What Next | Daily News and Analysis

Turn on your favorite business news channel, and it seems like all anyone can talk about is inflation. Prices are rising, but is it anything to worry about in the long term? Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What...

As U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland approaches 100 days of leading the Department of Justice, the department’s recent legal positions in support of former President Trump have mystified onlookers. Is the department lost at sea, and can Garland right the ship? Guest: Ankush Khardori, attorney and former federal prosecutor. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like...

Over the last decade, billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson have come to embody the future of space travel and exploration. What does it mean when the ideas and ambitions of a few powerful men come to dominate the conversation so thoroughly? Guest: Lucianne Walkowicz, astronomer at the Adler Planetarium and founder of the Just Space Alliance Host Lizzie O’Leary This episode is sponsored by Teamistry. You can listen here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Conor Lamb has been one of the most reliable moderates and institutionalists among the House Democrats. The Capitol breach on January 6th changed that. Now, the Pennsylvania congressman says his focus is shifting to “not allowing things like respect and bipartisanship to be something that hides the truth.” Guest: Congressman Conor Lamb, Democrat from Pennsylvania. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate...

In the last year, New York City has experienced a surge in violent crime, reflecting a trend across major cities nationwide. In a heated race to be the city’s next mayor, one candidate, former New York police captain Eric Adams, is using the issue of public safety to his advantage. Guest: Eric Lach, staff writer at The New Yorker. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like...

Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly urged the Biden administration to give her a portfolio -- a clear way to contribute to the work of the White House while also building her political reputation. But now that she’s been tasked with the immigration crisis and the protection of voting rights, is she getting more than a vice president alone can handle? Guest: Edward-Isaac Dovere, reporter for The Atlantic. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus...

The NFL recently announced it would stop using “race norming” when assessing who would receive a share of their recent $1 billing settlement for former players. The practice, which assumed Black players started with lower cognitive function and made it harder to collect their share, is standard in many areas of medicine. Guest: Darshali Vyas, Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like...

Two weeks ago, as wildfires burned north of Los Angeles, the crime app Citizen offered $30,000 for information that would lead to the arrest of a suspected arsonist. They had the wrong guy. Why is Citizen offering bounties in the first place? And what does this bounty debacle say about the app’s aspirations for the future? Guest: Joseph Cox, reporter at Motherboard Host Henry Grabar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texas Republicans, sensing the state’s slow, leftward drift, barreled ahead with legislation to make voting more cumbersome this week. Democratic lawmakers did the one thing they could to resist it: They refused to show up for a vote. But the fight over voting rules isn’t over in Texas, and Republicans maintain the upper hand. Guest: Alexa Ura, reporter for the Texas Tribune. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on...

After the Capitol riot on January 6th, Republicans proposed a bipartisan commission to investigate what took place as an alternative to impeaching then-President Trump. But last Friday, Senate Republicans led by Mitch McConnell killed the bill to establish that commission. Why was the bipartisan commission dead on arrival? And is there a way for an investigation to move forward without one? Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer at Slate. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up...

Despite the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics are set to kick off in late July. Many Japanese citizens are worried that such a large-scale event might worsen the pandemic in their country but the International Olympic Committee insists on pushing forward. Will the Olympics this year be a disaster? Guest: Henry Bushnell, features writer for Yahoo Sports. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus...

After years of careful planning and public spats, Apple and Epic—the maker of Fortnite—have spent the last three weeks in court, fighting over the future of mobile gaming. What happens if, for once, Apple loses? Guest: Elizabeth Lopatto, deputy editor at the Verge Host Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday, authorities in Belarus took a prominent opposition journalist into custody by flagging down a commercial flight with a fighter jet and a false bomb threat. Since then, the small country has garnered international condemnation - though it’s evoked little contrition from President Alexander Lukashenko. What does this hijacking signal about the steadfastness of authoritarianism in Belarus and around the world? Guest: Julia Ioffe, correspondent for GQ If you enjoy this show, please...

Abortion bills are making their way through the statehouses of the U.S. Last Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Before that, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson instituted a ban on abortions from fertilization. And in the midst of these fights at the state level, the Supreme Court has announced it will take up a case challenging Roe v. Wade out of Mississippi. With a conservative supermajority on the court, how imperiled is...

A year after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, residents near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue - now dubbed George Floyd Square - continue to keep the area closed off. The city wants to reopen the intersection, but activists say they aren’t giving in until the community’s demands for justice are met. Guest: Marcia Howard, security volunteer and organizer in George Floyd Square. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members...

U.S. support for Palestinians seems to have swelled this past month, especially among progressive Democrats. With fighting between Israel and Hamas on hold, what will it take to shift U.S. policy? Guest: Peter Beinart, editor-at-large at Jewish Currents. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on...

Last week, a hacker group called DarkSide shut down the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies 45 percent of the fuel consumed on the East Coast. Gas prices skyrocketed, people started hoarding gas, and DarkSide walked away with over $4 million in Bitcoin. How did they do it? And what makes this hack different from those we’ve seen before? Guest: David Uberti, cybersecurity reporter at the Wall Street Journal Host Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patty Murray began her career in the Senate pushing for a landmark piece of legislation: the Family and Medical Leave Act. Now, nearly 30 years later, she’s putting her weight behind a plan to grant universal access to affordable childcare. Guest: U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington state. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo faces two investigations regarding accusations of sexual harassment and a culture of bullying in his office. Despite multiple calls to resign, the governor has clung to his office, hoping to ride out the scandals. Guest: Karen Hinton, former press secretary and adviser to Andrew Cuomo. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and...

After the passage of Joe Biden’s big coronavirus stimulus package, economists expected to see a huge jobs report in May. In the end, only a quarter of the expected 1 million new jobs materialized. Why is that? And what are the chances that $1.9 trillion in stimulus funding is backfiring? Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate...