What Next | Daily News and Analysis

This week, Amnesty International and a French journalism nonprofit named Forbidden Stories revealed that technology from a spyware firm called NSO Group is being deployed on a massive scale. The spyware, called Pegasus, gives the user access to every part of a victim’s smartphone -- notes, messages, photos, and recordings. What’s it like for security researchers to see their worst fears about digital spying play out? And what are they worried about next?Guests:John Scott Railton, Senior Researcher at the Citizen Lab at the University of TorontoSiddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of the Wire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Amnesty International and a French journalism nonprofit named Forbidden Stories revealed that technology from a spyware firm called NSO Group is being deployed on a massive scale. The spyware, called Pegasus, gives the user access to every part of a victim’s smartphone -- notes, messages, photos, and recordings. What’s it like for security researchers to see their worst fears about digital spying play out? And what are they worried about next?Guests:John Scott Railton, Senior Researcher at the Citizen Lab at the University of TorontoSiddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of the Wire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has a problem. She’s ready to get beamed up to national political stardom, but she’s polling near the bottom among 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls. What issues can she use to raise her political profile? The answer came swiftly this year: anything and everything. Guest: Joe Sneve, political reporter for the Argus Leader in South Dakota.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Six months after the Capitol riot, plea deals from cases against the rioters have begun to trickle in. Will the courts be able to do what Congress couldn’t, and insist on a shared version of events on January 6th? Guest: Zoe Tillman, senior legal reporter at BuzzFeed News.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s becoming harder to get all Americans vaccinated. While millions of people still get the shots each week, some conservatives are becoming more difficult to convince, and some politicians are increasingly hostile towards the public health departments tasked with helping fight COVID-19. Guests: Michelle Fiscus, former medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs at the Tennessee Department of Health, and Dan Diamond, health policy and politics reporter at The Washington Post. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the height of the pandemic, New York city put up some of its homeless population in the city’s empty hotels. Now, as the city comes back to life, the program is ending -- but the city’s unhoused population doesn’t want to go “back to normal”Guest: Jacquelyn Simone, Senior Policy Analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last month, North Americans have seen record-breaking heat, droughts, wildfires, and floods. The science is clear: we are living through the effects of climate change. Now scientists are trying to answer: is this the new normal?Guest: Daniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last month, North Americans have seen record-breaking heat, droughts, wildfires, and floods. The science is clear: we are living through the effects of climate change. Now scientists are trying to answer: is this the new normal?Guest: Daniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brittany Hogan worked in diversity and inclusion for the Rockwood School District for eight years. As public debate intensified over the way race is discussed in schools, and threats were made against her, Hogan eventually was pushed to resign.Guest: Brittany Hogan, former director of educational equity and diversity for the Rockwood School District in St. Louis County.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Texas Dems are on the lam. After walking out of their regularly scheduled legislative session to block an extremely restrictive election security bill, they’ve decided to go bigger. At the start of the special session called by Governor Greg Abbott to get that bill passed, 51 of 67 House Democrats broke quorum and fled to DC in a last-ditch effort to thwart the bill and spur national Democrats into action. Will it make any difference?Guest: Jessica Huseman, Editorial Director of Vote Beat.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oil-giant Exxon says publicly that it supports initiatives to fight climate change. But a new undercover investigation reveals the company’s quiet lobbying effort to stymie environmental protection legislation. Guest: Lawrence Carter, Senior Reporter & Special Projects Editor at Unearthed, a journalism project from Greenpeace U.K. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olympics officials have created an anti-doping system to crack down on cheaters. We have no idea if it’s working. And it’s ensnaring athletes for seemingly bizarre infractions. Guest: Lindsay Crouse, writer and producer for the New York Times Opinion section. 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.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Davis Land, Danielle Hewitt, Elena Schwartz, and Carmel Delshad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many white-collar workers, the full-time work from home era is coming to an end. Some are going back into offices five days a week. Many others will be expected to split the week between home and the office. As the new rules are laid down, office workers are asking themselves: do we want work to go back to the way it was? Or is it time, finally, to try something different? Guest: Brigid Schulte, director of the Better Life Lab at New AmericaHostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many white-collar workers, the full-time work from home era is coming to an end. Some are going back into offices five days a week. Many others will be expected to split the week between home and the office. As the new rules are laid down, office workers are asking themselves: do we want work to go back to the way it was? Or is it time, finally, to try something different? Guest: Brigid Schulte, director of the Better Life Lab at New AmericaHostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, UNC Chapel Hill began courting Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones to come teach at the Hussman School of Journalism. But when her tenure recommendation landed in front of the school’s board of trustees, they refused to take a vote, leaving her application in limbo. After months of public pressure and lobbying by students and faculty, Hannah-Jones was offered tenure - but not before she’d decided to teach at Howard University instead.How did UNC’s board of trustees cost the school such a coveted appointment? And how deep did the political divisions over Hannah-Jones’ hiring get?Guest: Joe Killian, investigative reporter at NC Policy Watch.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court just completed its first term with new justice Amy Coney Barrett. With a conservative supermajority now seated, what does this term spell for the future of America’s legal landscape? Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, reporter on courts and the law for Slate.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Slate Studios & ServiceNow, this episode of Let’s Workflow It features Deryck Mitchelson – one of the leaders taking on the greatest workflow challenge of our time – the effort to vaccinate millions of citizens from COVID-19. As Director of Information Security for NHS National Services Scotland, Deryck manages his nation’s contact tracing and vaccination systems, and shares his unique perspective on the systems and technology necessary to turn vaccines into vaccinations.Listen and subscribe to Let’s Workflow It wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Critical Race Theory was created in the 1970s by a Harvard Professor seeking to describe the way racism is baked into the legal system. Half a century later, CRT is now the weapon of choice for right-wing pundits looking to silence conversations about race. From an academic discipline to a conservative scare tactic, how did critical race theory become the dominant culture war in American politics? And what does CRT actually stand for?Guest: Adam Harris, staff writer at The Atlantic.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP. They could only definitively explain one of them. The new report signals a shift in the way we think about UAP. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters has increased, the question has become more urgent: What exactly is happening in our skies?Guest: Shane Harris, intelligence and national security reporter for the Washington PostHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP. They could only definitively explain one of them. The new report signals a shift in the way we think about UAP. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters has increased, the question has become more urgent: What exactly is happening in our skies?Guest: Shane Harris, intelligence and national security reporter for the Washington PostHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has become a constant source of consternation for the left wing of the Democratic party. But early in her career, she was a vocal proponent of progressive ideals. How did she turn into one of the party’s staunchest defenders of bipartisan compromise? Guest: Amanda Becker, Washington Correspondent for the 19th.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Champlain Tower South building in Surfside Florida collapsed early last Thursday morning, seemingly out of the blue. But reporting shows that the condo board members were aware the building was structurally unsound for years.Right now the death toll stands at 12, with 149 people still unaccounted for. How did such a preventable tragedy take place?Guest: Daniel Rivero, reporter for WLRN in Miami.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pop star Britney Spears spoke out in court last week about the conservatorship she’s been under for 13 years, shedding light on all the restrictions she’s lived under. In doing so, Spears opened up a world rarely-seen outside of courtrooms and the reality for an estimated 1.3 million people living under a court-ordered guardianship.Guest: Sara Luterman, freelance journalist covering disability policy, politics and culture.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end, Carl Nassib, came out in an Instagram post, making him the first openly gay active player in NFL histroy. The league immediately posted in in celebration of Nassib’s announcement. But given the NFL’s sorry history of standing by players on the vanguard, will the league really put its money where its mouth is this time? Guest: LZ Granderson, LA Times opinion columnist and host of ABC News’ “Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson.”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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For nearly two years, an unprecedented experiment has been taking place in the town of El Zonte in El Salvador. Funded by a mysterious donor, the town’s residents built a Bitcoin economy, using the cryptocurrency to purchase just about anything. Now, El Slavador has passed a new law making it the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Can they replicate El Zonte’s success at a national scale?Guest: Ezra Fieser, reporter at BloombergHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For nearly two years, an unprecedented experiment has been taking place in the town of El Zonte in El Salvador. Funded by a mysterious donor, the town’s residents built a Bitcoin economy, using the cryptocurrency to purchase just about anything. Now, El Slavador has passed a new law making it the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Can they replicate El Zonte’s success at a national scale?Guest: Ezra Fieser, reporter at BloombergHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COVID’s Delta variant is on the rise in the U.S. The data suggest we have room for optimism -- so why are we seeing dire messages from public health experts? Guest: Dr. Monica Gandhi, infectious diseases and HIV doctor at UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senate Democrats tried to open up debate on sweeping voting rights legislation Tuesday but were stopped by a lack of support from their Republican counterparts. Would a more incremental approach have succeeded? Guest: Rick Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California–Irvine School of Law and the author of Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America has gone soft on monopolies. A small number of businesses control an ever-increasing market share with only muted protests from the Federal Trade Commission, the supposed antitrust watchdog of the U.S. government. But that all might be about to change with Lina Khan’s appointment as FTC chair.Guest: Matt Stoller, director of research at the American Economic Liberties Project and the author of Goliath: The Hundred Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy. Stoller also writes the Substack newsletter, BIG.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fears that an ultra-conservative faction would take control of the country’s largest organization of evangelicals did not come to fruition at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting this year. But it was only a narrow loss, and, like conservatives around the country, the group remains sharply divided. Guest: Bob Smietana, national reporter for Religion News Service. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever since police used a DNA platform called GEDmatch to crack the Golden State Killer case in 2018, police departments around the country have rushed to use genetic genealogy to crack their own cold cases. The result? Hundreds of violent cases solved. So--why are some states passing new laws to limit this new technology?Guest: Nila Bala, senior staff attorney at the Policing Project at NYU Law. HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever since police used a DNA platform called GEDmatch to crack the Golden State Killer case in 2018, police departments around the country have rushed to use genetic genealogy to crack their own cold cases. The result? Hundreds of violent cases solved. So--why are some states passing new laws to limit this new technology?Guest: Nila Bala, senior staff attorney at the Policing Project at NYU Law. HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Around the country, states are casting off pandemic restrictions. But for millions of immunocompromised people, the pandemic isn’t nearly over.Guest: Dr. Lindsay Ryan, internist at San Francisco General Hospital and San Francisco VA Medical Center in California. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The clock is winding down on the CDC’s eviction moratorium. The moratorium will lift in less than two weeks, marking an end to the pandemic-era protection. What happens to vulnerable tenants when the clock runs out? Guest: Henry Granville Widener, rent strike organizer in Maryland Alieza Durana, reporter for Princeton’s Eviction Lab 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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 AllianceHostLizzie O’LearyThis episode is sponsored by Teamistry. You can listen here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 AllianceHostLizzie O’LearyThis episode is sponsored by Teamistry. You can listen here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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