What Next

Can We Even Trust the Testing Data?

Nationwide data collection is critical here. The CDC hasn’t distinguished itself.

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Episode Notes

We closed down the country because we didn’t have enough COVID-19 tests. Now that testing capacity is improving, there’s another problem: figuring out what all this new data means, and who’s reporting accurate figures.

Guest: Robinson Meyer, staff writer at the Atlantic, and part of the team working on the COVID Tracking Project.

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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Danielle Hewitt.

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About the Show

The problem with the news right now? It’s everywhere. And each day, it can feel like we’re all just mindlessly scrolling. It’s why we created What Next. This short daily show is here to help you make sense of things. When the news feels overwhelming, we’re here to help you answer: What next? Look for new episodes every weekday morning.

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  • Mary Harris is the host and managing editor of What Next, Slate's new daily news podcast. She has reported throughout the public radio system, for NPR, Marketplace, and WNYC.

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