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Think you make your own choices? The Loop author Jacob Ward shows how AI preys on the autopilot brain, and what a little friction can do to fight back.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1342What We Discuss with Jacob Ward:How nearly all our daily decisions run on autopilot, made by the ancient shortcut part of the brain rather than the rational sliver that makes us human, and why that makes us so easy to steer.Why AI rarely seizes your choices outright and instead narrows the menu until you pick what it wanted, turning feeds, risk scores, and recommendations into rails that only feel like freedom.How unauditable algorithms quietly absorb old biases like redlining, and why the harm falls hardest on the powerless: denied loans, food stamps, and Medicare claims no human can explain.Why recent verdicts against Meta and YouTube establish "behavioral harm" as a new legal category, and how lawsuits, like the ones that reined in Big Tobacco, may be the only real check here.What a little friction can do to hand decision-making back to you, from leaving your phone at home to bricking the apps that hook you, and why treating your brain as a separate voice helps.And much more...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: Ground News: 40% off unlimited access Vantage subscription: groundnews.com/jordanBetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordanIQBAR: 20% off: Text "Jordan" to 64,000AT&T: Get an iPhone 17 Pro for $0: att.com/iphone or visit an AT&T store for detailsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Context of White Supremacy hosts the Counter-Racist Weekly Review 06/06/26. This broadcast examines current events from across the globe to learn what's happening in all areas of people activity. We cultivate Counter-Racist Media Literacy by scrutinizing journalists' word choices and using logic to deconstruct what is reported as "news." We'll use these sessions to hone our use of terms as tools to reveal truth, neutralize Racists/White people. #ANTIBLACKNESS This week, we analyze the ongoing enforcement of racial terror and state policy: 1. The Karmelo Anthony Trial & Jury Selection: We break down the opening week of the highly charged Karmelo Anthony murder trial in Texas. Gus analyzes how the prosecution successfully struck down qualified Black jurors—leaving an all-white-and-minority panel with zero Black representation—and why this troubling lack of diversity is exactly what Gus predicted. 2. Ultra-Processed Foods as the New Tobacco: We examine the growing consensus among scientists and public health advocates warning that ultra-processed foods are engineering a global health crisis. We dissect the corporate playbooks, addictive formulations, and aggressive marketing strategies that closely mirror the historical predatory tactics of Big Tobacco. 3. The "Golden Age" of Gun Rights: We investigate the shifting landscape of the Second Amendment under President Trump. We analyze recent statements from prominent white gun rights organizations celebrating this era as a political peak for firearm deregulation, and explore the systemic implications of who actually benefits from these expanding protections. #COINTELPRO #EndStageWhiteSupremacy #Suntan #TheCOWS17Years INVEST in The COWS – [http://paypal.me/TheCOWS](http://paypal.me/TheCOWS) Cash App: [https://cash.app/$TheCOWS](https://cash.app/$TheCOWS) CALL IN NUMBER: 720.716.7300 CODE 564943#
Charles Manson famously said, “You can't kill me. I'm already dead.” I thought about that quote as the 60 Minutes scandal erupted, with a conversation between reporter Scott Pelley and newly hired producer Nick Bilton. From the NYT:“She is murdering ‘60 Minutes,'” [Scott Pelley] said. “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she's been doing exactly that.”Mr. Pelley added: “She has no qualifications for her job; you have slender qualifications for this job. The changes that she's made at the ‘Evening News' have been catastrophic, so why should we expect that any of this is going to be any better?”Mr. Bilton responded: “Well, I will show you. That's what I have to say. That is my plan over the next two weeks. I'll be meeting with everyone. I'm very excited to meet with everyone, yourself included.”Needless to say, it didn't exactly go as planned. Several sanctimonious “don't you know who I am” statements later, Pelley was out. 60 Minutes isn't quite dead, but it is a relic of the past. In the 1990s, it was pulling in 20-30 million viewers. That dropped to 14-16 million in the 2000s. By the 2010s, it was down to 10-12 million. Now, just 9 million people tune in every week in a country of 340 million. Much of that is due to the changes in technology, but still. There is no doubt that 60 Minutes, like all of legacy media, is trapped inside the same bubble that thinks Jimmy Kimmel's nightly monologue is still relevant, believes the Oscars still represent the majority of moviegoers, and that the New York Times has its finger on the pulse of everyday America. Like so much of what we might call “resistance era culture,” there doesn't seem to be a place for 60 Minutes in our culture now, beyond being a propaganda tool for the Democrats, which explains why so many of them feel a profound sense of loss now that Bari Weiss was brought in to give them a refresh. Pelley's statement to call out the new management at 60 Minutes was the hissy fit heard round the world. The irony is that his statement is itself bad journalism. He throws around serious allegations without offering any concrete examples:Pelley has since talked to the New York Times to explain what he means by some of this, but even still, these are all examples of his own bias, one he can't see and refuses to admit even exists. Instead, he insists that 60 Minutes is now showing bias simply by representing the other point of view.In the interview, he explains how Bari Weiss wanted him to portray the other side of the story in the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. He says he did not think she drove her car into the officer or that Pretti was in any way violent. While that doesn't mean they should have lost their lives, there is no question that they were at war with federal officers in a way we've never seen since the last Civil War. His bias was front and center at a speech in 2025, where his mass delusions about what this country has become were laid bare. This guy was willing to give Bari Weiss a chance, come on.Already a legend in his own mind, Pelley is writing his own legacy now as a self-made hero who stood up to the fascist regime.Here is Michael Moynihan: A Woketopia, if You Can Keep ItSome say 60 Minutes never recovered from its biggest scandal, when CBS Corporate forced the show to censor an interview with Big Tobacco whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, as depicted in Michael Mann's brilliant film The Insider. The Hollywood of today would never make a movie like that unless it somehow blamed Trump and the Republicans. Not only wouldn't they make it, but they couldn't make it, no one inside the empire would allow it because, contrary to their own mass delusions, the fascism was always coming from inside the house — all sticks of wood bound together as one, where no dissent is allowed.I look around now, and I see relics of the old empire. They're frantic and wild-eyed. They're terrified that it all came crashing down. They don't know why America turned away. But I do. We never set out to build an empire. For us, it was riding the wave of new technology, new social media, a new computer in our pockets, and a brand new president to bring us into the promised land.It was not Donald Trump's fault that our empire collapsed. It was the old cliche about how power corrupts. We acquired too much of it. Every company, institution, celebrity, movie studio, publishing house, and ordinary person has a social media platform. If you controlled social media, you could control them. Our public humiliation factory kept everyone in line, lest they be “it” on social media.That was true even before Trump won, but the tweak to the algorithm in 2017, Donald Trump becoming president and ruling over Twitter at the same time, sent those of us inside the empire into waves of uncontrollable mass hysteria. Many of them would never come out of it and are still locked in the spell of the mass delusion that a “fascist dictator, racist, rapist, criminal, pedophile” won the election in America not once, but twice. Somebody had to be lying. Pelley simply can't tell the story the other way because he can't see it. He's still inside of it. I see them now, those who bought the dream like I did, befuddled as to what to do next. They just want their power back, their empire, their utopia. Use fear, that always works to drive lazy voters to the polls. Fear of what? Tax cuts for the rich? Fox News? No, fear of the big things, the existential things, like “fascism” and “democracy.”How do you even come back from that and make a pitch to the people that you should be put back in power to rule over a country you believe is under a Nazi occupation? How does Bruce Springsteen, Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand, Katie Couric, Ellen DeGeneres, not to mention every single Democrat politician, come back from that?Maybe it's the effect of the internet on our brains, but the so-called “resistance” seems to have lost touch with the tangible reality of history, of what it looks like to fight real fascism. What Nazis really were. When you can make any reality you want, why wouldn't you?They are fine with the guy who has a Nazi tattoo because to them, that isn't real. Of course, leave it to Salena Zito to do the job of a real journalist and remind us:70-80 million people died in World War II fighting to save the world from a fascist dictator, a real one. How can these people live with themselves by spreading the lie that we are living through anything like that now? And that, more than anything, is why the empire collapsed. It was built on a foundation of delusions and lies. Bari Weiss and the Fourth TurningI have Bari Weiss to thank for starting this Substack. Very few people had the courage or the moxie to stand up to the Twitter mob back in 2020, but she did. I was on Twitter the night the mob came for her. The screeching scolds had already been nipping at her heels at the New York Times after she was brought in to shake up the ideological chokehold the Left had on the paper (and still does). They hated her, gossiped about her, shunned her, and yet, there she was, showing up anyway. She is