What Next | Daily News and Analysis

The criminal case against former Trump adviser Michael Flynn has been full of plot-twists. But the biggest about-face came last week, when the Department of Justice moved to drop the case entirely. Lawyers who had worked on the investigation registered their disgust by refusing to sign the motion. U.S. Attorney General William Barr says he hopes history will look kindly on his decision. Critics say the move undermines any future attempt to hold the Trump administration accountable.Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, legal correspondent for Slate and host of the podcast Amicus. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We spoke to Greta Privitera back in mid-March, a few weeks after she and her family isolated themselves at home in northern Italy. Now, with Italy taking baby steps toward normalcy, Greta says she’s enjoying her walks outside, she still worries about another surge in COVID-19 cases. And by the look of things, she's not alone.Guest: Greta Privitera, a journalist living in Milan. Read her latest dispatch for Slate. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead on a Sunday afternoon in southern Georgia. He had been jogging a few miles from his home. The shooting happened on February 23. It took more than two months for officials to make any arrests. Why?Guest: Christian Boone, public safety reporter for the AJC. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday, New York City announced that it would provide 140,000 free antibody tests to residents who want to know if they have been exposed to the coronavirus. And New York isn’t alone: large-scale antibody testing is ramping up around the country.But with faulty tests flooding the market and questions about whether a positive test really confers immunity are antibody tests really worth the bother?Guests: Shannon Palus, staff writer for Slate, and Dr. Natalie E. Dean, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday, New York City announced that it would provide 140,000 free antibody tests to residents who want to know if they have been exposed to the coronavirus. And New York isn’t alone: large-scale antibody testing is ramping up around the country.But with faulty tests flooding the market and questions about whether a positive test really confers immunity are antibody tests really worth the bother?Guests: Shannon Palus, staff writer for Slate, and Dr. Natalie E. Dean, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For years, the Postal Service has faced financial turmoil. Now, facing a pandemic, mail volume has dropped off and the question has resurfaced: Can the post office survive? Devin Leonard wrote the book on the Postal Service and says how it got to this latest crisis is more complicated than it seems. With the post master general saying that the service could be financially insolvent by the fall, is this the government’s last chance to right the ship?Guest: Devin Leonard, writer for Bloomberg and Bloomberg Businessweek. He’s also the author of Neither Snow Nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It all started when the weather took a turn for the better. Surfers and beachgoers flocked to Orange County shores, only to find them cordoned off, at the behest of Governor Gavin Newsom. Protestors took to the streets in Huntington Beach, demanding an end to the shutdowns. The demonstrations weren't huge. But, in the world of Republican politics, you ignore Orange County at your own peril.Guest: Gustavo Arellano, writer at the Los Angeles Times and host of L.A. Times podcast Coronavirus in California. He’s also the author of Orange County: A Personal History.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last spring, Lucy Flores wrote in The Cut that Joe Biden invaded her personal space and sniffed her hair at a campaign event in 2014. She says Biden never reached out to her after she went public. Now, as Joe Biden faces even more serious allegations from a former staffer, what action does Lucy expect from the former Vice President?Guest: Lucy Flores, Former Nevada Assemblywoman and CEO Luz Collective.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the coronavirus continues to leave people sick and out of work, alone and under stress, there’s one particular group of people taking special notice, extremists. It's not just the virus that is spreading. Extreme and violent rhetoric is too.Guest: Hannah Allam, covers extremism for NPR.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're introducing you to one of our favorite podcasts, Code Switch!Hosted by Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji, Code Switch offers some of the best stories and conversations about race you'll find anywhere.On today's bonus episode you'll hear a fascinating story about what happened when Puerto Ricans were asked for the first time on their census form: "What is your race?"The answer reveals a lot about the island's relationship with the US and, of course, our identities.Don't forget to subscribe to Code Switch wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the world’s largest tech companies posted their quarterly earnings. And—unlike most other companies in the world—things aren’t looking so bad. With the global economy reeling, and people sheltering indoors, the tech giants have an opportunity to reshape the way we live. Don’t expect them to wait on the sidelines.Guest: Elizabeth Dwoskin, Silicon Valley correspondent at the Washington Post Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the world’s largest tech companies posted their quarterly earnings. And—unlike most other companies in the world—things aren’t looking so bad. With the global economy reeling, and people sheltering indoors, the tech giants have an opportunity to reshape the way we live. Don’t expect them to wait on the sidelines.Guest: Elizabeth Dwoskin, Silicon Valley correspondent at the Washington Post Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode originally aired June 2019.Notre Dame basketball coach Muffet McGraw wasn’t planning on making a speech about feminism and gender equality. But at a press conference before the Final Four tournament, that’s just what she did, launching into a screed about the dearth of women in government, politics, corporate C-suites, and sports. “We don’t have enough female role models,” McGraw said. “Men run the world!” The viral moment was a lifetime in the making. Guest: Muffet McGraw, head coach of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the first known case of coronavirus in the United States was detected in a suburb of Seattle, the region quickly became the epicenter of the pandemic in the country. Now, almost two months later, Seattle has suffered only 500 COVID-19 deaths while New York has over 22,000. What choices led to such disparate outcomes? Guest: Charles Duhigg, Host of Slate’s How To PodcastSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgia has confirmed more than 24,000 cases of COVID-19 and tallied close to 1,000 deaths from the disease. However, Governor Brian Kemp is still allowing a number of the state’s businesses to reopen this week, citing an increased capacity for testing and hospitalizations. Employers, for their part, have been left in a lurch. How do small business owners reopen? Should they? And, if an owner chooses to remain shuttered, can it count on the government for help?Guest: Christopher Escobar, owner of the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With 26 million Americans filing for unemployment in the last five weeks, it’s obvious that the economy is still broken. However, Congress hasn’t been sitting on its heels—trillions of dollars of aid have been approved with billions more signed into law this week. The problem? It just hasn’t been enough. Now, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecasts unemployment could reach 16 percent later this year. So, what else can Congress do to resuscitate the economy?Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are over 60 vaccines for the coronavirus currently in development. Four of them are already being tested in humans. As researchers move at breakneck speed to find a vaccine, they’re debating breaking (or at least bending) the rules that ensure the end product is safe.How do we balance speed with safety in the rush to develop a vaccine?Guest: Dr. Timothy Lahey, an infectious diseases doctor, ethicist, and vaccine researcher at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are over 60 vaccines for the coronavirus currently in development. Four of them are already being tested in humans. As researchers move at breakneck speed to find a vaccine, they’re debating breaking (or at least bending) the rules that ensure the end product is safe.How do we balance speed with safety in the rush to develop a vaccine?Guest: Dr. Timothy Lahey, an infectious diseases doctor, ethicist, and vaccine researcher at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, cruises were the poster-child of viral spread. For the world’s largest cruise company, Carnival Cruise Line, the problems began in February and quickly escalated, as more passengers and crew fell ill, and Carnival struggled to dock its cruise liners. As ships went from floating cities to floating quarantines, what did the bosses know, and when did they know it? Guest: Austin Carr, reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek. Read his story.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than 700 cases of COVID-19 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota can be traced back to the city’s Smithfield pork packaging plant. Weeks before the coronavirus outbreak was confirmed, employees were asking for protective measures that didn’t materialize until it was too late. And Smithfield isn’t unique: Meatpacking facilities across the country are also struggling to minimize the spread of the virus. Guest: Kooper Caraway, president of the Sioux Falls AFL-CIO. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No one thought 2020 was going to be a boring election year. Several key Senate seats are in play, presenting Democrats with a real shot at winning back the chamber. However, with an unstable economy and a critical phase of the campaign cycle going virtual, candidates are facing new challenges. Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writerSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever since COVID-19 surfaced in Florida, local journalists began wondering how the virus was going to impact nursing home residents and employees. For weeks the facilities and the state's health department were reluctant to release data on the more than 600 assisted care centers. On Saturday, Governor Ron DeSantis finally released a list of nursing homes with confirmed cases, but only after pressure from news outlets and the public.Guest: Mary Ellen Klas, capital bureau chief for the Miami Herald. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before the U.S. can start opening back up, states will need to put systems in place for “contact tracing,” or meticulous tracking of the disease within communities. South Korea’s extensive tracing program has all but eliminated the spread of the virus within its borders. What will it take for the U.S. to do the same?Guests: Raphael Rashid, a freelance journalist, and Dr. Mike Reid, professor at University of California, San FranciscoHostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before the U.S. can start opening back up, states will need to put systems in place for “contact tracing,” or meticulous tracking of the disease within communities. South Korea’s extensive tracing program has all but eliminated the spread of the virus within its borders. What will it take for the U.S. to do the same?Guests: Raphael Rashid, a freelance journalist, and Dr. Mike Reid, professor at University of California, San FranciscoHostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The summer is going to be marked by the slow process of learning to live with coronavirus looming. The United States is going to have to rethink what “normal” means.Guest: Ed Yong, Science writer for The AtlanticSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in January, the Trump administration was caught flat footed in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. Politico’s Dan Diamond took a look back at the past 20 years of pandemic preparedness in the United States and found that former administrations weren’t exactly proactive either. Guest: Dan Diamond, Health Reporter for POLITICOSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Washington is still struggling to put the U.S. economy on ice while we wait out the coronavirus. Maybe you’re expecting your government check this week. Maybe you’re a small business owner looking for a loan. Is help on the way? And, if not, what’s the hold-up?Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At hospitals throughout the country another fight is beginning to spill into the public eye. This one between hospital administrators and their workers who have been put in harm's way. As nurses push for better working conditions, COVID-19 is laying bare a tension that has existed in hospitals and the health care system for many, many years.Guest: Zenei Cortez, RN at Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center and co-president of National Nurses UnitedSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As governments around the world try to predict the toll and duration of the coronavirus, they’re turning increasingly to a handful of forecasting models for answers. But many of the leading models differ drastically in their approach and methods. What do we need to know about these forecasts? And what are their limitations?Guest: Jordan Ellenberg, mathematics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Host: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As governments around the world try to predict the toll and duration of the coronavirus, they’re turning increasingly to a handful of forecasting models for answers. But many of the leading models differ drastically in their approach and methods. What do we need to know about these forecasts? And what are their limitations?Guest: Jordan Ellenberg, mathematics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Host: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Navy prides itself on being ready for just about anything. Sailors are even trained to fight fires, if need be. But when the coronavirus started rapidly spreading aboard the USS Roosevelt in early March, the ship’s captain sent out an SOS. Instead of a calm and collected response, the Navy’s top leadership imploded. Guest: Adam Weinstein, national security editor at The New Republic. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By now, Americans are getting used to the patterns of the coronavirus. It largely preys on the elderly and people with certain underlying health conditions. But as cities and towns start compiling the racial data of COVID-19 patients, new trends are making public health officials sound another alarm. Black people are getting sick and dying at shocking rates—and the virus is only part of the reason why. Guest: Akilah Johnson, narrative healthcare reporter at ProPublicaSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Concerns over the coronavirus outbreak are colliding with partisan trench warfare in Wisconsin. Voters are stuck in the crosshairs. Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate’s courts and law correspondent. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rikers Island was not built to slow a pandemic. Buildings are decrepit, and the churn of guards and new inmates makes infectious diseases incredibly hard to contain. Over the past several weeks, Rikers has released more than 600 inmates in an attempt to lessen the public health threat posed by a Covid-19 outbreak in the jail complex. But it’s not clear that will be enough.Guest: Rachael Bedard, senior director of geriatrics and complex care services at New York City’s jail complex on Rikers Island.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, workers at Amazon, Whole Foods, and Instacart have announced mass strikes across the country. Though demand for these services is high, pay and protection is low.What exactly do we owe to the delivery workers at the front lines of the pandemic? And with these companies hiring in record numbers, can the strikes succeed?Guests: Heidi Carrico, founding member of the Gig Workers Collective, and Johana Bhuiyan, tech accountability reporter at the Los Angeles Times. HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, workers at Amazon, Whole Foods, and Instacart have announced mass strikes across the country. Though demand for these services is high, pay and protection is low.What exactly do we owe to the delivery workers at the front lines of the pandemic? And with these companies hiring in record numbers, can the strikes succeed?Guests: Heidi Carrico, founding member of the Gig Workers Collective, and Johana Bhuiyan, tech accountability reporter at the Los Angeles Times.Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Politically incorrect since 1971.” That’s the unofficial motto of Liberty University, an evangelical college located in Lynchburg, Virginia headed by Jerry Falwell Jr. The school and its president take pride in bucking conventional wisdom, so when Jerry Falwell Jr. began to downplay concerns over COVID-19, echoing the rhetoric of the White House in early March, students and staff took notice. Ruth Graham says institutions like this one, institutions that take their cues from the president, have been a beat behind when it comes to responding to our current public health crisis.Guest: Ruth Graham, staff writer at Slate.