What Next

Daily news and analysis from Slate.

About the Show

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.

Host

  • Mary Harris is the host and managing editor of What Next, Slate's new daily news podcast. She has reported throughout the public radio system, for NPR, Marketplace, and WNYC.

Who’s to Blame for the LA Fires?

How a global problem looks on a regional scale.

Greenland’s a Distraction

Sen. Chris Murphy rewrites the opposition party playbook.

Blake Lively vs. Hollywood

Sorting through the grievances and counter-suits.

Justin Trudeau Steps Down

The incumbent curse comes to Canada.

Is ISIS Back? Or Did It Never Leave?

The caliphate is gone – but the propaganda remains.

The Struggle to Get Aid to Gaza

In 2025, it’s about to get a lot more difficult to distribute humanitarian assistance.

The Trump Restoration

The good news is this year is ending, but alas, another is on its way.

Jimmy Carter’s Legacy

White evangelicals are now a Republican constituency. But Carter—a Democrat—was the first one in the Oval office.

2024 in Review: What the WNBA Salary Debate Misses

Caitlin Clark’s $76,000 pay is shocking—but the story is bigger than her.

2024 in Review: Why Miss USA is Imploding

Miss USA’s resignation letter is vague. But the first letter of each sentence spells out “I am silenced.”

2024 in Review: Wait, Is JUUL Banned or Not?

Through the haze of FDA review, bans that didn’t remove JUUL from the marketplace, and its provisional green light.

2024 in Review: Would You Die For MrBeast?

Contestants on his new show got more than they bargained for—it sounds like MrBeast did too.
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Plus | A Karaoke Holiday With What Next

For Slate Plus subscribers, Mary Harris and Death, Sex & Money host Anna Sale chat about the catharsis of grabbing the mic during a time of great uncertainty.

Can More Grocery Stores Fix Food Deserts?

If you build it, they still might not come.

How Trump Got ABC to Pay Up

With Disney’s backing they could’ve fought this—so why didn’t they?

How Shaboozey Broke the Mold

His hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is both trap-country and an old-fashioned radio hit.

Make Hollywood Great Again

The Daily Wire isn’t content to just fester on YouTube anymore—and major movie studios are watching their success.

Who Can Save the Democrats?

The race to become DNC chair is heating up after a brutal loss.

How Daniel Penny Walked Free

What a “non-guilty” verdict reveals about New York, the law, and the idea of public safety.

Why United Healthcare Is Easy to Hate

Many Americans responded with scorn, not sympathy, to CEO Brian Thompson’s death.