Podcasts about Big Tobacco

In this episode, Jeff sits down with San Francisco City Attorney, David Chiu, to discuss his first-in-the-nation lawsuit against major ultra-processed food manufacturers. Drawing parallels to Big Tobacco litigation, David explains how companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Kraft Heinz have used addiction science and deceptive marketing – often targeting children and low-income communities – to maximize profits while leaving taxpayers to cover the healthcare costs. They explore the tobacco industry's direct involvement in building the processed food industry, the 1999 executive meeting that predicted devastating health consequences, and why this lawsuit could reshape how we think about America's food system. This show is made possible by: CBDistillery: Go to CBDistillery.com and use code COMMUNE for 25% off. Timeline: Go to Timeline.com/COMMUNE to claim a special offer for Commune listeners. Stemregen: Get 20% off your first order at stemregen.co/commune with the code COMMUNEPOD Vivobarefoot: Try Vivobarefoot risk-free with a 100-day return guarantee, and get 15% off your order at vivobarefoot.com/commune. Bon Charge: Get 15% off when you order at boncharge.com and use promo code COMMUNE 

Air Date: 2/23/2026 Today we examine how the platforms that monetize your attention are merging with state power. We'll hear how TikTok's new owners include Trump ally Larry Ellison, how DHS sent hundreds of subpoenas to unmask anonymous ICE critics, how Ring's Super Bowl ad cheerfully introduced AI-powered neighborhood surveillance, and how the social media addiction trials that are being likened to the Big Tobacco settlement of the 90s, are finally exposing what these companies knew about the harmful nature of their products all along. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: Chris Hayes in Conversation with Jonathan Haidt About The Sirens Call Part 1 - All In W Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-10-26 KP 2: Trouble at TikTok Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-4-26 KP 3: Is Social Media Having Its Big Tobacco Moment Part 1 - The Global Story - Air Date 2-16-26 KP 4: The Social Media Addiction Trials Begin Part 1 - On The Media - Air Date 2-13-26 KP 5: Ring's Lost Pet Ad Fetching a Surveillance State - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-10-26 KP 6: DMs! My Kingdom For DMs! - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-17-26 (00:53:14) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Big Tech is the New Big Tobacco - Here's what that means for our future DEEPER DIVES (01:01:11) SECTION A: LAWSUITS A1: Predatory Tech Silicon Valley on Trial in Landmark Youth Social Media Addiction Case Part 1 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-19-26 A2: Why New Mexico Is Taking Meta to Court - Here & Now Anytime - 2-5-26 A3: The Social Media Addiction Trials Begin Part 2 - On The Media- Air Date 2-13-26 A4: Is Social Media Having Its Big Tobacco Moment Part 2 - The Global Story - Air Date 2-16-26 A5: Trouble at TikTok Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-4-26 A6: Predatory Tech Silicon Valley on Trial in Landmark Youth Social Media Addiction Case Part 2 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-19-26 (01:44:53) SECTION B: TIKTOK B1: TikTok, Gen Z's Move to Social Media and Elite Panic Over Unsanctioned News Part 1 - Citations Needed - Air Date 2-4-26 B2: TikTok's New Trump-Approved US Owners Part 1 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-28-26 B3: TikTok, Gen Z's Move to Social Media and Elite Panic Over Unsanctioned News Part 2 - Citations Needed - Air Date 2-4-26 B4: TikTok's New Trump-Approved US Owners Part 2 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-28-26 (02:19:50) SECTION C: PLATFORM POWER C1: Tech Giants Are Nothing But Middlemen, with Tim Wu Part 1 - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 2-18-26 C2: The Plan Is to Make the Internet Worse Forever with Cory Doctorow Part 1 - Downstream - Air Date 12-8-25 C3: Let's Talk About Ring, Lost Dogs, and the Surveillance State - Decoder with Nilay Patel - Air Date 2-16-26 C4: Tech Giants Are Nothing But Middlemen, with Tim Wu Part 2 - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 2-18-26 (02:56:37) SECTION D: ATTENTION HARMS D1: Chris Hayes in Conversation with Jonathan Haidt About The Sirens Call Part 2 - All In W Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-10-26 D2: AI Chatbots Upended Their Lives. Then They Turned to Each Other - Consider This - Air Date 2-4-26 D3: The Plan Is to Make the Internet Worse Forever with Cory Doctorow Part 2 - Downstream - Air Date 12-8-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a pre-teen girl leaning on a table holding a phone in her hands that she looks at so closely it covers her entire face. Credit:"teen iphone smartphone girl" by cyndidyoder83, Pixabay | Pixabay License   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Gary breaks down the explosive tech trial being compared to Big Tobacco, questioning whether social media regulation is finally coming, the role of Section 230, and why even tech leaders like Peter Thiel and Steve Jobs kept screens out of their own homes. The conversation turns to global crackdowns, including moves overseas and Gavin Newsom floating restrictions on social media for kids under 16.The hour continues with breaking updates on the Secret Service shooting at Mar-a-Lago, with reporting from The Hill’s Ashleigh Fields, followed by Gary’s reaction to lawmakers skipping the State of the Union. Gary also covers a brutal Northeast winter storm and questions New York City’s snow response before wrapping with a Terror in the Skies segment after hundreds of passengers were stranded overnight on planes at Munich Airport.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents and experts have claimed for years that social media is addictive and damaging to children's mental health. Now, a lawsuit against Meta and YouTube in L.A. wants to prove big tech knew about these risks.Advocates are calling this Big Tech's "Big Tobacco's moment" because the outcome of the trial will set a precedent for thousands of other cases, could result in billions of dollars in payouts, and changes to how social media platforms are allowed to operate.

TALK TO ME, TEXT ITThe morning starts with a jolt: are social platforms edging into Big Tobacco territory, and if so, who's truly on the hook—companies, creators, or us? We wrestle with the ethics of addictive design, government scrutiny, and the gray zone between personal agency and engineered behavior. The viral comparison isn't clean, but it's powerful, and it pushes us to consider layered responsibility: rails set by policy, restraint built into products, standards upheld by creators, and habits we choose for ourselves.From there we steer into home life and the science of sleep. A new survey suggests couples who go to bed at the same time tend to report stronger, happier marriages. We talk about why shared bedtime works—not as a magic trick, but as a simple nightly ritual that keeps connection easy and resentment low. Can't sync every night because of shifts or sports? We offer practical substitutes: a short wind-down together, a ten-minute debrief, or a morning coffee that anchors the day.Then we cool things down—literally. Research on bedroom temperature and overnight heart recovery shows warmer rooms can strain your cardiovascular system, especially as you age. We unpack why heat taxes the body, why most people sleep better in the 60s Fahrenheit, and how to adjust your setup without wrecking your energy bill: breathable bedding, blackout curtains, pre-cooling, and small comfort tweaks that fit different sleepers.Threaded through the headlines is a deeper theme: attention is a scarce resource. With just two episodes left, we're rethinking the 30-minute pocket before work—finishing a longform series, listening with intent, even embracing a quiet moment instead of doomscrolling. We also touch a difficult news story to underline what's at stake when online heat boils over offline: respond with clarity, hold compassion, and keep your rituals steady.We want to hear from you. What should fill that pre-work window when the show ends? And what does a day in your life look like—work, rest, the small anchors that keep you steady? Listen, share your take, and if this sparked a thought, hit follow, send it to a friend, and leave a quick review so others can find the show.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREE Thanks for listening! Liberty Line each week on Sunday, look for topics on my X file @americanistblog and submit your 1-3 audio opinions to anamericanistblog@gmail.com and you'll be featured on the podcast. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREESupport the showTip Jar for coffee $ - Thanks Music by Alehandro Vodnik from Pixabay Blog - AnAmericanist.comX - @americanistblog

Dr. Kim Dennis brings a deeply integrative and courageous voice to the conversation on eating disorders, food addiction, trauma, and recovery. As a board-certified psychiatrist and the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Medical Officer of SunCloud Health (https://suncloudhealth.com/) she has spent more than two decades treating complex, co-occurring conditions—while also drawing from her own lived experience in long-term recovery from alcohol use disorder, bulimia, and food addiction. Dr. Dennis believes recovery must address the whole person: biological, psychological, social, and spiritual—not just symptoms or weight. A central theme of this episode is what happens when treatment doesn't work. Dr. Dennis points to a sobering reality: 30–50% of people with eating disorders do not respond to gold-standard treatments, often leaving patients believing they are broken. She challenges that narrative and argues that food addiction—particularly addiction to sugar and ultra-processed foods—is a critical and often dismissed missing piece. Drawing parallels to Big Tobacco, she explains how corporate influence, stigma, and lack of diagnostic legitimacy have delayed research funding, insurance coverage, and effective treatment, despite growing neurobiological evidence involving dopamine reward pathways, craving, withdrawal, and continued use despite harm. Dr. Dennis approaches every patient through a trauma-informed lens, emphasizing that all eating disorders and food addiction exist on a continuum shaped by disrupted safety, neglect, or adversity—what she describes as both “big T” and “little t” trauma. Rather than separating behavior from biology, she explains how trauma alters reward systems and coping mechanisms, making food a powerful regulator of emotion and survival. Her model centers on patient-led collaboration, clinical humility, and a strong therapeutic alliance—meeting people exactly where they are, without leaving them there. The conversation also explores some of the most debated issues in the field, including harm reduction versus abstinence, the eating-disorder community's resistance to food addiction, and the expanding use of GLP-1 medications. Dr. Dennis stresses that abstinence is a “tricky word” that must be defined clinically and individually—not ideologically—and that medications may have a place when used thoughtfully, transparently, and alongside comprehensive care. She closes with a message of hope: recovery is not about weight or perfection, lives do get bigger, and no one should stop seeking answers simply because one approach failed.      #eatingdisorderrecovery  #healthyliving  #obesity  #MAHA    Dr. Nicole Avena (https://www.instagram.com/drnicoleavena/?hl=en) #ashleygearhardt #foodaddiction #ultraprocessed #addictionscience  #foodfreedom

Send a textIs social media the new Big Tobacco or is it simply the price of living in a hyper connected world? Gavin Tighe and Stephen Thiele dive into the mounting legal and societal backlash against social media giants like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, exploring whether these platforms are fueling a youth mental health crisis—and if governments and courts can do anything about it. From Australia's sweeping ban on social media for children under 16 to Canada's proposed legislation and billion-dollar lawsuits launched by school boards, the hosts unpack the evolving legal strategies, including the bold attempt to stretch the tort of public nuisance to cover digital harm. They question whether causation between social media and mental health struggles can truly be proven, compare the issue to tobacco litigation, and examine the added complexity of AI-driven algorithms and echo chambers. As technology accelerates beyond the reach of traditional regulation, this episode asks the pressing question: Can real-world laws meaningfully govern a borderless digital world?  Listen For:1:40 How Has Social Media Changed Childhood Compared to Previous Generations?8:23 Is Social Media Driving a Mental Health Crisis Among Teens?9:55 What Are Governments Doing to Ban or Regulate Social Media for Children?14:29 Why Is the Toronto District School Board Suing Social Media Companies?21:41 Can Social Media Be Legally Defined as Addictive Like Tobacco? Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Contact UsGardiner Roberts website | Gavin email | Stephen email  

**This episode contains discussion of bullying, abuse and suicide** A landmark trial is underway in Los Angeles where tech giants Instagram and YouTube will face a jury for the first time over claims that their platforms are deliberately designed to be addictive for children. Lawyers for the plaintiff – a 20 year-old woman – say she developed mental health issues after becoming addicted to the social media at an early age. They argue these companies built “addiction machines” with algorithms that learn what users want and keep feeding it to them. Instagram and YouTube deny the allegations, saying that they have no incentive to turn children into addicts and have introduced various safety measures. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify later this week. We speak to the BBC's North America Technology Correspondent Lily Jamali, who has been following the case, to ask whether social media is having a generational reckoning – its Big Tobacco moment. Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Vigil outside the courthouse ahead of a social media addiction trial in Los Angeles. Credit: Reuters/ Jill Connelly.

The Fold's first ever listener questions episode is coming – fill out this form to pose a question of hosts Duncan Greive and Glen Kyne. Anna Rawhiti-Connell joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss three huge stories impacting the social media and platform world. First is a landmark trial which contends social platforms are faulty products which visit huge harms upon their users – both Snap and TikTok have settled out of court, while Meta and Google will go to trial in a case with potentially enormous implications for the platforms.Next, they discuss the under-16 ban movement, which is spreading rapidly around the world, including New Zealand. Finally they analyse the EU's multi-faceted resistance to big tech, one which epitomises the downstream consequences of Trump's hostility toward his traditional allies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could we imagine a world in which nicotine products did not exist? Could such a world be shaped by teens working together to make it happen, and what might that mean for public health? 25-year-old Raven Twilling, Program Coordinator for Bay Area Community Resources in Marin County, discusses how she has helped organize teens to make nicotine products illegal to sell in two California towns. She shares her journey from noticing vaping trends in high school to studying public health and working in her current role. Raven highlights recent successful initiatives, including complete bans on the sale of commercial tobacco and nicotine products in Ross and Tiburon, California. Most importantly, she explains how young people played a central role in these efforts and how listening to this episode with young people may spark interest in civic action and advocacy.   Resources  Bay Area Community Resources Marin County Tobacco Prevention Program Public Health Law Center Truth Initiative (educational content)  Marin Youth Advocacy Committee KickIt California (free quit support for anyone in CA 13+)  Tiburon News Article Ross News Article  Board of Supervisors (Marin Unincorporated) News Article Time Code 00:00 Introduction to Raven and BACR 00:16 Raven's Journey into Nicotine Prevention 01:38 Current Work and Responsibilities at BACR 02:46 Policy Advocacy and Recent Wins 03:51 Arguments for Nicotine Product Bans 06:13 Youth Involvement and Community Impact 07:51 Process of Implementing Local Laws 11:44 Marin County's Recent Policy Changes 25:58 Challenges and Enforcement Issues 27:11 Encouraging Youth Involvement 28:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts  

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Meta right now: Is 2026 Meta's ‘Big Tobacco' moment? How big of a problem is Meta's AI spending spree? What's the vision for its AI agent? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Minda Smiley and Principal Analyst Max Willens. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.   Subscribe to EMARKETER's newsletters. Go to https://www.emarketer.com/newsletters Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/ For sponsorship opportunities, contact us: advertising@emarketer.com For more information, visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/ Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com    For a transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-metas-ai-spend-problem-2026-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment-more-3-big-questions   © 2026 EMARKETER   Seedtag applies advanced AI to deliver privacy-first advertising at scale. As the creator of neuro-contextual advertising, Seedtag moves beyond traditional contextual targeting methods such as keywords and categories. Instead, Seedtag understands deeper signals of interest, intent, and emotion to create custom audiences based on a brand's objectives.

As Meta and Google face a landmark trial in California over allegations that social media algorithms are intentionally addictive to minors, the legal world is watching for a "Big Tobacco" moment. Earlier this week, Jonathan Turley, George Washington University Law Professor and FOX News Contributor, joined the Rundown's Dave Anthony to explain why he remains skeptical of these "addictive technology" lawsuits and the First Amendment hurdles they face. Later, Professor Turley shifted from the courtroom to the history books to discuss his latest work, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution. He detailed the fascinating, messy life of Thomas Paine and compared the "rage" of the French Revolution to the uniquely controlled democratic impulses that established the United States. Turley also discussed the challenges that democracies will face as social media and artificial intelligence evolve and become a larger part of our lives. In an era of AI and digital polarization, he argues that understanding our founding is the only way to navigate the challenges ahead. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with legal scholar Jonathan Turley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Meta and Google face a landmark trial in California over allegations that social media algorithms are intentionally addictive to minors, the legal world is watching for a "Big Tobacco" moment. Earlier this week, Jonathan Turley, George Washington University Law Professor and FOX News Contributor, joined the Rundown's Dave Anthony to explain why he remains skeptical of these "addictive technology" lawsuits and the First Amendment hurdles they face. Later, Professor Turley shifted from the courtroom to the history books to discuss his latest work, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution. He detailed the fascinating, messy life of Thomas Paine and compared the "rage" of the French Revolution to the uniquely controlled democratic impulses that established the United States. Turley also discussed the challenges that democracies will face as social media and artificial intelligence evolve and become a larger part of our lives. In an era of AI and digital polarization, he argues that understanding our founding is the only way to navigate the challenges ahead. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with legal scholar Jonathan Turley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Meta and Google face a landmark trial in California over allegations that social media algorithms are intentionally addictive to minors, the legal world is watching for a "Big Tobacco" moment. Earlier this week, Jonathan Turley, George Washington University Law Professor and FOX News Contributor, joined the Rundown's Dave Anthony to explain why he remains skeptical of these "addictive technology" lawsuits and the First Amendment hurdles they face. Later, Professor Turley shifted from the courtroom to the history books to discuss his latest work, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution. He detailed the fascinating, messy life of Thomas Paine and compared the "rage" of the French Revolution to the uniquely controlled democratic impulses that established the United States. Turley also discussed the challenges that democracies will face as social media and artificial intelligence evolve and become a larger part of our lives. In an era of AI and digital polarization, he argues that understanding our founding is the only way to navigate the challenges ahead. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with legal scholar Jonathan Turley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A landmark lawsuit that accuses social media companies of intentionally designing their platforms to be addictive — and causing harm to children and teenagers' mental health — is in court this week in Los Angeles.The defendants in this case are Meta and YouTube, both of which dispute the allegations. Snap and TikTok both settled in advance of the trial.Some are calling this social media's "Big Tobacco" moment. Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, discusses this as well as a series of lawsuits against the social media giants.

A landmark lawsuit that accuses social media companies of intentionally designing their platforms to be addictive — and causing harm to children and teenagers' mental health — is in court this week in Los Angeles.The defendants in this case are Meta and YouTube, both of which dispute the allegations. Snap and TikTok both settled in advance of the trial.Some are calling this social media's "Big Tobacco" moment. Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, discusses this as well as a series of lawsuits against the social media giants.

In this January 2026 Month in Review, Through a Therapist's Eyes looks at how modern life is shaping our emotional health—from social media on trial to intimacy and parenting in a digital world. We discuss the growing legal cases comparing Big Tech to Big Tobacco and what it means to prove harm and addiction. We also revisit one-night stands, shifting the focus from morality to emotional impact, attachment, and what people are really hoping to feel afterward. Finally, we explore Parenting in the Information Age, examining how constant access to adult-level information affects kids and parents alike, and why emotional guidance matters more than simply limiting screens. This episode ties it all together with one key idea: emotional health comes from slowing things down, building awareness, and choosing connection on purpose. Tune in to see the January Month in Review Through a Therapist's Eyes  