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CDC could soon be changing its guidelines on whether the American public should be wearing masks to combat the spread of COVID-19. What does the data say about mask usage? And how do we calculate the answer for ourselves?Guest: Aaron E. Carroll, professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. He blogs at a website called The Incidental Economist. He’ll also answer your coronavirus questions on YouTube. His channel is Healthcare Triage.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As COVID-19 cases continue to mount across the country, many states are still preparing for the virus to hit their populations with full force. In Florida, state officials have voiced concerns about shutting down the economy, while local officials have noted surging hospitalizations in their cities. Now, some mayors are no longer waiting for the governor to order a lockdown. Guest: Jane Castor, Mayor of Tampa, Florida. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a few weeks ago, officials were saying the coronavirus outbreak posed a relatively low risk for people living in New York City. How did health experts and government officials misread the threat so completely? And what can the rest of the country learn from what’s happening in New York now?Guest: Elizabeth Kim, senior editor for Gothamist and WNYC. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work.The United States failed to roll out widespread testing in the early days of the pandemic. Now it faces critical shortages of supplies as it scrambles to track the disease around the country.Until testing is available at scale, Americans won’t be able to return to their normal lives. So: what will it take to solve the country’s testing shortage?Guest: Robert P. Baird, contributor to the New Yorker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work.The United States failed to roll out widespread testing in the early days of the pandemic. Now it faces critical shortages of supplies as it scrambles to track the disease around the country.Until testing is available at scale, Americans won’t be able to return to their normal lives. So: what will it take to solve the country’s testing shortage?Guest: Robert P. Baird, contributor to the New Yorker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the people on the frontlines get sick? An ER doctor shares her experience with coronavirus as doctor and patient.Guest: Dara Kass, Emergency medicine physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical CenterSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s plenty to be learned from past pandemics. They tend to follow a dramatic arc: denial, blame, and mass mobilization. So far, the coronavirus tracks with some contagions of the past—but can history tell anything about where we’re headed?Guest: David S. Jones, professor of the culture of medicine at Harvard University.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, the United States might have to figure out how to hold an election in a time of social distancing. Will local, state and federal officials be able coordinate in time to transform our election infrastructure?Guest: Nate Persily, Stanford University Law ProfessorSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To understand where the country is right now in battling this pandemic you have to confront some pretty grim statistics. Roughly one in three Americans are under some kind of orders to stay at home. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed 33,000. And a nearly $2 trillion dollar coronavirus rescue package is hanging in the Senate’s balance. With many Americans and health care workers needing immediate assistance, will lawmakers respond?Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Google has spent the last decade trying to find a foothold in the health care industry. Now they’re partnering with the federal government to build a website that will seek to address the crisis.Can Google be trusted with our medical data?Guest: Mason Marks, law professor at Gonzaga University School of Law and an affiliated fellow at Yale Law School's Information Society Project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Google has spent the last decade trying to find a foothold in the health care industry. Now they’re partnering with the federal government to build a website that will seek to address the crisis.Can Google be trusted with our medical data?Guest: Mason Marks, law professor at Gonzaga University School of Law and an affiliated fellow at Yale Law School's Information Society Project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many Americans still can’t imagine how the coronavirus pandemic will upend their lives. In northern Italy, no imagination is needed. Coffins pile up in churches and cemeteries as funeral gatherings remain banned. Hospitals are overwhelmed. And those who die from COVID-19 die alone. Guest: Greta Privitera, an Italian journalist on her fourth week of lockdown in Milan. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the novel coronavirus spreads sickness and anxiety around the U.S., it’s tempting to point fingers at government agencies that seemed wholly unequipped for the crisis. And, to be clear, Washington was not prepared. But here’s what decision makers can be doing right now to figure out what comes next. Guest: Beth Cameron, vice president for global biological policy and programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.