What Next | Daily News and Analysis podcast

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] (http://slate.com/whatnextplus) for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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] (http://slate.com/whatnextplus) for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

 

#2410

Does Anyone Like A.I.?

Everyone would probably hate A.I. less if we could just see some upside to it. But despite... more

6 hrs Ago

31 MINS

31:44

6 hrs Ago


#2409

Buy Your Flights Now

The not-always-beloved-but-indisputably-useful Spirit Airlines has given up the ghost. Wha... more

08 May 2026

21 MINS

21:00

08 May 2026


#2408

Look Upon Trump’s Works, Ye Mighty

Donald Trump is spending his second term trying to cement his legacy, but he still hasn’t ... more

07 May 2026

28 MINS

28:11

07 May 2026


#2407

Senate Dems: “So You’re Saying There’s A Chance?”

Even with all that Democrats having going for them—mid-term elections typically favoring t... more

06 May 2026

26 MINS

26:23

06 May 2026


#2406

Her Life’s Work Became a Scapegoat. Now What?

“Intersectionality” was one of those “DEI terms” that the Trump administration and Project... more

05 May 2026

28 MINS

28:38

05 May 2026


#2405

Can This Ex-Republican Win As a Democrat?

Can a Republican Lieutenant Governor be reborn as a Democratic Governor? After failing to ... more

04 May 2026

28 MINS

28:07

04 May 2026


#2404

Big Tech’s Climate Fight…on Pause?

In the early 2020s, Microsoft committed to buying 75 million tons of carbon removal—somewh... more

03 May 2026

23 MINS

23:13

03 May 2026


#2403

Plus: Amy Goodman of Democracy Now—More than Ever

One of independent journalism’s success stories and most charismatic advocates stops by to... more

01 May 2026

08 MINS

08:15

01 May 2026


#2402

Musk v. Altman

This week marks the beginning of the jury trial between Elon Musk and Sam Altman. There ar... more

01 May 2026

24 MINS

24:08

01 May 2026


#2401

The Death of the Voting Rights Act

How Wednesday’s Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais ran contrary to the Voting ... more

30 Apr 2026

24 MINS

24:56

30 Apr 2026


#2400

A ‘Michigan Mamdani’?

Democrats are starting to let themselves feel a little optimistic about the fall midterms,... more

29 Apr 2026

30 MINS

30:04

29 Apr 2026


#2399

Why So Many Believe the WHCD Shooting Was Staged

Presidential assassinations have been spawning conspiracy theories since Lincoln. But Satu... more

28 Apr 2026

23 MINS

23:40

28 Apr 2026


#2398

Michael Jackson: Too Big to Fail

The biopic “Michael” solves the third-act problem of Michael Jackson’s life by simply endi... more

27 Apr 2026

25 MINS

25:59

27 Apr 2026


#2397

How Mark Zuckerberg Finds Your Perfect Pair of Shoes

The era of ads following you around the internet via cookies might be coming to an end. Wh... more

26 Apr 2026

22 MINS

22:31

26 Apr 2026


#2396

SchadenFriday: Cabinet Crashouts

The Trump administration is, let’s say, experiencing a bit of turnover this spring. Secret... more

24 Apr 2026

06 MINS

06:46

24 Apr 2026


#2395

MAGA's A.I. Schism

Is artificial intelligence a blessing to all humanity, or a demon sent to lead us astray f... more

24 Apr 2026

25 MINS

25:41

24 Apr 2026


#2394

Congress’s Purge Era

Representatives Eric Swalwell, Tony Gonzales, and now Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick are out; ... more

23 Apr 2026

28 MINS

28:43

23 Apr 2026


#2393

Where’s MY Tariff Refund?

The government is getting ready to pay $166 billion in tariff refunds to American business... more

22 Apr 2026

26 MINS

26:28

22 Apr 2026


#2392

Taking ICE to Court

During the Trump administration’s winter immigration surge, high-level officials assured I... more

21 Apr 2026

26 MINS

26:38

21 Apr 2026


#2391

Why International Law Can’t Stop Trump

From bombing fishing boats in the Caribbean, to kidnapping Nicolás Maduro, to the Iran War... more

20 Apr 2026

25 MINS

25:59

20 Apr 2026


#2390

Iran's Memes Are Winning

This very online administration is facing push back from Iran in their own home territory:... more

19 Apr 2026

26 MINS

26:37

19 Apr 2026


#2389

Everyone Is Lying to You For Money

Back in the depths of the pandemic, what was an actor to do? Ben McKenzie started looking ... more

17 Apr 2026

34 MINS

34:45

17 Apr 2026


#2388

You Come at the Pope, You Best Not Miss

In Pope Leo XIV, Donald Trump has finally run into someone he can’t silence, threaten, or ... more

16 Apr 2026

27 MINS

27:52

16 Apr 2026


#2387

Does JD Vance Have the Juice?

In a single weekend, JD Vance managed to flunk out of peace talks with Iran and hitch the ... more

15 Apr 2026

23 MINS

23:42

15 Apr 2026


#2386

What If the US and Iran Are Both Losing?

The U.S. and Iran began (and ended) negotiations under a shaky ceasefire, and are now at t... more

14 Apr 2026

27 MINS

27:34

14 Apr 2026


#2385

They Came For Ibram X Kendi. He’s Still Here.

Lurking behind—and sometimes explicitly out in front of — the Trump administration’s ire f... more

13 Apr 2026

34 MINS

34:07

13 Apr 2026


#2384

Who is Sam Altman Anyway?

If you had as much trouble getting along with other humans as Sam Altman does, you too mig... more

12 Apr 2026

31 MINS

31:25

12 Apr 2026


#2383

SchadenFriday: Washington Gets TMZ’d

With Congress again out for recess—instead of, say, working to end the partial government ... more

10 Apr 2026

07 MINS

07:57

10 Apr 2026


#2382

Why OpenAI Bought a Talk Show

As OpenAI prepares for its IPO, the company decided to…pay millions of dollars for a tech ... more

10 Apr 2026

20 MINS

20:47

10 Apr 2026


#2381

He Made 2026's "Most Controversial Film"

An Israeli filmmaker, who returned home from abroad after October 7, attempts to capture t... more

09 Apr 2026

25 MINS

25:40

09 Apr 2026