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck digs into the stunning implosion of The Washington Post after Jeff Bezos ordered layoffs of nearly a third of its staff—breaking a decade-old promise to provide the paper with long-term financial runway. The conversation explores how Bezos treated the Post less like a civic institution and more like a trophy asset, useful for currying favor, protecting government contracts, and advancing Amazon and Blue Origin, but never truly prioritized for success. As newsroom cuts gut coverage across the board and the Post retreats from its role as D.C.’s essential local authority, the episode argues this isn’t just a media story—it’s a case study in billionaire power, tech hubris, and how America’s wealthiest figures play by a different set of rules, even as blue-collar and white-collar anger begin to converge. Then, author and Washington Post contributor Danny Funt joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss his new book “Everybody Loses”, and for a sobering, wide-ranging conversation about how the rapid legalization of sports betting quietly reshaped American sports—and not in the ways fans were promised. What began as a state-by-state experiment after a 2018 Supreme Court ruling has exploded into a highly profitable, lightly regulated industry where sportsbooks are household names, leagues are financial stakeholders, and media companies are financially dependent on gambling ads. Funt explains how gambling turbocharged media rights deals, hooked viewers more deeply into games, and became politically untouchable as companies like FanDuel and DraftKings poured money into lobbying to block even modest regulation. The discussion digs into the darker consequences that followed: inadequate funding for gambling addiction support, normalization of conspiracy talk about “rigged” games, threats and violence directed at athletes, and growing concerns about corruption—especially in individual sports and lower-profile leagues. Funt draws chilling parallels between today’s sportsbook advertising blitz and the early days of Big Tobacco, explores why American regulators ignored European guardrails, and explains how mobile betting and prediction markets have made gambling more potent and pervasive than ever. The result, he argues, is a system designed for maximum profit with minimal friction—one that has fundamentally altered how sports are watched, covered, and policed. Finally, Chuck previews the Super Bowl between the Seahawks & Patriots and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:30 Washington Post lays off 1/3rd of its staff on orders from Bezos 06:15 Bezos told Woodward in 2013 he’d provide financial runway to the Post 07:00 Bezos just did the opposite of what he said he’d do 08:15 Matt Murray, editor of the post, isn’t in charge of business strategy 09:45 Cuts will affect all areas of the Post’s coverage 11:45 Structural issues at the Post have existed for years 13:00 The NYT diversified and it worked brilliantly 13:45 DC is an educated affluent market, comfortable paying for news 14:30 Bezos needed a leg up for Blue Origin in the space race 16:15 So why did 2013 Bezos buy the Post? Government contracts. 17:15 Amazon held almost an American Idol style bid process for HQ 18:00 Wish Amazon would have chosen St. Louis for HQ 21:15 Buying the Post was a way to curry favor for Amazon 22:00 Bezos saw the Post as a trophy that would help his other businesses 23:15 Trump cancelled a Bezos contract over unfavorable Post coverage 24:30 Bezos wasn’t interested in the success of the Post 26:45 Why not sell the Post? Trump would blame him for negative coverage 29:00 Whether the Post fails doesn’t matter to Bezos, his other businesses do 30:30 Bezos has only done one thing well: Building Amazon 31:30 High net worth doesn’t mean high IQ 33:30 WaPo was the regional and local authority in DC & is giving that up 35:30 Post wants to retreat and become just offer political coverage 36:45 Bezos is behaving like the metaphorical rich guy villain 37:45 Rich people play by their own rules and get away with everything 40:15 Blue collar anger is about to be coupled with white collar anger 41:00 The tech titans don’t know how to read the room 42:30 Biggest trade for Washington Wizards in years not covered by the Post 44:00 The Post won’t recover from this 50:15 Danny Funt joins the Chuck ToddCast 50:45 Rapid legalization of sports betting had unintended consequences 52:15 What made you want to cover the topic of sports betting? 52:45 Leagues took a hard pivot from anti to pro gambling 54:45 Major sportsbooks are household names, but very secretive 56:15 SCOTUS paved the way for state by state gambling with 2018 ruling 57:00 Courts provided gambling legislation due to inaction by congress 58:30 Gambling creating a massive increase in value for media rights 1:00:00 Adding gambling was a way to further hook viewers to sports 1:01:30 It’s hard to add new taxes, but vice taxes are able to pass 1:02:45 Legal betting is far more potent than betting through a bookie 1:04:15 Fanduel & Draftkings throwing money into politics to avoid regulation 1:05:45 Even modest regulation is rigorously opposed by gambling industry 1:07:15 Funding for support with gambling addiction is completely inadequate 1:08:30 Why wasn’t there a larger debate before rolling out mobile gambling? 1:09:15 Mobile gambling makes so much more money than physical books 1:10:30 Individual sports are more corruptible than team sports 1:11:15 Online betting is incredibly well geofenced 1:12:15 Putting “friction points” into the process helps with user safety 1:13:45 Gambling leads to rage & violent behavior & risks player safety 1:15:30 Gamblers have been arrested for threats to athletes over lost bets 1:16:15 Fans talking about games being “rigged” has been normalized 1:17:15 Individual players can collaborate on bets, trying to help friends 1:18:00 “Fixing” doesn’t necessarily mean “failing” 1:18:45 Prominent people in sports are alarmed & speaking out 1:19:45 Media won’t speak against it due to huge ad revenue from sportsbooks 1:22:15 NFL strongarmed reporters over concussions, gambling will be worse 1:25:45 Will we start regulating sports to make sure gambling is honest? 1:27:00 Referees in smaller, less visible conferences will be harder to police 1:27:30 Technology is being adopted to avoid corruptability of officials 1:29:00 Did writing this book change the way you watch sports? 1:30:45 Who controls Fanduel and Draftkings? 1:31:30 The leagues have equity stakes in the major sportsbooks 1:32:45 Major advertising similarities between tobacco and sportsbooks 1:33:45 What are the available gambling helpline resources/counseling like? 1:35:15 Stronger gambling culture in Europe, do they regulate it better? 1:36:15 American regulation completely ignored European precedent 1:37:15 Prediction markets are indistinguishable from betting markets 1:39:45 Legalization basically laid a trap for stupid people 1:42:00 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Danny Funt 1:43:30 Super Bowl preview 1:49:00 Ask Chuck 1:49:15 What incentives allow congress to just fall in line behind the president? 1:53:15 Why aren’t we seeing bigger protests in the streets? 1:54:30 Is the divide between MAGA & liberal America unbridgeable? 2:01:45 Could Trump legally get a third term via the line of succession? 2:06:45 How concerned should we be with the FBI raid at Fulton county election office? 2:09:45 Is it unusual for the out party to get a bill through congress? 2:13:45 If the Senate ends up split, how is majority control determined? 2:16:30 If Talarico wins his primary, could he catch fire all the way to the White House?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author and Washington Post contributor Danny Funt joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss his new book “Everybody Loses”, and for a sobering, wide-ranging conversation about how the rapid legalization of sports betting quietly reshaped American sports—and not in the ways fans were promised. What began as a state-by-state experiment after a 2018 Supreme Court ruling has exploded into a highly profitable, lightly regulated industry where sportsbooks are household names, leagues are financial stakeholders, and media companies are financially dependent on gambling ads. Funt explains how gambling turbocharged media rights deals, hooked viewers more deeply into games, and became politically untouchable as companies like FanDuel and DraftKings poured money into lobbying to block even modest regulation. The discussion digs into the darker consequences that followed: inadequate funding for gambling addiction support, normalization of conspiracy talk about “rigged” games, threats and violence directed at athletes, and growing concerns about corruption—especially in individual sports and lower-profile leagues. Funt draws chilling parallels between today’s sportsbook advertising blitz and the early days of Big Tobacco, explores why American regulators ignored European guardrails, and explains how mobile betting and prediction markets have made gambling more potent and pervasive than ever. The result, he argues, is a system designed for maximum profit with minimal friction—one that has fundamentally altered how sports are watched, covered, and policed. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Danny Funt joins the Chuck ToddCast 00:30 Rapid legalization of sports betting had unintended consequences 02:00 What made you want to cover the topic of sports betting? 02:30 Leagues took a hard pivot from anti to pro gambling 04:30 Major sportsbooks are household names, but very secretive 06:00 SCOTUS paved the way for state by state gambling with 2018 ruling 06:45 Courts provided gambling legislation due to inaction by congress 08:15 Gambling creating a massive increase in value for media rights 09:45 Adding gambling was a way to further hook viewers to sports 11:15 It’s hard to add new taxes, but vice taxes are able to pass 12:30 Legal betting is far more potent than betting through a bookie 14:00 Fanduel & Draftkings throwing money into politics to avoid regulation 15:30 Even modest regulation is rigorously opposed by gambling industry 17:00 Funding for support with gambling addiction is completely inadequate 18:15 Why wasn’t there a larger debate before rolling out mobile gambling? 19:00 Mobile gambling makes so much more money than physical books 20:15 Individual sports are more corruptible than team sports 21:00 Online betting is incredibly well geofenced 22:00 Putting “friction points” into the process helps with user safety 23:30 Gambling leads to rage & violent behavior & risks player safety 25:15 Gamblers have been arrested for threats to athletes over lost bets 26:00 Fans talking about games being “rigged” has been normalized27:00 Individual players can collaborate on bets, trying to help friends 27:45 “Fixing” doesn’t necessarily mean “failing” 28:30 Prominent people in sports are alarmed & speaking out 29:30 Media won’t speak against it due to huge ad revenue from sportsbooks 32:00 NFL strongarmed reporters over concussions, gambling will be worse 35:30 Will we start regulating sports to make sure gambling is honest? 36:45 Referees in smaller, less visible conferences will be harder to police 37:15 Technology is being adopted to avoid corruptability of officials 38:45 Did writing this book change the way you watch sports? 40:30 Who controls Fanduel and Draftkings? 41:15 The leagues have equity stakes in the major sportsbooks 42:30 Major advertising similarities between tobacco and sportsbooks 43:30 What are the available gambling helpline resources/counseling like? 45:00 Stronger gambling culture in Europe, do they regulate it better? 46:00 American regulation completely ignored European precedent 47:00 Prediction markets are indistinguishable from betting markets 49:30 Legalization basically laid a trap for stupid peopleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are industries that occasionally do something rotten. And there are industries like Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Big Tobacco – that persistently do rotten things.Then there is the nursing home industry – where rottenness has become a core business principle. The end-of-life “experience” can be rotten enough on its own, with an assortment of natural indignities bedeviling us, and good nursing homes help gentle this time. In the past couple of decades, though, an entirely unnatural force has come to dominate the delivery of aged care: Profiteering corporate chains and Wall Street speculators.The very fact that this essential and sensitive social function, which ought to be the domain of health professionals and charitable enterprises, is now called an “industry” reflects a total perversion of its purpose. Some 70 percent of nursing homes are now corporate operations run by absentee executives who have no experience in nursing homes and who're guided by the market imperative of maximizing investor profits. They constantly demand “efficiencies” from their facilities, which invariably means reducing the number of nurses, which invariably reduces care, which means more injuries, illness… and deaths. As one nursing expert rightly says, “It's criminal.”But it's not against the law, since the industry's lobbying front – a major donor to congressional campaigns – effectively writes the laws, which allows corporate hustlers to provide only one nurse on duty, no matter how many patients are in the facility. A humane nurse-staffing requirement has been proposed, but the profiteering “industry” furiously opposes it… and Congress is dutifully bowing to industry profits. After all, granny doesn't make campaign donations.To help push for sanity and humanity, contact TheConsumerVoice.org.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

A new wave of lawsuits in the States argue social media companies aren't just hosting harmful content, but intentionally designing addictive products that cause real mental health injuries to children. If successful, the cases could become social media's “Big Tobacco” moment, forcing major changes to platform design and business models. Evan speaks with Jesse Miller a New Media Educator - in Vancouver.

The courtroom doors are open—and the stakes couldn't be higher.In this Week 1 recap of The Heat is On…Big Tech on Trial, we take you inside the very beginning of what some are calling the tobacco trials of our generation: the first case in the social media addiction litigation, where some of the most powerful companies in the world—Meta and YouTube—are facing off against a child.This week was all about jury selection. But don't let the term fool you—some trials are effectively decided here.From the courthouse, hosts Nicki Petrossi (of Scrolling 2 Death) and Sarah Gardner (of Heat Initiative) break down what actually happened during the week, why it matters, and what an “impartial juror” even looks like in a world saturated by social media.We're joined by:Attorney Laura Marquez Garrett (SMVLC), with legal context on jury selection, the TikTok and Snap settlements, and what Big Tech fears most as this trial moves forward.Julianna Arnold, founding member of Parents RISE and mom to Coco, who passed awayat 17 from social media harms—and now a plaintiff in the consolidated case—sharing what it feels like to finally be this close to the truth.In this episode, you'll hear:What stood out emotionally and ethically inside the courtroomHow 450 potential jurors were narrowed down—and why that process can make or break the caseWhy media access is already a fight, with only 10 seats available for pressThe growing comparisons between these trials and Big Tobacco—and what history tells usWhat survivor parents are bracing for as testimony beginsPlus: what's coming next, including opening statements, witness testimony, and the anticipated appearance of Mark Zuckerberg.We're inside the courtroom so parents everywhere don't have to guess what's happening behind closed doors.Because this trial—and the ones that follow—will shape the future of child safety online.Next week: Final jury selection and Opening Statements.Stay with us. Share this episode. And keep paying attention.

