What Next | Daily News and Analysis

Elon Musk is suing Media Matters for reporting that advertisers’ content was showing up right next to posts from newly reinstated Nazis on X, something X’s CEO said was impossible. Media Matters is based in D.C, and X is headquartered in California - so why did Musk choose to file the suit in Texas?Guest: Liz Dye, columnist at Above the Law, Substacks as Law and Chaos Pod, co-hosts the podcast Opening Arguments.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 TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Ashley Carman, Bloomberg reporter who covers Spotify, discusses Spotify's layoffs, financial struggles, and ambitions for the future. The podcast explores Spotify's impact on the music industry, its podcasting strategy, and its position in relation to TikTok. It also delves into the recent app redesign and its goal of becoming a hub for discovering culture, music, and podcasts.

Pickleball’s exploding popularity isn’t an organic grassroots rise. According to a reporter’s intrepid Freedom of Information Act inquiries, enthusiastic pickleball ambassadors are employing the “USA Pickleball tool kit” and harrying local park departments to elbow out their tennis-and-basketball-playing neighbors. Guest: Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media and host of the 404 Media Podcast, former editor-in-chief of Motherboard.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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sacklers were set to pay $6 billion in exchange for immunity from any future lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis. But the Supreme Court will now decide whether bankruptcy law can be wielded in this manner to protect the very wealthy—and trump the very-American right to sue for damages. Guest: Brian Mann, reporter on addiction at NPR.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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley scored a coveted endorsement from Charles Koch’s political advocacy group. She’s passed Ron DeSantis in the polls—and now, she’s the top, non-Trump Republican candidate for president. But is there any hope of winning over Trump voters—or is this a race to be the candidate who steps in if the former president goes to jail?Guest: Alexandra Ulmer, reporter at Reuters covering the 2024 U.S. presidential race, with a focus on Republicans, donors and AI.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 Elena Schwartz, Madeline Ducharme, Anna Phillips, Paige Osburn, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caroline O'Donovan, a Washington Post reporter covering Amazon, discusses the safety challenges faced by Amazon warehouse workers and the difficulties in regulating the company. Topics include worker injuries, government investigations, ergonomic injuries, OSHA's limited powers, and Amazon's resistance to inspections.

A tech columnist exposes hidden problems with technology and discusses the challenges of online privacy, the benefits of the Apple Card, and the complexity of digital privacy. The Permission Slip app helps users understand and manage their personal data. The increasing concerns about data privacy and the need for better data protection laws are explored. The significance of consumer uprising and privacy rights in America is discussed, with information about supporting the podcast through Slate Plus membership.

Guest Karen Hao, journalist and data scientist, discusses the impact of Chat GPT on the AI industry and the ideological divide. They also explore the reorganization of the board, the lack of diversity, and the need for transparency and informed decision-making in AI development.

David Freedlander, New York Magazine contributor and author of The AOC Generation, discusses the controversies and challenges surrounding Eric Adams' political career. They explore investigations, allegations of campaign finance irregularities, and a recent sexual assault allegation. The chapter also delves into Adams' background, his journey to becoming mayor of New York City, and the uncertainty surrounding recent events involving FBI agents and a federal judge.

Guest April Dembosky, health correspondent for KQED, discusses California's new 'CARE courts' designed to assist individuals with psychotic disorders. They explore the controversy surrounding court-ordered mental health treatment and the challenges of involuntary commitment. The connection between mental illness, homelessness, and the housing crisis in California is also examined.