What Next | Daily News and Analysis

Latest Episodes:

Contraband Tech Behind Bars Feb 12, 2023

Show notes

It’s hard to put a number on it but judging from the number of videos emerging online, there are more and more contraband cell phones finding their way into the hands of people in prison, who use them to record TikTok dances, take online courses, and alert the outside world to what’s happening on the inside.

Guest: Keri Blakinger, criminal justice reporter at the Los Angeles Times, author of Corrections in Ink.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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 Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Ban TikTok? Feb 10, 2023

Show notes

TikTok was banned on government agency devices in December; several schools and universities have banned it on their devices and wifi networks, and the governor of Texas unveiled a plan to ban it in the state. Can “Project Texas” stem the anti-TikTok tide? And would banning the app actually achieve…anything?

Guest: Louise Matsakis, reporter for Semafor covering tech and China

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Florida’s School Censorship Spreads Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

Governor Ron DeSantis canceling the rollout of AP African-American Studies course in Florida is more than just another salvo in the culture war. It has implications across public education, across the country—and its chilling effect is already evident.

Guests: Jeremy Young, historian and Senior Manager of Free Expression and Education at PEN America.

Chyna-Lee Hunter, a 12th grade student at Robert Morgan Educational Center in Miami, Fla.

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 Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Russian “Collaborators” Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

For Ukrainians who remained behind when the war began, choices made in the fog of occupation come under scrutiny when the invading army leaves, and neighbors once divided by the Russians again must live side by side.

Guest: Joshua Yaffa, contributing writer at The New Yorker and the author of “Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia.”

Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

His Son Died in Uvalde. He’s Still Fighting. Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

Immediately following a mass shooting, public officials will say that “now is not the time” to discuss what changes—for example, making it more difficult to get an assault weapon—could have prevented the shooting, yet once the media cycle moves on, so does the momentum for change. But Brett Cross, whose son was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Texas, won’t give up his fight for accountability and reform.

Guest: Brett Cross, father of Uziyah Garcia, who was killed at Robb Elementary School in May 2022.

Update, Feb. 7, 2023, a 1:10 p.m.: Brett Cross will not be attending the State of the Union address.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgia Takes on Trump Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

A special grand jury in Georgia may soon announce whether Donald Trump will face criminal charges, including racketeering, for a phone call to Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger following the 2020 election.

Guest: Tamar Hallerman, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's lead reporter covering the Fulton County special grand jury investigation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did a Twentysomething Con America’s Biggest Bank? Feb 05, 2023

Show notes

JP Morgan Chase is getting an education on FAFSA and financial aid–which would’ve been helpful before they acquired a now, quite dubious seeming start-up.

Guest: Ron Lieber, New York Times journalist, author of the “Your Money” column.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How COVID Changes Our Immune Systems Feb 03, 2023

Show notes

Last fall it seemed like everyone got sick—not just with COVID, but from a slew of respiratory diseases, from the mild to the severe. Researchers are trying to untangle how our immune systems have changed in the COVID era, and if we’re paying back an “immunity debt” or are victims of “immunity theft.”

Guest: Tim Requarth, contributing writer to Slate.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Plot Against Pope Francis Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

Not all of the Cardinals who elected Pope Francis are pleased with the changes he’s made, or his vision for where the Catholic Church goes next. Both the 86-year-old Francis and his detractors are preparing for his successor. Who’ll prevail?

Guest: David Gibson, Director of Fordham's Center on Religion & Culture

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hysteria Over D.C.’s New Crime Bill Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

The Revised Criminal Code Act is a major overhaul to D.C.’s criminal code that critics say will clog the courts with low-level crimes and fill the streets with criminals. Slate’s legal expert doesn’t see the data to support any of that.

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer covering courts and the law.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.