40 years ago, Big Tobacco hijacked our food system. Today, we're joined by a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial duo working to reclaim that system and rethink how food and wellness should taste and how they should work. As the CEO and CMO of a health-focused brand known for great-tasting, sugar-free electrolyte powders, they're now taking their talent to the big screen with an eye-opening documentary. This is the Story of Breaking Big Food with Patrick Sullivan Jr. and Ashley Leroux Sullivan.  EPISODE VIDEO ▪ Watch the Entire Episode CONNECT WITH PATRICK SULLIVAN JR AND ASHLEY LEROUX SULLIVAN ▪ Website - Breaking Big Food ▪ Website - Jigsaw Health ▪ Instagram - Breaking Big Food ▪ Instagram - Jigsaw Health ▪ Instagram - Patrick ▪ Instagram - Ashley ▪ Instagram - Orchard Pickleball ▪ TikTok - Breaking Big Food ▪ TikTok - Jigsaw Health ▪ TikTok - Firefly Coffee ▪ Purchase or Rent the Documentary: Breaking Big FoodLEARN MORE ABOUT US▪ Subscribe on YouTube ▪ ‘Your Health. Your Story.' Podcast: Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Instagram ▪ Follow our podcast host, Caspar Szulc on Instagram ▪ Sign up for Caspar's newsletter LEARN MORE ABOUT NADOVIM Doctor-formulated, clinically-tested NAD+ supplement. Visit our website and save 10% on your first order by using code NADOVIM10. Disclaimer: The content presented on the podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The best business ideas came from reading 1 sentence… Because 70th percentile 3 times makes you a 99 percenter.Vital Farms' $1B egg stock is dropping… on Tiktok drama over orange yolks.Instagram & YouTube kicked off the biggest social media court case ever… It's Big Tobacco 2.0.Plus, the hot new way to test AI… is to play Nintendo's Pokémon.$VITL $NTDOY $METABuy tickets to The IPO Tour (our In-Person Offering) TODAYAustin, TX (2/25): SOLD OUTArlington, VA (3/11): https://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/shows/341317 New York, NY (4/8): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000637AE43ED0C2Los Angeles, CA (6/3): SOLD OUTGet your TBOY Yeti Doll gift here: https://tboypod.com/shop/product/economic-support-yeti-doll NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Lionel on The Other Side of Midnight for a broadcast that swings wildly from high-stakes legal battles to the neuroscience of footwear. This episode begins with a "Big Tobacco" moment for Big Tech, as Lionel and Lynn Shaw expose the addictive algorithms and AI toys threatening children. The conversation shifts to a war on the decline of the English language, the "fear-mongering" behind the Doomsday Clock, and why politicians like Eric Adams need to stop playing "dress-up" in emergency jackets. Broadcasting from a studio cold enough to "hang meat," Lionel tackles the neuroscience of duck boots, the conspiracy theories filling the public trust void, and the existence of Tom McAn. Finally, he dissects a "constitutional stunt" in Minneapolis regarding immigration, demands a RICO task force for Antifa, and recounts the gritty history of the East Village cannibal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lionel joins forces with Lynn Shaw of Lynn's Warriors to break down the groundbreaking lawsuit in LA Superior Court pitting children and parents against Meta and YouTube,. They discuss why this case is the "Big Tobacco" moment for Big Tech, arguing that social media giants knowingly designed addictive algorithms that prioritize profit over mental health. Lynn exposes the terrifying reality of AI toys that threaten child safety, the failure of current parental controls, and the urgent battle to sunset Section 230. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Insider is based on the true story of former Big Tobacco executive Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe - Gladiator, L.A. Confidential, A Beautiful Mind). Seasoned TV producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino - Heat, The Godfather, Serpico) suspects a story lies behind Wigand's reluctance to speak. As Bergman persuades Wigand to share his knowledge of industry secrets, the two must contend with the courts and the corporations that stand between them and exposing the truth. All the while, Wigand must struggle to maintain his family life amidst lawsuits and death threats.The Insider was written and directed by Michael Man (Heat, Blackhat, Manhunter).Film critic Brian Saur joins the podcast to discuss this whistle blower political thriller. Brian talks about why it is his favourite Michael Mann film, how Mann seems to make films about men becoming friends in difficult circumstances and what he loves about Pacino's compassionate performance. All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jillian Michaels flies solo—and holds nothing back. In this explosive episode, Jillian dismantles the media narrative surrounding the tragic shooting of Renee Goode by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. While politicians and pundits whip the public into tribal hysteria—branding people as “villains” and “terrorists”—Jillian cuts through the noise to expose the real forces fueling the violence. This isn't incompetence. It's strategy. A cynical game of political chess where human lives are expendable collateral. Then she turns her fire on Oprah Winfrey. Is obesity really genetic—or is that a comforting lie designed to keep you dependent, medicated, and profitable? Jillian breaks down the science they don't want you to hear, dismantles the “shame-free” marketing narrative, and exposes the financial conflicts of interest behind the sudden moral rebrand of weight-loss drugs. From Ozempic to Big Food to Big Pharma, this is how the system keeps you sick—and sells you the cure. No platitudes. No safe opinions. Just facts, incentives, and uncomfortable truths. In this episode, Jillian exposes: The ICE Shooting Investigation. Why federal agencies are sidelining local investigators. Blue City Chaos: How reckless language from top politicians escalates into real-world violence. The Ozempic Conflict: Oprah's financial entanglements behind the new “genetic destiny” storyline and GLP1 drugs. The BLISS POINT: How the “food” was engineered to hijack satiety and drive addiction. Big Tobacco's Takeover: How cigarette giants bought the food industry and applied the same addiction science. The Science of Fat Loss. Why the First Law of Thermodynamics still applies—no matter how it's marketed. The REAL REASON Why 74% of Americans Are Overweight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

En este video analizamos los efectos en la salud de fumar y vapear, y cómo estas prácticas siguen generando enfermedades mortales a pesar de décadas de evidencia científica. Exploramos cómo el consumo de cigarrillos y dispositivos de vapeo aumenta el riesgo de cáncer de pulmón, enfermedad cardiovascular, enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC), adicción a la nicotina, deterioro del sistema respiratorio, inflamación crónica, disminución de la capacidad pulmonar y un daño sistémico que afecta al corazón, los vasos sanguíneos y el cerebro. Revisamos los efectos de los aerosoles químicos del vapeo, los compuestos tóxicos, las partículas ultrafinas, los metales pesados y las sustancias cancerígenas presentes tanto en cigarrillos tradicionales como en dispositivos electrónicos.Platicamos la historia oscura y mentirosa de Big Tobacco, revelando cómo durante décadas la industria tabacalera manipuló datos, financió investigaciones falsas, ocultó información crítica y realizó campañas masivas de desinformación para minimizar los riesgos del tabaco. Explicamos cómo las grandes compañías tabacaleras negaron públicamente la relación entre fumar y enfermedades crónicas, incluso cuando sus propios estudios internos demostraban el peligro. Analizamos cómo estas corporaciones diseñaron productos altamente adictivos, modificaron los niveles de nicotina, dirigieron estrategias de marketing a jóvenes y grupos vulnerables y presionaron políticamente para evitar regulaciones, generando una de las mayores crisis de salud pública de la historia y causando la muerte de millones de personas en todo el mundo.Además, discutimos el resurgimiento moderno de estrategias similares con el auge del vapeo, donde muchas empresas repiten tácticas de la industria tradicional: presentar el vapeo como inocuo, ocultar riesgos, minimizar la toxicidad química y promover dispositivos entre adolescentes a través de sabores atractivos, campañas digitales y discursos engañosos. Profundizamos en el impacto del vapeo en la salud pulmonar, en la adicción en jóvenes y en cómo los mitos sobre su supuesta inocuidad están creando una nueva generación dependiente de la nicotina.Este video es una investigación completa sobre cáncer de pulmón, tabaquismo, vapeo, nicotina, salud pública, adicción, riesgos respiratorios, enfermedades cardiovasculares, manipulación corporativa, desinformación científica, historia del tabaco, Big Tobacco, industria del vapeo, y el costo humano de estas prácticas. Si buscas información rigurosa sobre los efectos del tabaco, los peligros del vapeo y el papel de la industria en la creación de esta crisis global, este video te dará una perspectiva clara y respaldada.

What if the biggest mistake in AI safety is believing that laws, treaties, and regulations will save us?In this episode of For Humanity, John sits down with Peter Sparber, a former architect of Big Tobacco's successful war against regulation, to confront a deeply uncomfortable truth: the AI industry is using the exact same playbook—and it's working. Drawing on decades of experience inside Washington's most effective lobbying operations, Peter explains why regulation almost always fails against powerful industries, how AI companies are already neutralizing political pressure, and why real change will never come from lawmakers alone. Instead, he argues that the only path to meaningful AI safety is making unsafe AI bad for business—by injecting risk, liability, and uncertainty directly into boardrooms and C-suites. Peter reveals why AI doesn't need to outsmart humanity to defeat regulation, it only needs money, time, and political cover. By exposing how industries evade oversight, delay enforcement, and co-opt regulators, this conversation re-frames AI safety around power, incentives, and accountability.Together, they explore:* Why laws, treaties, and regulations repeatedly fail against powerful industries* How Big AI is following Big Tobacco's exact regulatory playbook * Why public outrage rarely translates into effective policy * How companies neutralize enforcement without breaking the law * Why third-party standards may matter more than legislation* How local resistance, liability, and investor pressure can change behavior* Why making unsafe AI bad for business is the only strategy with teeth

For five years, we’ve been following the work of Dollar For and its founder Jared Walker, watching them quickly scale up their efforts to help people crush medical debt by tapping into “charity care” — the financial assistance that hospitals are legally required to offer some patients. Their work represents what a small, scrappy, thoughtful group of people can do. Last year, their tiny staff helped wipe out more than $55 million in medical bills. As we kick off 2026, we thought it was time to check in again. After all, this will be a year when millions more people will have trouble covering their medical bills — when Dollar For’s work may become more important to more people, and when we’re hungry for more ways to help each other. As Jared tells it, 2025 proved to be a pivotal – yet rocky – period in the organization’s story. Both their successes and their challenges put into stark relief exactly what we’re all up against. So we go deep with Jared on what they achieved while they weathered the chaos, and what it might mean for their – and our collective – next moves. Here's a transcript of this episode. Check out our Starter Pack: How to wipe out your bill with charity care. And our previous coverage of Dollar For: Could billions in medical debt get zapped by the legal strategy from this 60-second video? (2021)We talked to Jared just weeks after Dollar For first went viral. The group’s early history — they’d been working locally for years — is fascinating. Badass volunteers help Jared level up, in the fight to crush medical debt (2021)Within six months, they’d recruited volunteers and built systems. The Medical Bill “Negotiation Lab” (2022)In an experiment aimed at scaling up impact, Dollar For tried a different approach in 2022. We sat in. One last tip before 2024 (2023)Why Jared thinks you should ask for “charity care” by name -- even though, let’s face it, asking for “charity” does not feel good to most of us. New lessons from the fight for charity care (2024)Dollar For spent 2024 focusing on the big picture and starting to focus on policy advocacy. Check out our history of charity care series (from 2021): A legendary lawyer sued hospitals for price-gouging their patients. And got his butt handed to him. Dickie Scruggs is the guy who beat Big Tobacco. But when he took on hospitals, he lost. The wild backstory of a tiny but crucial Obamacare provision (ft. David Axelrod)Charity care wasn’t part of federal law until the Affordable Care Act passed. A Republican senator made sure it was part of the ACA — before deciding he wouldn’t vote for the law. “We just kept right on pushing” … and laws changedIn New York, a grieving family’s story made headlines and helped advocates catch lawmakers’ attention. Wait, that was legal until now?!In 2021, Maryland barred hospitals from suing patients who qualified for charity care. Send your stories and questions. Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG. Of course we’d love for you to support this show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

