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.
Episodes
April 28, 2024 • 27 mins
There are regulations regarding how farm animals are transported, how they’re auctioned, how they’re slaughtered—but when they’re living on the farm? That’s where things get cloudy.
Guest: Annie Lowrey, journalist writing on politics and economic policy for The Atlantic.
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April 26, 2024 • 22 mins
The TikTok ban that has been floating around Washington since the last administration has been signed into law. What does that mean for users, creators and the court battles ahead?
Guest:
Louise Matsakis, reporter covering tech and China.
Dillon White, TikToker under the handle @dadchats
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April 25, 2024 • 27 mins
Who is Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s attorney in the hush-money trial, and how did he end up representing the former president?
Guest: Andrew Rice, features writer for New York Magazine. He’s also the author of The Year That Broke America.
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April 24, 2024 • 30 mins
Protests at Columbia University have become a talking point across national media, but does the situation on campus actually resemble the one in the press?
Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer.
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April 23, 2024 • 23 mins
The constitutional right to protest is right there in the First Amendment. So when the Fifth Circuit Court threatened this right across three states, why didn’t the Supreme Court take up the case?
Guest: Ian Milhiser, senior correspondent for Vox.
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April 22, 2024 • 28 mins
With all eyes on the WNBA as Caitlin Clark was drafted, many were surprised at the star player’s new salary, and how it paled in comparison to that of an NBA rookie. What would it take to address this disparity?
Guest: Lindsay Gibbs, author and founder of Power Plays, “a no-BS newsletter about women’s sports” and co-host of the Burn It All Down podcast.
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April 21, 2024 • 23 mins
From the Wayback Machine to the mass-digitization of the history of Aruba, the Internet Archive is a non-profit doing valuable work. But some of its other projects—a pandemic-era lending library and the ongoing digitalization of 78 rpm records—have led to lawsuits now threatening the future of this repository of the past.
Guest: Kate Knibbs, senior writer at Wired.
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April 19, 2024 • 23 mins
Tesla’s market cap has dropped. The company had its biggest round of layoffs ever. The Cybertruck doesn’t seem to be taking off. And Elon’s posting through it. Is Tesla in serious trouble?
Guest: Dana Hull, Bloomberg reporter and contributor to the podcast Elon, Inc.
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April 18, 2024 • 28 mins
Man-made per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are found in all sorts of industrial and consumer products, including carpets, rain jackets, and makeup. They’re also in our drinking water—and in our blood.
The EPA has recently announced plans to regulate the amount of certain PFAS in our water supply. But will these rules do enough to control chemicals for which there is no safe level of exposure?
Guest: Esmé E. Depr...
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April 17, 2024 • 28 mins
How will impending abortion restrictions in Florida and Arizona impact votes this fall?
Guests:
Anna Hochkammer, executive director of the Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition.
Grace Panetta, political reporter for The 19th.
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April 16, 2024 • 25 mins
Over the weekend Iran fired flocks of missiles and drones towards Israel, but the damage was minimal. What role did Israel’s new network of regional allies play in tamping down the attack? —and how committed to war was Iran to begin with?
Guest: Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic.
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April 15, 2024 • 26 mins
Donald Trump is appearing in court today as a criminal defendant. Why did this case take so long to go to trial, and what’s at stake for the former president?
Guest: Jeremy Stahl, jurisprudence editor at Slate.
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April 14, 2024 • 26 mins
How the semi-legalization of marijuana has drawn a road map for legalizing psychedelics—and also provided a list of pitfalls to be avoided.
Guest: Jane C. Hu, science journalist and author of the newsletter The Microdose.
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April 12, 2024 • 26 mins
Why lately our search engines just don’t seem to deliver results.
Guest: Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media and co-host of the 404 Media Podcast.
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April 11, 2024 • 25 mins
How Florida Judge Aileen Cannon is delaying Donald Trump’s trial over classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago—and what special prosecutor Jack Smith can do to get things moving.
Guest: Lee Kovarsky, professor of law at University of Texas, co-director of the UT Capital Punishment Center
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April 10, 2024 • 27 mins
How did an attempt to simplify a tedious student-aid form turn into a full-on debacle that has some high school seniors wondering if they will have to delay starting college?
Guest: Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, national higher education reporter for the Washington Post.
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April 9, 2024 • 24 mins
2024 is down to two historically unpopular candidates. That may leave the door open for third-party candidates to make some noise. But Democrats have been burned before – and aren’t going down without a fight.
Guest: Dave Weigel, reporter for Semafor.
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April 8, 2024 • 25 mins
In response to a spike in child labor violations, some states are strengthening their laws against the practice—while 16 states have weakened laws against child labor. What’s going on?
Guest: Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for the Washington Post.
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April 7, 2024 • 29 mins
The demand for electricity is surging in the U.S. With increasing amounts of power going towards artificial intelligence, manufacturing and electric vehicles, can the grid keep up?
Guest: Evan Halper, business reporter covering the energy transition for the Washington Post
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April 5, 2024 • 27 mins
Donald Trump got a huge financial boost when Truth Social went public last week—or did he?
Guest: Nitish Pahwa, associate writer on business and tech for Slate.
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