What Next | Daily News and Analysis

Back in July, President Trump addressed the nation from the Rose Garden. The Supreme Court had just ruled that the 2020 census could not ask the citizenship question and the president was there to acknowledge that fact. However, he was also there to issue an executive order. One that would try to count the number of citizens in the country by other means. “Trump Dropping Citizenship Question” was...

The House impeachment managers have wrapped up their oral arguments. The president's legal team is getting started. The only question now, will key witnesses be able to testify? Guests: Dahlia Lithwick , covers the law and Washington for Slate. Jeremy Stahl , senior legal editor at Slate. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Last week, Slate published The Evil List , an expansive attempt to document the most concerning tech companies around the world, according to the experts. Some you’ve heard of, some you probably haven’t, and some you almost certainly use every day. Which of these deserve our attention? And why? Guests: Mutale Nkonde , public interest technologist and fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet...

Last week, Slate published The Evil List , an expansive attempt to document the most concerning tech companies around the world, according to the experts. Some you’ve heard of, some you probably haven’t, and some you almost certainly use every day. Which of these deserve our attention? And why? Guests: Mutale Nkonde , public interest technologist and fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet...

Earlier this week, gun rights activists arrived outside the capitol building in Richmond, Virginia to rally against proposed gun control laws. Some people worried the event would turn into another Charlottesville. But even though thousands of people hoisted their guns and made threats against the government, there was no violence. What happened to bring tensions down?  Guest: Lois Beckett , senior...

On Tuesday, the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump began in earnest in the Senate. The debate over the rules of engagement lasted into the early hours of Wednesday morning and gave a first look at how both sides are going to approach the trial.  Guests: Dahlia Lithwick and Jim Newell . Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See...

A new executive order from the Trump administration was meant to curb refugee resettlement and further polarize the country. But most Republican governors have snubbed the policy. How did this particular anti-immigrant scheme backfire? Guest: Jonathan Blitzer , staff writer for The New Yorker.  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

In 2013, Anna Wiener moved from New York to San Francisco to join the city’s booming tech scene. Over the course of four years, she worked at three companies: an e-book startup, a data analytics company, and an open-source software platform. Then, her infatuation with the tech industry took a turn. On this week’s show, an insider’s perspective on the intoxicating promise and disappointment of Sili...

In 2013, Anna Wiener moved from New York to San Francisco to join the city’s booming tech scene. Over the course of four years, she worked at three companies: an e-book startup, a data analytics company, and an open-source software platform. Then, her infatuation with the tech industry took a turn. On this week’s show, an insider’s perspective on the intoxicating promise and disappointment of Sili...

After Tuesday’s Democratic debate, the beef between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders spilled over onto national television. Derecka Purnell has been following the primary — she says the way this fight ends depends on how we think about identity politics.    Guest: Derecka Purnell , lawyer and writer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia and the United States have a lot in common: politicians who still deny climate change, a supremely powerful energy industry, and a growing sense of dread about climate catastrophes.  Guest: Journalist Emily Atkin . Check out her newsletter, HEATED .  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has had some serious staying power in the Trump administration. Now with the impeachment trial on the horizon, he’s become even closer to the president. How has he managed to keep his position in President Donald Trump’s inner circle for so long?  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Before President Donald Trump took office, Lindsey Graham was willing to reach across the aisle to work on big issues like immigration reform and climate change. Now, his total loyalty to the Trump administration is baffling close friends and political observers alike. Look a little deeper, and you'll see that this is just one more step in Graham's fight for relevance. Guest: Mark Binelli writes f...

In 2019, for the first time, more advertising money went toward targeted digital ads in the U.S. than on radio, television, cable, magazine, and newspaper ads combined. The moment was the culmination of a decadeslong journey that has completely transformed media, politics, and privacy. How did the targeted ad come to hold so much power? And what did we lose along the way? Guest: Siva Vaidhyanathan...

In 2019, for the first time, more advertising money went toward targeted digital ads in the U.S. than on radio, television, cable, magazine, and newspaper ads combined. The moment was the culmination of a decadeslong journey that has completely transformed media, politics, and privacy. How did the targeted ad come to hold so much power? And what did we lose along the way? Guest: Siva Vaidhyanathan...

Over a year ago, Florida residents approved the restoration of voting rights for approximately 1.4 million ex-felons in the state. But in the months since, lawmakers have tried to implement new hurdles for former convicts trying to access the ballot box. Now, advocates in some counties are trying to find a solution to register voters anyway.  Guest: Mark Joseph Stern , Justice reporter for Slate S...

Presidents have always skirted the rules when it comes to gaining authorization from Congress to use military force. President Donald Trump’s direction to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani takes it to a whole new level and exposes just how weak the War Powers Act has become. Guest: Oona Hathaway, Author of The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World . Slate Plus membe...

Right now, when it comes to fundraising, it certainly looks like Bernie Sanders is winning. In the last three months, his campaign has raised more money than any other Democrat in the field. And with just a few weeks left before the Iowa caucuses, Sanders is in a three-way tie for the lead alongside Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg. How is he pulling this off? Guest:  Ryan Grim , D.C. bureau chief at...

In a little over a week, tensions in the Middle East have gone from high to fever pitch. What started with one American civilian contractor in Iraq being killed escalated to airstrikes on militia-controlled sites in Iraq and Syria, killing 24 people and wounding dozens more. Then, a siege at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad by pro-Iranian militia and a response by the Trump administration that killed I...

President Donald Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives just over two weeks ago. There’s just one hitch: The articles of impeachment that were passed haven’t made it to the Senate … yet. It’s part of a tactical hold by the Democrats seeking to ensure that the majority-Republican Senate holds a fair trial. What does that mean? And is Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ready to do that? Gu...

Around the country, states are employing algorithms to help reduce prison populations and predict recidivism. This week, we hear from a Wisconsin judge with serious reservations about the algorithm used in his state. Also: a deep dive into Virginia's risk-assessment algorithm and the surprising results of its implementation. Guests: Nicholas McNamara , judge on the circuit court of Dane County, Wi...

Around the country, states are employing algorithms to help reduce prison populations and predict recidivism. This week, we hear from a Wisconsin judge with serious reservations about the algorithm used in his state. Also: a deep dive into Virginia's risk-assessment algorithm and the surprising results of its implementation. Guests: Nicholas McNamara , judge on the circuit court of Dane County, Wi...

When President Trump passed his tax overhaul in 2017, Democrats and Republicans were excited about the prospect of one specific provision. ‘Opportunity zones’ were meant to spur investment in low-income communities. Two years later, it’s unclear if that has actually happened. Billionaires, on the other hand, are benefitting from the program left and right. Guest: Justin Elliott , reporter at ProPu...

As 2019 comes to a close, What Next is checking back in on three stories we did this year. From a power struggle in Venezuela to a border wall dispute in Arizona and back to Washington for an impeachment update. Here’s what happened…next! Guests:  Ana Vanessa Herrero , reporter for the New York Times, Mayor of Nogales Arturo Garino, and Noah Feldman Harvard Law School professor and host of  Deep B...

On January 1st, a new law will grant Californians the right to see, delete, and stop the sale of personal information collected by tech companies. But the impact of the bill may reach far beyond California. How does this landmark law affect the rest of the country? And will it set the stage for national privacy legislation?   Guest: Hayley Tsukayama , Legislative Activist at the Electronic Frontie...