X has been firmly in the firing line after its Grok AI tool was used to create sexualised images of women and children. Elon Musk's company could face a fine of up to 10% of its global earnings by internet regulator Ofcom, or a ban in the UK. He denies that the AI has done anything illegal and says users are responsible for the images they create. How can we regulate AI? Nish and Coco speak to Rutger Bregman, historian and author who called out billionaires at Davos. He argues Big Tech should be treated like Big Tobacco, and gives his take on Iran, as thousands of protestors take to the streets, and what a radical policy platform looks like for the UK Left today. Plus - what on earth is UKIP proposing as a terrifying rebrand?  *Update on Palestinian Hunger Strikers*: On 14th Jan Heba, Kamran, and Lewie collectively paused their hunger strike. They made British history, lasting 73 days. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK  GUESTS  Rutger Bregman - Historian and Author of Moral Ambition, out in paper back on 15th Jan USEFUL LINKS https://www.moralambition.org/book Let us know your experiences of SEND support in schools - or any other stories. CREDITS Liz Kendall MP, Technology Secretary - Parliament TV Rutger Bregman - Publicae    Rutger Bregman and Tucker Carlson - Now This Tehran protests - Shaparak Khorsandi/Instagram Donald Trump - New York Times Laila Cunningham - Daily Express/YouTube Nadim Zahawi - Sky News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Tobacco's playbook is back — just with better branding and candy flavors. Jessica Wynn clears the air about vaping here on Skeptical Sunday!Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we're joined by writer and researcher Jessica Wynn!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1260On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:Vapes don't produce harmless vapor. They emit aerosol, a "chemical soup" containing nicotine, heavy metals like lead and nickel, formaldehyde, and ultrafine particles that penetrate deep into lungs where filtration is impossible.JUUL revolutionized addiction by using nicotine salts instead of freebase nicotine — lowering the pH for smoother hits at higher concentrations, delivering a faster brain rush with less coughing, and packing one pod with the equivalent of an entire pack of cigarettes.Many vapes labeled "nicotine-free" actually contain nicotine when tested, and secondhand aerosol isn't safe either — it deposits residue on surfaces, harms pets, and exposes bystanders to the same toxic cocktail inhaled by the vaper.The same playbook Big Tobacco used for decades — targeting kids, using candy flavors, buying off scientists, and fighting regulation — is now deployed through sleeker devices and better branding.Quitting is possible, and the tools actually work. Programs like the Truth Initiative's "This Is Quitting" show 40% higher quit rates, and texting DITCHVAPE to 88709 connects you with free, judgment-free support designed for real people fighting real addiction.Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!Connect with Jessica Wynn at Instagram and Threads, and subscribe to her newsletters: Between the Lines and Where the Shadows Linger!And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Uplift Desk: Special offer: upliftdesk.com/jordanWayfair: Start renovating: wayfair.comShopify: 3 months @ $1/month (select plans): shopify.com/jordanApretude: Learn more: Apretude.com or call 1-888-240-0340Homes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The wide-ranging impact of Australia's new social media ban for children under 16 — the first of its kind in the world — is already being felt at home and abroad, especially for major platforms that have controversially allowed children full access.澳大利亚针对16岁以下儿童实施的新社交媒体禁令。此类禁令是全球首例，其广泛影响已在国内外显现，尤其对那些曾引发争议地允许儿童全面使用平台的巨头企业造成冲击。The ambitious move to improve online safety governance for youngsters, which took effect on Dec 10, requires major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube to enforce the new legislation. They face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32.9 million) if they take no reasonable steps to prevent underage users from holding accounts with them.这项旨在加强青少年网络安全监管的重大举措已于12月10日生效，要求Instagram、Facebook、X、Snapchat、TikTok、Reddit和YouTube等主流平台执行新法规。若未能采取合理措施阻止未成年用户注册账户，这些平台将面临最高4950万澳元（约合3290万美元）的罚款。The ban follows a major survey which revealed how social media is negatively affecting the life satisfaction of Australian high school students. The study, led by the Australian National University, looked at the impact of regular use of social media platforms on life satisfaction levels for students nationwide. It found most participants reported regularly using at least one social media platform, while nearly one in five young people actively post or share social media content at least once a day.这项禁令出台前，一项重大调查揭示了社交媒体如何对澳大利亚高中生的生活满意度产生负面影响。由澳大利亚国立大学主导的研究，考察了社交媒体平台的常规使用对全国学生生活满意度的影响。调查发现，大多数参与者表示会定期使用至少一个社交媒体平台，而近五分之一的年轻人每天至少主动发布或分享一次社交媒体内容。Most major platforms have said that they would comply with the law. Video service provider TikTok said in a statement it has a range of methods for compliance including facial age estimation, credit card authorization, and government-approved identification.大多数主流平台均表示将遵守该法律。视频服务提供商TikTok在声明中称，其已采取多种合规措施，包括面部年龄估算、信用卡授权以及政府认可的身份验证。YouTube said it would make changes to how it operates in Australia under the ban, adding it is committed to finding "a better path forward to keep kids safe online". "We believe a more effective approach is one that empowers parents, rather than stripping away their choices, and allows kids to continue to derive the immense benefits of digital environments while protecting them from harm," it said in a statement.YouTube表示，在禁令实施期间将调整其在澳大利亚的运营方式，并承诺致力于寻找“更佳方案保障儿童网络安全”。该公司声明称：“我们认为更有效的方式是赋予家长更多选择权而非剥夺其选择权，让儿童在享受数字环境巨大益处的同时获得有效保护。”Legal action法律举措On Friday, message board website Reddit filed a lawsuit in Australia's highest court seeking to overturn the country's social media ban for children. The San Francisco-based firm, which ranks Australia among its biggest markets, said in the High Court filing that the ban should be declared invalid because it interfered with free political communication implied by the country's constitution.周五，社交论坛网站Reddit向澳大利亚最高法院提起诉讼，要求推翻该国针对儿童的社交媒体禁令。这家总部位于旧金山的公司将澳大利亚列为其最大市场之一，在向最高法院提交的文件中称，该禁令应被宣布无效，因为它干涉了该国宪法所暗示的政治自由交流。A spokesperson for Communications Minister Anika Wells, who was named as the defendant along with the Commonwealth of Australia, said the federal government was "on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms" and would "stand firm to protect young Australians from experiencing harm on social media", Reuters reported.据路透社报道，美国通讯部长安妮卡·韦尔斯（Anika Wells）的发言人表示，联邦政府“站在澳大利亚家长和孩子这一边，而非平台方”，并将“坚定立场，保护澳大利亚青少年免受社交媒体伤害”。Wells与澳大利亚联邦政府共同被列为本案被告。Health Minister Mark Butler said Reddit filed the lawsuit to protect profits, not young people's right to political expression, and "we will fight this action every step of the way". "It is action we saw time and time again by Big Tobacco against tobacco control and we are seeing it now by some social media or Big Tech giants," Butler told reporters.澳大利亚卫生部长马克·巴特勒表示，Reddit提起诉讼是为了保护利润，而非捍卫年轻人的政治表达权，并称“我们将全力抵制这一诉讼的每一步行动”。巴特勒向记者表示：“这是大型烟草公司屡次采取的反烟草管制手段，如今某些社交媒体或科技巨头也在效仿。”One Reddit user said in a message-board post: "Our son can no longer access his apps — this has already had a profound effect … Normally he would be consumed with his phone, watching mind-numbing videos."一位Reddit用户在论坛帖子中写道：“我们的儿子现在无法使用他的应用程序，这已经产生了深远影响……平常他会沉迷于手机，看那些令人麻木的视频。”In a radio interview a day after the ban took effect, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said online safety regulators from the eSafety Commissioner are looking at accounts in line with the new legislation. "So they'll look at what the impact is and then every month for six months they'll have to report," he said.禁令生效次日，澳大利亚总理安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯在电台采访中表示，电子安全专员办公室的网络安全监管人员正依据新法规审查相关账户。他表示：“他们将评估影响，并在接下来的六个月内每月提交报告。”Albanese also acknowledged the challenges implementation of the ban faces.安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯也承认实施禁令面临的挑战。"Some people will get around it, just as chances are this Saturday night an under 18-year-old will get a beer in a pub somewhere. That doesn't mean that society doesn't set these rules, and these processes, in order to keep our youngest Australians safe," he said.他表示：“有些人会钻空子，就像这个周六晚上，某个酒吧里很可能会有未满18岁的未成年人喝到啤酒。但这并不意味着社会没有制定这些规则和流程来保护我们最年轻的澳大利亚人。”"We'll be sensible about it … we're talking of over a million accounts across platforms. We don't expect it to all be done perfectly, but we do expect the law provides for them to do their best endeavors."安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯接着说到：“我们会审慎处理此事……毕竟涉及跨平台超过百万个账户。我们不指望一切都能完美解决，但法律要求他们尽最大努力。”Praise, wariness赞美，警惕Julian Sefton-Green, a professor of new media education at Deakin University, said the ban was "inspiring legislation".迪肯大学新媒体教育教授朱利安·塞夫顿-格林（Julian Sefton-Green）称这项禁令是“鼓舞人心的立法”。"It's designed to raise questions … It's designed to make families and young people talk in different ways," he said.他表示：“禁令的初衷是引发思考……旨在让家庭和年轻人以不同的方式展开对话。”"So I think the significance of this law might be that it changes the power of these huge multinational global platforms, which are to a very great extent unaccountable, unregulated, and not owned by individual national countries, and it will raise a lot of questions about what individual countries can do in respect of these large multinational companies," Sefton-Green, who is also a member of the Australian eSafety Commissioner's advisory group that explores the implementation and outcomes of the nation's social media minimum age legal obligations, told China Daily.同时担任澳大利亚电子安全专员顾问组成员的朱利安·塞夫顿-格林（Julian Sefton-Green）向《中国日报》表示：“因此我认为这项法律的意义可能在于改变这些庞大全球性跨国平台的权力格局——它们在很大程度上不受问责、不受监管，且不属于任何单一国家所有。这将引发诸多思考：各国政府面对这些大型跨国企业究竟能采取哪些有效措施？”澳大利亚电子安全专员顾问小组负责研究该国社交媒体最低年龄法律义务的实施情况及成效。But Catherine Archer, a senior lecturer and researcher in social media at Edith Cowan University, said many academics feel children and teens were not consulted widely enough before the legislation was announced.但伊迪丝考恩大学社交媒体高级讲师兼研究员凯瑟琳·阿彻（Catherine Archer）指出，许多学者认为在立法公布前，对儿童和青少年的意见征询不够充分。"The ban could cause anxiety and other mental issues for teens. They will face uncertainty over the school holidays on how to keep in contact with their friends and be entertained and informed on their regular platforms," Archer said via the Scimex science information portal.凯瑟琳·阿彻（Catherine Archer）通过Scimex科学资讯门户网站表示：“这项禁令可能引发青少年焦虑及其他心理问题。他们将在假期面临不确定性，不知如何与朋友保持联系，也无法通过常用平台获取娱乐和资讯。”"Teens are starting to think of ways around the ban, and the concern is that they may go to 'darker' places on the web. Messaging apps like WhatsApp won't be under the ban, so bullying may still occur," she said.她表示：“青少年正开始寻找规避禁令的方法，令人担忧的是他们可能会转向网络上更‘阴暗'的角落。WhatsApp等即时通讯应用不受禁令限制，因此网络欺凌仍可能发生。”"The effectiveness is yet to be tested. Some adults are worried that it will lead to more data and surveillance, as age testing is not foolproof."她接着说到：“该措施的有效性尚待检验。部分成年人担忧这将导致更多数据收集和监控，因为年龄检测并非万无一失。“Some teenagers have expressed concern over the ban, according to the Australian Associated Press.据澳大利亚联合通讯社报道，一些青少年对这项禁令表示焦虑。It cited the example of Carlee Jade Clements, 15, an influencer from Melbourne with 37,000 Instagram followers who was still on the platform two days from the ban's effective date. Clements spent years building her Instagram presence, with her mother managing the account, but fears the new rules will impact her income and opportunities, AAP reported.该报道以15岁的墨尔本网红卡莉·杰德·克莱门茨（Carlee Jade Clements）为例，这位拥有3.7万Instagram粉丝的博主在禁令生效前两天仍活跃于该平台。据澳大利亚联合通讯社报道，克莱门茨耗费数年时间经营Instagram账号（由其母亲管理），但现在她担忧新规将影响她的收入与发展机会。Two teenagers representing an Australian libertarian group filed another suit last month against such a ban, according to Reuters.据路透社报道，两名代表澳大利亚自由意志主义团体的青少年上月就该禁令提起另一项诉讼。Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University, said that no matter how people feel about the ban or social media, the feelings and responses of teens losing access to social media must be taken seriously.西澳大利亚珀斯科廷大学互联网研究教授塔玛·利弗（Tama Leaver）表示，无论人们对禁令或社交媒体持何种看法，青少年失去社交媒体使用权限所产生的情绪和反应都必须被严肃对待。"Parents and trusted adults need to listen to young people, to support them, and not dismiss what social media may have meant to them," Leaver said.塔玛·利弗（Tama Leaver）表示：“父母和可信赖的成年人需要倾听年轻人的心声，给予他们支持，不要轻视社交媒体对他们可能产生的意义。”The ban may well reduce some risks, he said, but "cyberbullying will still exist — messaging platforms are mostly exempt from the ban. Untrustworthy adults may still be able to find ways to reach and speak to teens across almost any platform."利弗表示，这项禁令或许能降低某些风险，但“网络欺凌仍将存在——即时通讯平台大多不受禁令约束。不可靠的成年人仍可能找到途径，在几乎任何平台上接触并与青少年对话。”"The job of helping young people learn to navigate the digital world safely is ongoing, and helping teens continue that conversation matters. Opening a door so young people have someone to turn to if they experience something challenging, confronting or terrible online, is vital."利弗表示：“帮助年轻人安全地探索数字世界是一项持续的工作，而引导青少年持续参与相关对话至关重要。为年轻人敞开大门，让他们在遭遇网络挑战、冲突或可怕经历时能获得支持，这具有关键意义。”Sabrina Caldwell, senior lecturer from the School of Systems and Computing at UNSW Canberra, said the new social media ban "won't work perfectly, but it can work imperfectly".新南威尔士大学堪培拉校区系统与计算学院高级讲师萨布丽娜·考德威尔（Sabrina Caldwell）表示，这项新的社交媒体禁令“不会完美奏效，但可以不完美地发挥作用”。"Some young people will find ways to circumvent the restrictions. However, even if they find a way to sneak online, they will not find most of their peers there, and this will detract significantly from the social media experience," Caldwell said.Caldwell表示：“一些年轻人会想方设法绕过限制。然而，即使他们找到偷偷上网的途径，也无法在网上找到大多数同龄人，这将极大削弱社交媒体体验。Bigger issues更重大的问题An Australian Broadcasting Corporation survey of more than 17,000 youngsters aged under 16 about the ban, found one-quarter would stop using social media.澳大利亚广播公司针对1.7万多名16岁以下青少年开展的禁令调查显示，四分之一受访者表示将停止使用社交媒体。Twenty-two percent of social media users said they were unsure if the ban would be effective, while 72 percent said they did not think it would work, according to the poll.调查显示，22%的社交媒体用户表示不确定禁令是否有效，而72%的用户认为禁令不会奏效。Associate Professor Katie Wood, an expert in clinical psychology at Swinburne University of Technology, questioned the ban's role in addressing the "clear negative impacts on mental health and well-being" from excessive social media.斯威本科技大学临床心理学专家凯蒂·伍德（Katie Wood）副教授质疑这项禁令能否有效应对过度使用社交媒体对心理健康和幸福感造成的“明显负面影响”。"While more research is needed to fully answer this question, parents will need support to work with their children to find ways to manage the ban," Wood said.伍德表示：“虽然需要更多研究才能彻底解答这个问题，但家长需要支持来协助孩子寻找应对禁令的方法。”"There is a risk that children will find other ways to access social platforms and become sneakier about it. Parents will need to be vigilant about this as well as any emotional and social fallout."伍德称：“会存在这样的风险：孩子们可能会另辟蹊径接触社交平台，且手段会变得更加隐蔽。家长不仅需要对此保持警惕，还需关注由此引发的情感与社交问题。”Tom Sulston, head of policy at Digital Rights Watch, a group that advocates protection of Australians' digital rights, told China Daily that despite the ban, bullies, abusers, and predators will not go away.数字权利观察组织政策主管汤姆·苏尔斯顿向《中国日报》表示，尽管实施了禁令，但欺凌者、施虐者和掠夺者不会就此消失。该组织致力于保护澳大利亚人的数字权利。"They will merely follow young people onto the platforms that they are allowed to use. At the same time, young people will be discouraged from seeking help as they may feel they are doing something they shouldn't be."苏尔斯顿表示：“他们只会跟随年轻人进入被允许使用的平台。与此同时，年轻人会因担心自己正在做不该做的事而不敢寻求帮助。”Demanding ID from people to use simple internet systems is likely to cause an increase in identity theft, as Australians become habituated to entering their ID around the internet and potentially into criminal honeypots, Sulston said.苏尔斯顿指出，要求民众在使用简单互联网系统时提供身份证明，很可能导致身份盗窃案件激增。因为澳大利亚人逐渐习惯在网络各处输入个人身份信息，这些信息可能落入犯罪分子的陷阱。Considering the ban's potential impact on other parts of the world, Sulston said his hope and expectation is that "countries will look at Australia's experiment on young people's ability to communicate with each other and treat it as a cautionary tale".考虑到这项禁令可能对世界其他地区产生的影响，苏尔斯顿表示，他希望并期待“各国能关注澳大利亚这项关于年轻人相互交流能力的实验，并将其视为一个警示案例”。"Instead, they will opt to regulate social media companies to remove the harms, rather than remove the young people. We need to stop social media companies from using their algorithms to profit from spreading hate, lies, and division. That is what we should be regulating, rather than the age of the users," he said.他如是说：“可另作他选的是，可以选择监管社交媒体公司以消除危害，而非驱逐年轻人。我们必须阻止社交媒体公司利用算法从传播仇恨、谎言和分裂中牟利。这才是我们应当监管的对象，而非用户的年龄。”Sefton-Green said it will also "encourage other countries to stand up against these social media firms, to try to say that the norms of behavior we see in our society should be norms for which national governments take responsibility".塞夫顿-格林（Sefton-Green）表示，该实验还将“鼓励其他国家挺身对抗这些社交媒体公司，力图表明我们社会中的行为准则应当成为各国政府应承担责任的规范”。Prime Minister Albanese said the "world is not only watching, the world is following".澳大利亚总理安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯表示：“世界不仅在关注，更在追随。”Professor Michael Salter from the School of Social Sciences, Arts, Design and Architecture at the University of New South Wales, said the ban is still "an unfortunate but necessary step to protect children from escalating levels of online sexual abuse and exploitation".新南威尔士大学社会科学、艺术、设计与建筑学院的迈克尔·索尔特（Michael Salter）教授表示，这项禁令仍是“一项不幸但必要的措施，旨在保护儿童免受日益严重的网络性虐待和剥削”。"Globally, 300 million children experience online sexual abuse each year, and the majority of this occurs on social media platforms," said Salter, who is director of Childlight UNSW, the Australasian hub of Childlight, the Global Child Safety Institute, which undertakes research on the impact of child sexual abuse and exploitation.作为全球儿童安全研究所旗下机构Childlight的澳大拉西亚中心新南威尔士大学Childlight项目主任迈克尔·索尔特（Michael Salter），他长期致力于研究儿童性虐待与剥削的影响。他表示：“全球每年有3亿儿童遭受网络性虐待，其中大部分发生在社交媒体平台上。”"Social media companies have consistently prioritized growth and engagement over child protection. Age restrictions are a necessary circuit breaker for a sector where voluntary industry action has failed," he said.Salter表示：“社交媒体公司始终将增长和用户参与度置于儿童保护之上。在行业自发行动未能奏效的领域，年龄限制是必要的保护机制。”Rachael Sharman, a senior psychology lecturer at University of the Sunshine Coast, said that while the logistics of the ban remain under question, the move, if successful, "will give parents and families the opportunity to reclaim childhood, and ensure the building blocks of the brain are set in place before exposure to what has proved to be a most pernicious influence".阳光海岸大学心理学高级讲师瑞秋·夏曼（Rachael Sharman）指出，尽管禁令的实施细节仍存争议，但若该举措得以成功推行，“将使家长和家庭有机会重新夺回童年时光，确保大脑发育的关键阶段在接触已被证实具有极大危害性的影响之前得到健全发展”。"I suspect the rest of the world is taking such an extraordinary interest in this Australian initiative, to see when and how they can best follow suit for the improved wellbeing of their future generations," Sharman said.Sharman表示：“我怀疑世界其他国家之所以对这项澳大利亚倡议表现出如此非凡的兴趣，是为了观察何时以及如何才能最好地效仿，从而为子孙后代创造更美好的福祉。”Germany, Denmark, New Zealand and Malaysia are already considering policies concerning access to social media by teenagers.德国、丹麦、新西兰和马来西亚已开始考虑制定青少年使用社交媒体的相关政策。circuit breaker保护机制algorithmsn./ˈæl.ɡə.rɪ.ðəm/算法perniciousadj./pɚˈnɪʃ.əs/有害的social fallout社交影响circumventv./ˌsɝː.kəmˈvent/规避

