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 AnalysisThe Newarkification of Flying
Aging equipment and chronically understaffed air traffic control have made flying in and out of Newark’s Liberty International Airport a delay-snarled mess…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Qatari Plane Is Just The Start
Between the crypto ventures, real estate deals, and a gift-wrapped tricked-out 747, it feels like Donald Trump is more open-for-business than ever this term…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTrump’s Middle East Diplomacy
Ahead of his first trip to the region, Donald Trump’s policies toward the Middle East have been full of surprises. He wants sanctions on Syria lifted; he…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisDavid Hogg Wants Democratic Politicians to Be Afraid
What if the Democratic Party’s problem isn’t just messaging—it’s the Democrats themselves, and “seniority politics” that never call incumbents to account? Is…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe War Over Pete Hegseth
Despite being perhaps the least experienced person to ever hold his position, Pete Hegseth has set about dramatically reforming the Department of Defense to…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisOnline and Pregnant
The intimate and extremely personal experience of bringing a child into this world? There’s an app for that…and forums…and so much advice…that contradicts…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisBonus Main Character Syndrome: Your Mom
As we head into Mother’s Day weekend (there’s still time to get to the florist if you hurry!), we dive into “motherhood in the moment”—where “pro-natalism”…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Chatbots All The Way Down
Why artificial intelligence isn’t waiting for consumer demand. Guest: Gerrit De Vynck, tech reporter for The Washington Post. Want more What Next TBD?…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisYes, Shelves Will Be Empty
The consequences of Donald Trump’s new tariffs are working their way through the supply chain and soon will start showing up for consumers in the form of empty…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Arts of the Deal
How Donald Trump is attempting to shape the arts to his own liking, from installing himself as head of the Kennedy Center to canceling grants from the National…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisA Marco Rubio for All Seasons
Marco Rubio has been collecting titles. In addition to Secretary of State, he’s now also the acting administrator of USAID, the acting archivist for the…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTrump v. the Judiciary
Is the arrest of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan the start of Trump’s open war on judges? Guest: Jeremy Fogel, retired federal judge and executive director…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHow Elon Wields Power
What is it about the way that Elon Musk wields power that led 65 percent of Americans to agree he has too much influence on the federal government? Guest: Faiz…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisMarc Andreessen’s New Deal
What drove Marc Andreessen’s transformation into a political actor, and what is he looking for from having Washington in his thrall? Guest: Zoe Schiffer, WIRED…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTrump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Many of the policy changes in Trump’s first 100 days have come from the White House—but now, it’s Congress’s turn. Republicans have roughly a month to pass a…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisInside the ICE Prison Holding Student Detainees
After Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk was abducted off the streets of her district, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is not mincing words when it comes to the Trump…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWill HHS Survive RFK Jr?
At his first press conference as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr. gave a glimpse of what the department will look like under his…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisAre Public Schools the Supreme Court's Next Target?
The Supreme Court is hearing two cases this month regarding religion in public schools that seem to contradict each other—a public school in Maryland where…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisDeath of the Weather Forecast?
The Trump administration has already begun cutting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the U.S. National Weather Service…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Immigration Data Dragnet
One of DOGE’s goals is to get government data out of “silos” and make it more easily shared across departments. But there are good reasons for some data to be…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Flight Attendant Who Wants You to Go on Strike
The Trump administration’s actions on immigration and firing the federal workforce have drawn condemnation from all sorts of unions—from building trades to…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisFed Up!
Why Trump wants to ouster his own appointee, Jerome Powell, from the Fed chair—and why the rest of the world is rooting for Powell to stay put. Guest: Liz…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisCiao Papa
Preaching for empathy and compassion, Pope Francis was at times seen as an agent of dramatic change in the Catholic Church. Did he succeed? Is that even an…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhy Did Big Law Fold So Easily?
Some of the nation’s biggest law firms have found themselves in Trump’s crosshairs and have pledged pro-bono legal service to maintain their security…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Baby Monitor Trap
If setting up a baby monitor in the room with your sleeping kids doesn’t allow you to pop out and enjoy the cruise ship, what are they actually good for?…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe U.S. vs Meta
This week, the FTC and Meta began a trial to determine if—by adding Instagram and WhatsApp to its portfolio with Facebook over a decade ago—the company became…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisShould Hospitals Drug Test New Moms?
