

What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Slate Podcasts
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 for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 5, 2019 • 24min
Re-Up: Senator Mark Warner
In this episode, April Glaser revisits an interview with Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee who released a policy paper proposing possible regulations for U.S. social media and technology companies. In the interview, April and her former co-host Will Oremus talk to Senator Warner about what worries him most about the largely unregulated tech industry, which can’t seem to keep our data private and stop muddying our elections. They also ask him what he thinks congress can do to rein in these companies and why lawmakers haven’t been quick to act. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 5, 2019 • 14min
The Crowd-Funded Border Wall Is Not a Joke
The strange tale of how a group of Trump supporters started building the border wall themselves, and why the southern border has become a proving ground and businesses and politicians who want to catch the president’s eye.Guest: Politico reporter Ben Schreckinger. Read his latest story from the Southern border. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 4, 2019 • 21min
The GOP Operative Haunting Republicans From the Grave
Tom Hofeller was a dedicated Republican operative, committed to achieving GOP political dominance and doing it with utmost discretion. Now, his political legacy is in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court—and all because his daughter shared his old computer archives with the wrong group of lawyers. Guests: Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. David Daley, author of Ratf**ked: The True Story Behind the Secret Plan to Steal America’s Democracy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 3, 2019 • 18min
The Basketball Coach Who Won’t Hire Men
Notre Dame basketball coach Muffet McGraw wasn’t planning on making a speech about feminism and gender equality. But at a press conference before the Final Four tournament, that’s just what she did, launching into a screed about the dearth of women in government, politics, corporate C-suites, and sports. “We don’t have enough female role models,” McGraw said. “Men run the world!” The viral moment was a lifetime in the making. Guest: Muffet McGraw, head coach of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 31, 2019 • 21min
Why Can’t California Fix Its Housing Crisis?
“California is full.” That’s effectively what some residents and lawmakers in the state said when they chose to punt on a bill that would build more financially sane housing across its biggest metropolitan areas. What does the story of that bill tell us about policymaking for housing and transportation in America? And in a state where homelessness is increasing at an alarming rate, how long will it take California to build the housing it desperately needs?Guest: Farhad Manjoo, a New York Times opinion columnist, who covers technology, global affairs, and culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 30, 2019 • 20min
Mueller Would Like You to Read His Report, Please
Special Counsel Robert Mueller breaks his silence to reiterate the conclusions of his investigation’s report -- and remind the American people to read it. Guest: Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick, host of the Amicus podcast. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 29, 2019 • 38min
Luxury Bunkers for the End of the World
In this episode April Glaser is joined by Max Read, an editor and writer at New York Magazine who writes the column Life in Pixels.First, April and Max talk to Patri Friedman, founder of the Seasteading Institute, which he started in 2008 with seed funding from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. Seasteading is the process of forming new societies on the open ocean, and it’s getting a lot of attention from Silicon Valley. Then Robert Vicino joins the show to talk about his company, Vivos, which designs and builds high-end bunkers to help people ride out natural disasters and other potential catastrophes. Vicino talks about his clientele and the concerns that drive people to buy fancy underground apartments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 29, 2019 • 21min
Brexiteers Receive Milkshakes and Results
It was the election that was never supposed to happen in the UK in the first place. Several delays, a few milkshakes, and a resignation later the British found themselves voting over the weekend for European Parliament. How did Brexiteers and Remainers fare in this past weekend’s vote? And what does it mean for the UK and Europe writ large?Guest: Josh Keating, International Editor at Slate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 2019 • 17min
Why Trump Keeps Losing in Court
Everywhere President Trump turns, he’s finding himself hemmed in by the courts. But could upcoming rulings from the Supreme Court make lower court judges take a more expansive view of the president’s executive powers? Guest: Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 24, 2019 • 22min
The "American Taliban" Goes Free
In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. forces scoured Afghanistan for Taliban fighters. They weren’t expecting to find John Walker Lindh, a young man from California who had converted to Islam and moved abroad to study the Quran. Lindh was dubbed the “American Taliban,” but his case ended in a plea deal, leaving his treatment while in custody a secret. At the time, Lindh’s story seemed uncomplicated: He was associating with extremists. Now, years later, his case feels like a missed opportunity. How did it happen that he went through our criminal justice system, but we learned so little about extremism and the nation’s treatment of detainees?Guest: Karen Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University School of Law. Her book is Rogue Justice: The Making of the Security State. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