In this episode, Chuck Todd explores the growing bipartisan momentum to rein in Big Tech, noting that while social media’s unintended consequences have already eroded truth and public trust, AI could amplify those failures without strong guardrails. He breaks down why Americans overwhelmingly support protecting kids from tech harms—and why a public revolt is inevitable once people feel they’ve lost control. Chuck also looks at how massive AI investment is masking broader economic weakness before turning to Donald Trump’s botched economic message in Pennsylvania, a “let them eat cake” tone that echoes the same political trap Biden once fell into. With surprising Democratic wins in Miami and Georgia and a demoralizing trend inside the GOP base, the political landscape is shifting fast, especially as ACA subsidies near expiration and no healthcare compromise is in sight. Chuck then pivots to the rise of prediction markets—how they move on insider information, how they could be manipulated by political actors, and why the “casinofication” of news threatens to reduce all political coverage to a risky, easily gamed horse race. Then, journalist and founder of MAMA (Mothers Against Media Addiction), Julie Scelfo, joins Chuck ToddCast for a wide-ranging conversation on one of the most urgent issues facing American families: the collapse of trust in media, the rise of unregulated tech, and its profound impact on children’s mental health. Scelfo explains how the explosion of social media and smartphones—coupled with virtually nonexistent regulation—has left kids exposed to harmful algorithms, addictive design, and misinformation at formative ages. With both the left and right now pushing to get smartphones out of classrooms, she argues that we’re long past due for meaningful guardrails, especially as Big Tech’s lobbying power grows and federal leaders threaten to block states from regulating AI. Chuck and Julie compare today’s fight with Big Tech to the battle against Big Tobacco, explore why recommendation systems effectively make platforms publishers, and discuss the growing bipartisan appetite for banning iPads in schools and returning to books. They also dig into MAMA’s mission to protect children in a digital world—emphasizing that kids under two should not be exposed to screens, that early childhood development depends on real-world interaction, and that “tech nannies” have emerged because childcare is unaffordable. Scelfo calls for mandatory data transparency from tech companies, stronger child-safety legislation in the states, and a culture shift that prioritizes healthy offline development over the race to dominate AI. With future jobs uncertain and social skills declining, she argues that society must resist sacrificing sensible regulation in the name of innovation—and recognize that too much time online isn’t just unhealthy, it’s shaping a generation. Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming college football slate. Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:00 There is bipartisan support for pushing back on tech 05:00 AI regulation to protect kids has massive support 06:15 The public will revolt over tech when they feel they lose control 08:00 Social media came with unintended consequences, AI could be similar 08:45 Social media has destroyed truth 09:30 AI needs guardrails that have been missing from social media 10:45 AI investment is masking a recession for much of the country 12:30 Trump botches economic message at PA rally 13:15 Trump has a tone deaf, let them eat cake mindset 14:45 The Trump WH walking into the same trap Biden did on economy 15:30 Elections in Miami and Georgia showed GOP is in real trouble 17:30 First time a Democrat won Miami mayor in nearly 30 years 18:15 Democratic voters are fired up & more reliable 19:45 The base of the Republican party is becoming demoralized 21:00 ACA credits set to expire, no compromise healthcare deal yet 22:15 Question for audience: Do you follow and participate in prediction markets? 24:00 Prediction markets move when they get insider info 25:45 Prediction markets seemed to know fed interest rate cut was coming 27:00 Is it wise to allow people to bet on basically everything? 28:45 Gambling is highly regulated, prediction markets are not 29:30 Certain people will know outcomes in advance and can game the system 30:45 Trump allies could game the system on predictions of his actions 32:15 Predictions that can be manipulated should be outlawed 34:00 Prediction markets could make all political coverage “horse race” style 35:15 The “casinofication” of news comes with risks 40:45 Julie Scelfo joins the Chuck ToddCast 43:45 Erosion of trust in media & news is a massive problem 44:45 Mental health decline in youth correlated with rise of social media 45:45 Both left & right want to get smartphones out of classrooms 46:30 Lack of social media regulation leaves kids vulnerable 47:45 Regulation is difficult when big tech has unlimited money to lobby 49:45 Threats from Congress & Trump to prevent states from regulating AI 51:15 Executive order from Trump may be last gasp to avoid AI regulation 53:15 AI has been positive for shareholders & owners, not for the public 54:30 What lessons can be learned from the fight against big tobacco? 57:00 Recommendation algorithms turn platforms into publishers 58:30 Advertiser supported speech is different than first amendment speech 59:15 Broadcast networks are liable for misleading ads, social platforms aren’t 1:00:45 Momentum building to ban ipads in schools and make kids use books 1:02:15 MAMA’s mission and goals 1:03:45 Children under 2 shouldn’t be exposed to screens for entertainment 1:06:15 Kids know how to find information, but must be taught to filter it 1:07:15 Most educational building blocks are built during early childhood 1:08:00 We can’t sacrifice sensible regulation in order to win AI race 1:09:15 Tech leaders all have very inept and awkward social skills 1:11:45 Tech must be required to release data for researchers to study 1:13:15 How to prepare kids for future jobs that may be replaced by AI? 1:14:45 Real life interactions are critical for a healthy childhood 1:16:30 We will always need trades, skilled labor and care workers 1:18:15 What are some near-term activities MAMA is working on? 1:20:45 States are introducing quality child safety legislation on tech 1:21:15 There is bipartisan support in congress for regulation 1:22:45 There hasn’t been one study worldwide on tech at a young age 1:24:15 We have “tech nannies” because childcare is so expensive 1:26:45 Too much time online is incredibly unhealthy 1:32:00 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Julie Scelfo 1:34:30 Thoughts on a limited TV series on the constitutional convention? 1:38:00 Favorite movies & Ken Burns doc? 1:43:30 Outlook on the primary races in Texas and Montana? 1:52:00 What if archduke Franz Ferdinand's driver took a different turn? 1:57:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist and founder of MAMA (Mothers Against Media Addiction), Julie Scelfo, joins the Chuck ToddCast for a wide-ranging conversation on one of the most urgent issues facing American families: the collapse of trust in media, the rise of unregulated tech, and its profound impact on children’s mental health. Scelfo explains how the explosion of social media and smartphones—coupled with virtually nonexistent regulation—has left kids exposed to harmful algorithms, addictive design, and misinformation at formative ages. With both the left and right now pushing to get smartphones out of classrooms, she argues that we’re long past due for meaningful guardrails, especially as Big Tech’s lobbying power grows and federal leaders threaten to block states from regulating AI. Chuck and Julie compare today’s fight with Big Tech to the battle against Big Tobacco, explore why recommendation systems effectively make platforms publishers, and discuss the growing bipartisan appetite for banning iPads in schools and returning to books. They also dig into MAMA’s mission to protect children in a digital world—emphasizing that kids under two should not be exposed to screens, that early childhood development depends on real-world interaction, and that “tech nannies” have emerged because childcare is unaffordable. Scelfo calls for mandatory data transparency from tech companies, stronger child-safety legislation in the states, and a culture shift that prioritizes healthy offline development over the race to dominate AI. With future jobs uncertain and social skills declining, she argues that society must resist sacrificing sensible regulation in the name of innovation—and recognize that too much time online isn’t just unhealthy, it’s shaping a generation. Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Julie Scelfo joins the Chuck ToddCast 03:00 Erosion of trust in media & news is a massive problem 04:00 Mental health decline in youth correlated with rise of social media 05:00 Both left & right want get get smartphones out of classrooms 05:45 Lack of social media regulation leaves kids vulnerable 07:00 Regulation is difficult when big tech has unlimited money to lobby 09:00 Threats from Congress & Trump to prevent states from regulating AI 10:30 Executive order from Trump may be last gasp to avoid AI regulation 12:30 AI has been positive for shareholders & owners, not for the public 13:45 What lessons can be learned from the fight against big tobacco? 16:15 Recommendation algorithms turn platforms into publishers 17:45 Advertiser supported speech is different than first amendment speech 18:30 Broadcast networks are liable for misleading ads, social platforms aren’t 20:00 Momentum building to ban ipads in schools and make kids use books 21:30 MAMA’s mission and goals 23:00 Children under 2 shouldn’t be exposed to screens for entertainment 25:30 Kids know how to find information, but must be taught to filter it 26:30 Most educational building blocks are built during early childhood 27:15 We can’t sacrifice sensible regulation in order to win AI race 28:30 Tech leaders all have very inept and awkward social skills 31:00 Tech must be required to release data for researchers to study 32:30 How to prepare kids for future jobs that may be replaced by AI? 34:00 Real life interactions are critical for a healthy childhood 35:45 We will always need trades, skilled labor and care workers 37:30 What are some near-term activities MAMA is working on? 40:00 States are introducing quality child safety legislation on tech 40:30 There is bipartisan support in congress for regulation 42:00 There hasn’t been one study worldwide on tech at a young age 43:30 We have “tech nannies” because childcare is so expensive 46:00 Too much time online is incredibly unhealthySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Health Minister Casey Costello is back in the firing line over Big Tobacco's influence, with heated debate during a health select committee today on Government plans to roll out oral tobacco and nicotine products. Last year Cabinet agreed in principal to allow the sale of smokeless products, such as Swedish snus and nicotine pouches, subject to the products meeting safety requirements and regulatory controls to prevent youth access. Ruth Hill reports from the special hearing for Parliament's Scrutiny Week.