In an ongoing opioid epidemic, hospitals drug testing new mothers and their babies has an intuitive logic. But applied unequally, rife with false positives…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhen a State Tells Trump 'No'
In February, Donald Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills got into a spat over Trump’s executive order on trans athletes, that ended with both parties tersely…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTrump’s Weaponized IRS
On April 7, the Treasury Department and Department of Homeland Security reached an agreement to allow ICE to use confidential tax information to locate…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisProject 2025’s Plan for Your Family
Despite what Trump said on the campaign trail, his administration seems to be working right out of Project 2025, where the first goal is to “Restore the family…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTikTok: Somehow Also Affected by the Tariffs
TikTok was on the verge of being sold to a non-Chinese company when Trump rolled out his new tariff plans. Now everything is thrown into uncertainty and the…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTrump Tariffs Hit Mushroom Kingdom
The same day Nintendo was officially introducing its latest console, Donald Trump was announcing his new global tariff plan. As a result, gamers were treated…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisImpeachment From the Bottom Up
Thousands of “Hands Off!” protestors took to the street over the weekend. While it’s clear they were marching against the actions of Elon Musk and President…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisA Cancelled Actor Scripts His Comeback
Jonathan Majors was an actor on the rise—indie credits, prestige television, a Spike Lee joint, a superhero film. But all of that looked like it was over when…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Mass Grave in Gaza
While Egypt and the Gulf States submit proposals to rebuild Gaza, Israel is moving forward with President Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from the Gaza…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Upside Of Tariffs
Maybe Trump doesn’t care if the economy tanks—maybe he believes he can play it all to his advantage. And maybe, through a lot of pain, this is the only way…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhy Wall Street Can’t Quit Elon
Elon Musk’s polarizing persona and antics have created a toxic cloud around his companies, particularly Tesla. But despite that, Wall Street can’t seem to quit…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhere DOGE Is Taking Us
This week, DOGE set its sights and scythe on the Department of Health and Human Services, with a goal of cutting 10,000 federal workers, once again raising the…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Lives Ruined by Trump's Deportation Machine
Trump campaigned on deporting dangerous criminals, but in his administration’s haste to deliver on that promise, men with no criminal records or who are in the…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHow the Supreme Court Could Gut Planned Parenthood
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, a case that will determine whether South Carolina can…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisFree Speech? Not If You’re A Foreign Student.
As video of federal agents stopping Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk on the street and taking her away to be detained circulated on social media, people kept…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWill Elon Musk Buy Another Election?
How an election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court has become a referendum on Elon Musk—and the most expensive state supreme court race ever. Guest: John Nichols…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTBD | This Is Your Brain On Ketamine
Ketamine has gone from a recreational psychedelic to an approved treatment, and it has caught on in Silicon Valley in a big way. Are the long-term effects of…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThis Is Your Brain On Ketamine
Ketamine has gone from a recreational psychedelic to an approved treatment, and it has caught on in Silicon Valley in a big way. Are the long-term effects of…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWe Made a Memecoin
Memecoins are a niche type of cryptocurrency with no intrinsic value. But they remain a popular form of crypto, as seen earlier this year with President…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Group Chat Heard ‘Round the World
How former congressman and Air Force veteran, Adam Kinzinger interprets the leaked Signal chat of top Trump administration officials discussing a military…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWhat Happens To My Student Loans Now?
Trump’s attempted elimination of the Department of Education has left more than 40 million Americans with student loans wondering how their repayment plans…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisA Tea Party for the Democrats?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders are holding packed rallies on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. The energy is there, but what is the message and how…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHow Colleges Can Fight Back
The Trump administration is using federal money—and the withholding thereof—as a way to bring universities like Columbia and Penn to heel. But institutes of…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisBezos 2.0
During his first term, President Trump and Jeff Bezos openly sparred with each other. During this second administration, though, it seems like Bezos is trying…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTrump's War on Scientific Research
The National Institutes of Health is the primary engine of biomedical research around the world, which makes the Trump administration's dramatic cuts to its…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisTrump’s Animal-Spirit Economy
The economy that Donald Trump inherited from Joe Biden had low unemployment, slowing inflation, and a growing GDP. So what is he trying to achieve by imposing…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisA "Made for TV" Deportation Policy
Mass deportations were a big part of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and now in office, he’s making good on the wide-sweeping aspects of his policy…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisIs this the End of Sesame Street?
Educational, entertaining, and about as universally beloved as any part of American life, how did Sesame Street find itself cutting staff and searching for a…
- What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Democrats Had a Rare Opportunity. They Blinked.
Last week, Democrats averted a government shutdown—by voting for a MAGA-friendly Continuing Resolution, which may have just handed even greater power to Trump…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisHow Trump Is Trying to Kill Press Freedom
With a Trump-friendly Supreme Court and a contentious relationship with the press, could Donald Trump follow through on his 2016 campaign goal of making it…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisBonus Main Character: Meghan Markle Could Use a Win
From television, to a royal wedding…and back to TV, Meghan Markle is carving out her own niche. Guest: Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay, cohosts of Slate’s ICYMI…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWill Tesla Survive Elon Musk?
The public’s anger towards Elon Musk and DOGE has found an outlet in the form of Musk’s car company Tesla. How long can the company put up with a sinking…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisCould DOGE Really Gut Social Security?
DOGE cuts have already hit Social Security, with offices closing and employees fired. With Elon Musk calling the program a “Ponzi scheme” and saying…
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisWill Student Protesters Be Deported?
The Trump administration’s approach to free speech, immigration, and due process all converge in a crackdown on Columbia University. Guest: Sarah Brown, news…