It’s hard to imagine, but many states had a plan for how they would make tough calls about the distribution of scarce medical resources during a pandemic. As our present crisis has dragged on, and hospitals have become overwhelmed, those plans are beginning to go into effect -- with some interesting caveats. 
Guest: Sheri Fink, correspondent at The New York Times. 
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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: A Doctor’s Hardest Call

Daily news updates from across the Slate Podcast network.

News

Politics

News Commentary

Man-made per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are found in all sorts of industrial and consumer products, including carpets, rain jackets, and makeup. They’re also in our drinking water—and in our blood.

The EPA has recently announced plans to regulate the amount of certain PFAS in our water supply. But will these rules do enough to control chemicals for which there is no safe level of exposure?

Guest: Esmé E. Deprez, independent investigative journalist.

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Is It Too Late to Escape “Forever Chemicals”?

This week Bryan talks to writer Neil J. Young about his new book Coming Out Republican: A History of the Gay Right. They dig into some of the inherent contradictions of the Gay Right and the pillars of their political strategy and reveal how central whiteness and maleness is to their politic. 

Podcast production by Palace Shaw.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outward: A History of the Gay Right with Neil J. Young

How will impending abortion restrictions in Florida and Arizona impact votes this fall?

Guests: 
Anna Hochkammer, executive director of the Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition.
Grace Panetta, political reporter for The 19th. 

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Will Abortion in Florida and Arizona Decide the Election?

Over the weekend Iran fired flocks of missiles and drones towards Israel, but the damage was minimal. What role did Israel’s new network of regional allies play in tamping down the attack? —and how committed to war was Iran to begin with?

Guest: Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic.

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: What Israel Does Now

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: blaze it.

Ahead of the honorary stoner holiday that is 4/20, we’re taking a look at the marijuana landscape. Public opinion has warmed considerably to legal weed in the past few decades – both medicinal and recreational – even though it remains a Schedule 1 drug on the federal level.

But some public health experts are still sounding the alarm, because this has all happened very quickly… and though hard-line illegality was harmful, what we’re doing now might be causing harm, too.

Dr. Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, joins us.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie.

Want more Hear Me Out? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/hearmeoutplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: A Doctor’s Hardest Call

Download our free app to listen on your phone