Cal Newport, computer science professor and author of Digital Minimalism, argues that the better analogy for social media is not big oil that must be broken up because it's vital to society but big tobacco that must be culturally rejected because it's unhealthy and dispensable—people don't care if you tell them to leave Facebook for six months but petroleum deprivation changes lives. Newport reveals Facebook's PR pivot after 2016 when defectors like Sean Parker exposed addiction engineering: Cambridge Analytica let Facebook redirect media attention to fixable privacy and content moderation issues instead of unfixable business-model problems like bleeding users' attention through steam whistle tweets. Drawing from Mark Harmon quitting Twitter and Neil Stephenson's famous essay Why I Am a Bad Correspondent, Newport explains the novelist's dilemma: each tweet is a steam whistle that bleeds energy needed to fuel the boiler for producing lasting work. He dismantles the myth that creators need social media to grow, arguing that people talking about your work on their channels matters infinitely more than you promoting yourself on yours. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the loudest voices in health are selling confusion, fear, and the next quick fix, it's hard to know what — or who — to trust. That's exactly why conversations like this one matter. Dr. David Katz has spent decades cutting through the chaos with uncommon clarity. A renowned physician, bestselling author, and one of the most influential thinkers in nutrition and preventive medicine, his work has helped millions rethink the very basics of how we eat and how we live. In this very special episode, he unpacks what determines human health, what real nourishment looks like, and why choosing it now is more radical — and more necessary — than ever. If you've ever wondered what's true, what's marketing, and what actually moves the needle on well-being, this is a must-listen conversation. What we discuss in this episode: The nutrition pattern humans are biologically built for. Why fiber is non-negotiable for long-term health. Why smart regulations save lives — and what happens when they're missing. How Big Food and Big Tobacco use the same playbook to keep us hooked.  Methylcellulose: what it is, where it comes from, and why it's misunderstood. Why beef tops the list as the most environmentally destructive food. The fundamentals of longevity that anyone can put into practice. The biggest misconceptions most people have about staying healthy. Resources:  https://davidkatzmd.com/ Dr. David L. Katz (@DrDavidKatz) / Posts / X How To Eat: All Your Food and Diet Questions Answered: A Food Science Nutrition Weight Loss Book About Us - True Health Initiative Diet ID Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food - The New York Times   Click the link below to support the FISCAL Act https://switch4good.org/fiscal-act/ Share the website and get your resources here https://kidsandmilk.org/ Send us a voice message and ask a question. We want to hear from you! Switch4Good.org/podcast Dairy-Free Swaps Guide: Easy Anti-Inflammatory Meals, Recipes, and Tips https://switch4good.org/dairy-free-swaps-guide SUPPORT SWITCH4GOOD https://switch4good.org/support-us/ ★☆★ JOIN OUR PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP ★☆★  https://www.facebook.com/groups/podcastchat ★☆★ SWITCH4GOOD WEBSITE ★☆★ https://switch4good.org/ ★☆★ ONLINE STORE ★☆★ https://shop.switch4good.org/shop/ ★☆★ FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM ★☆★ https://www.instagram.com/Switch4Good/ ★☆★ LIKE US ON FACEBOOK ★☆★ https://www.facebook.com/Switch4Good/ ★☆★ FOLLOW US ON TWITTER ★☆★ https://twitter.com/Switch4GoodOrg ★☆★ AMAZON STORE ★☆★ https://www.amazon.com/shop/switch4good ★☆★ DOWNLOAD THE ABILLION APP ★☆★ https://app.abillion.com/users/switch4good

A behavioral expert who trains Navy SEALs and CIA operatives created a 20-point test that detects psychological manipulation with mathematical precision. Chase Hughes recently appeared on Shawn Ryan's podcast to discuss this system, and the same patterns appear in government propaganda, corporate deception, and social media algorithms. From a teenage girl's testimony that sold the Gulf War to Big Tobacco's forty-year lie, the scoring system reveals when you're being controlled. The formula works on anything—news coverage, corporate messaging, even the controversies you're arguing about right now. But once you learn to spot manipulation everywhere, you face a different danger. Foreign adversaries benefit when Americans trust nothing and question everything so intensely they can't function. The tool shows you how information is delivered. Deciding what's true is still your job. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X46H1dEADJU

Send us a textA few years ago, we all started hearing about how gas ranges, which have been popular in our country for at least a century and are favored by professional chefs, were dangerous to our health and should be replaced by electric or induction cooktops. That revelation begs a couple of obvious questions about how such an unsafe appliance became so ubiquitous in the first place, and why we're only hearing about its dangers now. Mark and Joe recount how natural gas became the go-to power source in our kitchens, how Big Gas suppressed safety concerns in a way that would make Big Tobacco proud, and what we can do to mitigate the perils of cooking with gas. (Recorded November 7, 2025.)

