What Next Creators & Guests

Ray Suarez is a journalist and author. Currently, he is the host of "World Affairs" on NPR station KQED.Previously, Suarez was host of "Inside Story" on Al Jazeera America. Before that, he was chief national correspondent for "Newshour" on PBS. He has also worked as a radio reporter in London and Rome, as a Los Angeles correspondent for CNN, and as a reporter for the NBC-owned station WMAQ-TV in Chicago.Suarez received his B.A. in African History from New York University and his A.M. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago.

Lizzie O'Leary is an American journalist. She has worked with CNN, NPR, Bloomberg TV, Yahoo News, ABC, and the BBC.

Yasmin Khan is an author, broadcaster, and human rights campaigner.

Mary Cecelia Curtis is a journalist. Currently, she a columnist for Roll Call and a senior facilitator for The OpEd Project. She is known for her coverage of politics as it intersects with race and culture, and for being a pioneer and advocate for diversity in U.S. news media.She has been a reporter and editor at major publications including The New York Times, Baltimore Sun, and the Arizona Daily Star. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Region IV National Association of Black Journalists in 2004.Curtis received her B.A. in Communications from Fordham University.

Cheyna Roth is a journalist and audio producer. Currently, she is a podcast producer for Slate and frequent host of its gender and feminism podcast "The Waves." She is also an adjunct professor of journalism and law at Aquinas College.Roth began her career as a prosecuting attorney. She left the practice of law to in 2016, earned her masters degree, and became a documentary filmmaker, podcaster, and freelance writer. She began her journalism career as Capitol reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Networka, and she hosted the podcast "MichMash."Roth's work has appeared in Broadly, Bustle, and on NPR. Her first book, "Cold Cases: A True Crime Collection," was published in 2020.Roth received her J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law and her M.A. in Journalism from Michigan State University.

Yasmin Kahn is the RebelHQ Contributor for The Young Turks and the Host of the Global Thread Podcast.

Mary Harris is a host, reporter, and producer. Currently, she is the host of "What Next?" at Slate.Before joining Slate, Harris was host for the NPR show "Only Human." She has been a producer for NPR and ABC News.Harris received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jayson de Leon is an audio producer. Currently, he is a producer for “99% Invisible.”Previously, de Leon was a producer for Slate, where he produced seasons 5 and 6 of “Slow Burn,” launched and led production of Slate’s daily news program “What Next,” and was the founding producer of “Trumpcast.” Before joining Slate, he produced season 1 of “Family Ghosts.” Before that, he was an intern at NPR’s “Planet Money.”de Leon  received his B.S. in Business Economics from the University of Central Florida.

Rob Gunther is a writer, audio journalist, and podcast producer. Currently, he is a Senior Producer at Slate, where he produces the "What Next" podcast.Gunther has produced news podcasts and radio for Slate, Business Insider, Apple News, and WNYC. His writing has appeared in and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.

Madeline Ducharme is an audio journalist, researcher, and writer. Currently, she is a producer for Slate, where she produces their daily news podcast, "What Next," and before that, she was an assistant producer for "One Year" and "Slow Burn."Before joining Slate, Ducharme was an intern for NPR's "Morning Edition." She began her career at WKCR-FM New York where she hosted shows in the News & Arts departments and produced segments.

Mary Wilson is an audio producer for The New York Times.Previousl, Wilson was a politics editor of Slate Magazine's podcast "What Next."

Elena Schwartz is a journalist and podcast producer. Currently, she produces podcasts for Slate Magazine. Previously, she was at NPR.

Anna Phillips is a producer. Currently, she is a podcast producer for Slate, where she produces "What Next."

Ethan Oberman is a freelance audio producer.Previously, Oberman was a Senior Producer for the WNYC show "The Takeaway," where he produced much of the show’s movie and television coverage. He began his producing career as an intern with The Takeaway in 2016. Before that, he was an intern at WBAI in Brooklyn and a volunteer at WFMU.

Paige Osburn is an audio producer, occasional reporter, and producer of 1A Podcast.

Lisa Daugaard is a criminal justice reform activist. She is the director of the nonprofit organization Purpose Dignity Action. She is also a commissioner of the Community Police Commission in Seattle.Daugaard received her B.A. from the University of Washington, her M.A. from Cornell University, and her J.D. from Yale Law School. After law school, she worked in New York City as a fellow at the ACLU National Legal Department, as Legal Director of the Coalition for the Homeless, and as Organizing Project Director at the Urban Justice Center.

Dr. Jeremy C. Young is a historian and the senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America.Previously, Young was the communications and marketing manager at the American Historical Association, and directed the AHA’s Freedom to Learn Initiative combating legislative censorship in history classrooms. Before that, he was an assistant professor of History and Director of the Institute of Politics and Public Affairs at Utah Tech University.Young's first book, "The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society, 1870-1940," was published in 2017.Young received his Ph.D. in U.S. history from Indiana University.

Michael Powell is a national reporter covering issues around free speech and expression, and stories capturing intellectual and campus debate.

Robert Kolker is a former contributing editor at New York Magazine, a former projects and investigations reporter for Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek, and the author of Lost Girls, a book that was a New York Times best-seller and named one of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Books of 2013.