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Venezuela, 51st State? Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

A month after a pair of devastating earthquakes and more than six months after the US absconded with their president, how are the people of Venezuela faring under—wait, who’s actually in charge?

Guest: Josh Partlow, staff writer at The Atlantic

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Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

A.I. Vs. Eh, I’m Walkin’ ‘Ere! Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Ah, New York—where it’s hot, loud, and the air is barely breathable. So it’s not especially surprising that Governor Kathy Hochul is opting out of adding to all of that and announcing a moratorium on building new data centers in the state.

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, Slate staff writer

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Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

Game Over for Video Games? Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Is Microsoft laying off 3,200 employees from the Xbox division just a new boss coming in and pruning an overgrown asset, or is it a sign that console gaming is coming to the end?

Guest: Jason Schreier, reporter at Bloomberg News, cohost of Triple Click, author of Play Nice, Press Reset, and Blood Sweat and Pixels.

Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

Will My Lettuce Give Me Diarrhea? Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

America is one nation under the fear of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a food-borne illness that has given thousands “explosive diarrhea.” Where did it come from? What can you do to avoid it? And how will it end?

Guest: Nicholas Florko, staff writer at The Atlantic

Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

Can Anyone Stop Todd Blanche from Becoming AG? Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

Todd Blanche’s hearing to become US Attorney General has begun. With a resume that includes the president’s $1.8 billion slush fund and, uh, the “handling” of the Epstein files, what could they possibly have to talk about?

Guest: Harry Litman, former US attorney, former deputy assistant attorney general, host of Talking Feds, the podcast and Substack

Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

How ICE Keeps Killing Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

As the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston demonstrates, ICE’s deportation surge is continuing—and so is the violence.

Guest: Arelis Hernández, reporter at the Washington Post covering the U.S. southern border, immigration, Texas and beyond.

Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

Mitch, Lindsey and the Gerontocracy Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

Mitch McConnell’s “extended absence” (let’s call it that) from the Senate has drawn attention to the fact that the average age of American lawmakers has been skyrocketing. Is it time to talk about mandatory retirement ages?

Guest: Sam Moyn, author of Gerontocracy in America, Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University.

Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

Off-the-Record: Neil the Seal’s Whole Deal Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Ah high summer—time for Emmy nominations, giant aquatic mammals to take over seaside towns, and Democrats to point fingers as they frantically try to swap out candidates at the last minute.

Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

Should You Take Trump’s Free $1,000? Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

If you’ve seen ads for Trump Accounts for kids, but also know anything about Donald Trump, you might be wondering “Free $1,000 per baby? Okay, what’s the catch?” It’s a classic.

Guest: Justin Wolfers, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan, and founder of Platypus Economics.

Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.

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

She Supported Graham Platner. Then She Couldn't Anymore. Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

How are supporters and voters reacting to the sexual assault allegations that have brought an end to Graham Platner’s Senate campaign?

Guests:

Lorry Fleming, Maine voter.

Emma Vigeland, co-host of The Majority Report with Sam Seder.

Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.