Why is a billionaire funding a global campaign to ban safer alternatives to tobacco products and convince the public to believe the lie that nicotine causes cancer? This episode of Rethinking Reality exposes the anti-science disinformation campaign about nicotine that's taken over public health agencies in the past five years to become the culturally acceptable narrative. Let's talk about why billionaire octogenarian Michael Bloomberg is spending his fortune on banning tobacco alternative products, how Big Tobacco and Big Pharma benefit from anti-vaping propaganda, and the millions of lives that will be lost because of these lies. Hosted by Erika HeidewaldFull list of sources can be found on my Patreon but here are just a few so you know I'm not just making this all up:https://www.patreon.com/erikaheidewaldThe war on nicotine will fail but could kill millionshttps://clivebates.com/the-war-on-nicotine-will-fail-but-could-kill-millions/Bloomberg's Philanthro-Colonialism: A Threat to Global Health and Sciencehttps://cei.org/opeds_articles/bloombergs-philanthro-colonialism-a-threat-to-global-health-and-science/Resistance to the Anti-Nicotine Movement Sparked by a Betrayalhttps://filtermag.org/anti-nicotine-resistance/Bloomberg's Millions Funded an Effective Campaign Against Vaping. Could It Do More Harm Than Good?https://www.philanthropy.com/article/bloombergs-millions-funded-an-effective-campaign-against-vaping-could-it-do-more-harm-than-good?cid2=gen_login_refresh&cid=gen_sign_in

More with Kevin Hall! Until recently, Hall was the U.S. National Institutes of Health's key researcher on the connection between ultra-processed foods and obesity. He took an early retirement due to increasing censorship of his work. He talks about his groundbreaking study with former “The Biggest Loser” contestants, the link between Big Tobacco and Big Food, and why Canadian scientist expats like him may soon be looking to return home.

My guest today on The Dr. Hyman Show, Dr. Tom Frieden has spent decades proving how small, smart changes can save millions of lives.  We talk about his new book, The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives—Including Your Own—a fascinating look at what really works to prevent disease and rebuild public trust. We also dive into his See–Believe–Create framework—how it connects public policy with personal action to make prevention the easy choice. Catch the full conversation on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.  We unpack:  • Why rebuilding trust in public health is key to protecting your own wellbeing  • How balancing sodium and potassium could transform your heart health  • What the food industry learned from Big Tobacco—and how to take back control of your choices  • Simple policy shifts that could save millions of lives and make prevention easier for everyone  • How AI and team-based care could shape a future of medicine that works for you  We already know what works. The challenge is putting it into action. This conversation is about how each of us can help create that change, one small step at a time.  View Show Notes From This Episode  Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman https://drhyman.com/pages/picks?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast  Sign Up for Dr. Hyman's Weekly Longevity Journal https://drhyman.com/pages/longevity?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast  Join the 10-Day Detox to Reset Your Health  https://drhyman.com/pages/10-day-detox  Join the Hyman Hive for Expert Support and Real Results  https://drhyman.com/pages/hyman-hive  This episode is brought to you by Seed, BON CHARGE, Function Health, AirDoctor and Pique.  Visit seed.com/hyman and use code 25HYMAN for 25% off your first month of Seed's DS-01® Daily Synbiotic.  Head to boncharge.com and use code DRMARK for 15% off your order.  Join today at FunctionHealth.com/Mark and use code HYMAN100 to get $100 toward your membership.  Get cleaner air. Right now, you can get up to $300 off at airdoctorpro.com/drhyman. Receive 20% off FOR LIFE + a free Starter Kit with a rechargeable frother and glass beaker at Piquelife com/Hyman.

Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast to reveal The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives, Including Your Own. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Frieden breaks down what's keeping America sick — from poor diets to toxic environments — and how we can turn the tide with simple, proven steps that save lives.   He shares his three-part framework — “See, Believe, Create” — a practical guide for improving personal and public health. Discover what science says about potassium deficiency, the dangers of ultra-processed foods, and how nutrition, environment, and policy can come together to create a healthier world for everyone.   Dr. Frieden also discusses:   - Why the potassium-to-sodium ratio is one of the strongest predictors of heart health - The impact of microplastics, PFAS, and air pollution (PM2.5) on chronic disease - How food industry tactics mirror Big Tobacco's playbook - The truth about processed meats, sugar-sweetened drinks, and trans fats - What governments can learn from Chile's bold food labeling laws - Why plant-based, high-fiber diets are key to longevity and disease prevention - The risks of animal agriculture and wet markets in future pandemics  

We live in an age where truth twists into confusion, opinion drowns out data, and it's increasingly difficult to figure out whose expertise we can trust.Where did our mistrust in expertise come from? Its roots stretch back to deliberate misinformation campaigns beginning in the 1950s spread by the likes of Big Tobacco, Big Oil, and conservative church movements. Then social media poured gasoline on the fire, accelerating the spread of misinformation and making sowing division highly profitable.Misinformation campaigns take advantage of our brains' natural tendency to protect the familiar and mistrust outgroups. And they capitalize on the very real betrayals people have experienced at the hands of corporations, governments, schools, and healthcare systems.Our challenge now isn't just knowing the facts, it's interrogating our own beliefs, asking where our evidence comes from, and resisting the pull of certainty. As leaders, we need to discern who we give our attention to, practice critical thinking, resist manufactured controversy, and platform voices committed to both truth and connection.Today's guest is a neuroscientist and author of Why Brains Need Friends, who works to make science accessible, relational, and rooted in respect. He doesn't focus on winning arguments or shaming people into submission. He focuses on bridging divides, building trust, and reminding us that our brains–and our lives–are wired for connection.Ben Rein, PhD is an award-winning neuroscientist and science communicator. He serves as the Chief Science Officer of the Mind Science Foundation, an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at SUNY Buffalo. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed papers on the neuroscience of social behavior, and is the author of Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection. In addition, Rein educates an audience of more than 1 million social media followers and has been featured on outlets including Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America and StarTalk with Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He has received awards for his science communication from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the Society for Neuroscience, and elsewhere.Listen to the full episode to hear:How an especially vivid nightmare redirected Ben's path to neuroscienceWhy the division and isolation of modern life is so bad for our brains and overall healthHow engaging with strangers isn't as awkward as we often think it is, and why we should do it moreHow small social interactions build our sense of belonging, community, and wellbeingWhy we need to recognize and then override our gut reactions to those we perceive as belonging to outgroupsHow social media sound bites vastly oversimplify the complex and unknown systems in our brainsWhy Ben's primary mission to to help people understand the value of looking to data and evidence rather than personalities and experiencesWhy we all have to get better at fact-checking and questioning why we're ready to believe somethingLearn more about Dr. Ben Rein:WebsiteInstagram: @dr.benreinWhy Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social ConnectionLearn more about Rebecca:rebeccaching.comWork With RebeccaThe Unburdened Leader on SubstackSign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader EmailResources:Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition, Robert N Proctor"Assessing ExxonMobil's climate change communications (1977–2014),” Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes, 2017 Environmental Research Letters 12 084019The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design, Ronald L. Numbers"Misinformation and Its Correction Continued Influence and Successful Debiasing,” Stephan Lewandowsky et al., 2012 Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(3)The Logic of Scientific Discovery, Karl PopperSciSpaceSapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah HarariDune, Frank HerbertThe Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York, Deborah BlumTory Lanez - Gangland x Fargentina 4EVR (feat. Wolfgang Peterson & Kai)Hard Knocks: Training CampCourage the Cowardly Dog

Obesity is often seen as a matter of willpower, but science tells a different story. My guest today, Dr. David Kessler—former FDA commissioner, lawyer, physician, and the man who took on Big Tobacco—explains why biology, not blame, drives our struggles with weight. On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, we talk about why weight struggles are so common today, what new drugs can and can't do, and how his new FDA petition targets one of the biggest culprits: processed refined carbs. Catch the full conversation on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. [YOUTUBE THUMBNAIL] You'll learn: • How food companies use ingredients like processed refined carbs to make products irresistible • Why GLP-1 drugs help many lose weight—but can't fix the food environment driving the crisis • How belly fat fuels heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—and why ultraprocessed foods are a big part of the problem • Simple ways to break free from foods engineered to make you overeat • What Dr. Kessler's FDA petition could mean for limiting processed carbs in our food supply and improving our collective health Plus, here's a bonus: We've adapted Dr. Kelsser's petition into a free PDF guide—The Hard Truth About Processed Carbs—so you can see exactly how these ingredients affect your health…and why his FDA petition REALLY matters. Tune in, download the guide, and find out how you can be part of the solution. View Show Notes From This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman https://drhyman.com/pages/picks?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast Sign Up for Dr. Hyman's Weekly Longevity Journal https://drhyman.com/pages/longevity?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast Join the 10-Day Detox to Reset Your Health https://drhyman.com/pages/10-day-detox Join the Hyman Hive for Expert Support and Real Results https://drhyman.com/pages/hyman-hive This episode is brought to you by Seed, Paleovalley, Function Health, Timeline and AirDoctor. Visit seed.com/hyman and use code 25HYMAN for 25% off your first month of Seed's DS-01® Daily Synbiotic. Get nutrient-dense, whole foods. Head to paleovalley.com/hyman for 15% off your first purchase. Join today at FunctionHealth.com/Mark and use code HYMAN100 to get $100 toward your membership. Support essential mitochondrial health and save 20% on Mitopure. Visit timeline.com/drhyman to get 20% off today. Get cleaner air. Right now, you can get up to $300 off at airdoctorpro.com/drhyman.

In this special Ask Me Anything episode, Jeff Krasno tackles listener questions on politics, free speech, immigration, and public health. From the rise of authoritarian tendencies in U.S. politics to the Jimmy Kimmel suspension and First Amendment debates, Jeff offers a dispassionate but pointed analysis of where democracy stands today. He digs into myths about undocumented immigrants, highlighting their vital contributions to the economy, and exposes how private corporations profit from detention centers. Jeff also examines the defunding of mRNA research, deregulation of pesticides, Big Tobacco's pivot into processed food, and the way asset management firms profit from both chronic disease and its treatment. What emerges is a candid exploration of how politics, profit, and health are deeply intertwined—and why understanding these intersections is critical for reclaiming both personal agency and collective wellbeing.

After a prominent life filled with passion and adventure ends with the death of her brilliant but volatile husband, a woman journeys to Guatemala to heal, only to be captured, and her fight to survive transforms her life forever. Today's episode featured Brenda Coffee. You can email Brenda at bcoffee@1010parkplace.com. She is on Instagram @1010ParkPlace. Visit her website at brenda-coffee.com.Brenda is the author of MAYA BLUE: A Memoir of Survival, published 05/25, a memoir that reads like a thriller. It is Working Girl meets Taken. A true story of love, cocaine, Big Tobacco, abduction, and survival. Nominated for the 2025 Kirkus Prize and included on Maria Shriver's 2025 Summer Reads list. Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva Lipkowitz Content/Trigger Warnings: parentification, domestic violence, intimate partner abuse, drug making and using, addiction, gun violence, sexual assault/attempted rape, child exploitation, cancer & illness, death & grief, explicit language Social Media:Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcast Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott VelasquezMusic Bed: Ambient Themes ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.