’s About To Get Worse.
This week, Senate Democrats will hold a vote on extending expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits to try to prevent health insurance premiums from…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisIt’s the Alt-Right’s GOP Now
Ten years ago, the alt-right’s talking points about immigration used to be too toxic to even post on the internet under your own name. So how did they turn…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisChatGOP?
Donald Trump—or at least the tech guys who have his ear—is ready to clear the regulatory runway for A.I. but other Republicans aren’t too sure. Can he bring…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisSchadenFriday Plus: Feelin’ Nuzzi
Olivia Nuzzi’s book, American Canto, is out. Somehow it discloses almost nothing and also way, way too much. Guest: Scaachi Koul, Slate senior writer. This…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe AI & Crypto Czar’s Conflicts
A tech mogul who made bank from Paypal with his Stanford buddies and has endeared himself to right-wing politicians and enriched himself the same way? No not…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Year of Vaccine Backsliding
Today, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee will be meeting to vote on recommendations for childhood vaccinations. But under RFK Jr.’s leadership, this…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisPardon Me, Mr. President
Some presidents use their pardons for large groups of people. Some presidents use them for personal reasons. If you were to sum up Donald Trump’s use of the…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisA Textbook Example of an Unlawful Order
Just after the Trump administration threw a fit over a video reminding the military that they have an obligation to refuse unlawful orders, the Washington Post…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhat Kids Aren't Learning About US History
Conservatives have long complained that teaching American history with slavery and genocide and systemic oppression is just too negative, and the Trump…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisIf You Give A.I. a Nuke
As the U.S. upgrades and updates its defense and military systems, the question isn’t whether A.I. will be integrated, but where, how much, and how much…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Rebroadcast: Dupes!
Note: This episode was originally published on July 27, 2025. There’s an entire economy devoted to seeing what products are trending—clothing, skin care, even…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisDecoder Ring | Cozy Autumn Mysteries
While the What Next team works their way from preparingfood to sleeping it off, enjoy this episode on fall’s flavorful favorites fromour friends at Decoder…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhy You Can't Avoid Wicked
With the release of Wicked: For Good, spectacle is back in theaters and back on the press circuit: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are again “holding space”…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisCould We Get Peace In Ukraine?
The Trump administration has announced a 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine that involves ceding territory, giving up on joining NATO and reducing its…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHow Planned Parenthood Got Defunded
Between the drastic budget cuts and provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill, the Trump administration has found a way to drain Planned Parenthood and other…