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**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 for access wherever you listen.

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Latest Episodes:

Big Pharma’s Bet on Psychedelics Aug 14, 2022

Show notes

The psychedelic renaissance is here. But not everyone’s on board.

Guest: John Semley

Host: Sonari Glinton

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Crypto Could Leave Texas in the Dark Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

Crypto mining is booming in Texas. Will the power grid be able to handle it?

Guest: Russell Gold

Host: Sonari Glinton

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The Crisis of Trust That Dobbs Created Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

New abortion restrictions following the repeal of Roe v. Wade have turned some reproductive care into a criminal liability. After a traumatic ectopic pregnancy, one Texas woman is wondering whether state laws delayed her diagnosis and treatment, ultimately leaving her with a ruptured fallopian tube.

Guest: Fatima Abdelwahab of Houston, Texas.

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

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Is This Climate Bill Worth the Wait? Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

After decades of dragging their feet on action to slow climate change, the Senate passed what is modeled to be the most impactful climate policy yet. What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act, and how did Democrats finally get the mercurial Joe Manchin on board?

Guest: Robinson Meyer, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the newsletter The Weekly Planet.

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The Taliban vs. the Press Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

Afghan women and LGBTQ+ people immediately felt the impact of the Taliban’s return to power last year. But journalists trying to tell their stories could face intense and even violent backlash from the extremist group—like what happened to Lynne O’Donnell.

Guest: Lynne O’Donnell, columnist at Foreign Policy and former Afghanistan bureau chief for Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press.

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The New Era of Child Labor Aug 08, 2022

Show notes

With an ongoing labor shortage, companies turn to third-party labor brokers to fill jobs. But with little oversight and a surge of immigrants, the line between “ recruiter” and “ trafficker” gets blurred as vulnerable children are sent to work in dangerous conditions.

Guest: Mica Rosenberg, national immigration reporter for Reuters.

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The Monkeypox Vaccine Monopoly Aug 07, 2022

Show notes

It makes intuitive sense for companies that develop a technology to hold its intellectual property rights. But in the case of vaccines and medical treatments, IP laws slow down manufacturing and distribution and give private companies the power to make huge decisions that affect public health globally.

Guest: Zain Rizvi, researcher for advocacy group Public Citizen, specializing in pharmaceutical innovation and access to medicine.

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The Homes We Forgot to Build a Decade Ago Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

The US has been in a housing shortage for decades. Can it ever be fixed?

Guest: Conor Dougherty

Host: Emily Peck

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The Democrats’ MAGA Gambit Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

In the primaries of purple states like Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, Trump-backed, far-right candidates have been getting a boost from a surprising source: the Democrats. Calculating that it will give their party the edge in general elections, local and national Dems have spent thousands elevating extremists. But will the strategy pay off?

Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer for Slate

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Is It Time to Free the “Merchant of Death”? Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

Known as the “Merchant of Death,” Viktor Bout illegally ferried weapons, diamonds, and even UN peacekeepers around the world. The man who wrote the book on Bout thinks it’s time to send him home, if it can free Brittney Griner.

Guest: Douglas Farah, co-author ofMerchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes and the Man Who Makes War Possible.

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