built of stronger stuff than the kind of person who would ever crumple under the weight of the mob. Tom Cotton's essay, Send in the Troops, reflected the views of most Americans, that if the riots over the Summer could not be controlled, the military should be brought in. Their opinions did not matter to the mob or, apparently, to the New York Times. While 60 Minutes spent many stories on January 6th, they barely touched the riots in the Summer of 2020. They didn't talk about the false narrative of Jacob Blake in Kenosha. That was left to local reporters.They never told the other side of the story because no one did until Bari Weiss tried and was smacked down in a way that woke me up. It was like the lantern dropping out of the sky in The Truman Show. It punctured the delusion at long last, and I realized that I was not getting the truth from the legacy media. They were lying to us and gaslighting us because Trump had to lose the election, and nothing else could matter. But the truth still mattered to me. And it mattered to Bari Weiss. Eventually, she would launch a Substack revolution with The Free Press and urge others to follow her. And so I did. Weiss is a millennial, the generation that's to take the baton from the Baby Boomers, per the book, The Fourth Turning. You can see this unfolding everywhere, but perhaps nowhere as profoundly as with what happened at the Times and now at 60 Minutes.Here is how the Times' Lulu Garcia-Navarro's interview with Pelley went on how he came to know Bari Weiss:Um, yeah, sure pal. That sounds like padding for an upcoming lawsuit, not the truth. There is no way the Scott Pelley, who gave that speech at Wake Forest, is going to give someone hired by David Ellison “the benefit of the doubt.” That he had never even heard of Bari Weiss or had no idea any scandal had erupted at the Times over the Tom Cotton op-ed says it all. The Fourth Turning is like winter. The old must die to make way for the new. Trump didn't collapse the empire on his own, but he's a “Gray Champion” all the same. The one Baby Boomer who could tear it all down to make way for the millennials, like Bari Weiss, to reshape the future for the generations to come.MAGAIn 2020, I escaped the Doomsday Cult our empire had become and was searching for signs of life, for truth, for something that felt real. I began driving across the country and saw an America that people like me had forgotten even existed. It wasn't a virtual world where we make our own reality. It was a tangible place, with things people built with their own hands. It was farms, churches, town squares, neighborhoods, highways, and factories. What we built online had no place for this America. If you never understand that, you'll never understand MAGA. From the hills, the backyards, and the fields, one name called out from this forgotten America: Trump.Even now, in 2026, these signs still stand. Not just in one state, in nearly every state. Trump is not in power because he's a fascist. He's in power because we, the people, put him there to fight for us against the mighty empire that was like a black hole, sucking all of American society into it.Anyone who thinks Bari Weiss would do Donald Trump's bidding at CBS News is living in a fantasy. They don't know her, they don't know him, and they most certainly do not know this country anymore. It doesn't seem like it's asking too much for guys like Scott Pelley to snap out of it at long last and to realize this is a big country with lots of different kinds of people in it. And all of them have the same right to representation. If the culture stopped speaking to them and the government stopped representing them, well, it's all over but the shouting.// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe
Nevena and Paul are joined live the studio by filmmaker and writer, John Safran as they discuss the re-launching of the Reality TV Show, Race Around the World. John Safran is a Melbourne writer and filmmaker. His book Puff Piece, exploring Big Tobacco and vaping, was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards. His debut, Murder in Mississippi, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best True Crime. His latest documentary, Who The Bloody Hell Are We?, looking at the secret history of Australia, was nominated for an Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts award. His first two television series John Safran's Music Jamboree and John Safran vs God won the Academy's comedy awards. Squat is his fourth book published by Penguin Random House. The post Sat, 6th June, 2026: John Safran, Reality TV Show, Race Around the World 2026. appeared first on Saturday Magazine.
As a massive federal hammer prepares to fall on the hemp industry, progressive states are throwing operators a regulatory lifeline—just as the legal cannabis market faces its own "Big Tobacco" reckoning.A newly filed federal class-action lawsuit targets major Chicago-based operators like Cresco Labs and Green Thumb Industries, accusing them of "Big Tobacco"-style deceptive marketing that downplays the psychotropic risks of high-THC products. Yet, against this turbulent backdrop, Midwestern lawmakers are aggressively reshaping the market. Facing a looming November 2026 federal ban on potent hemp products, Minnesota has enacted a landmark omnibus bill that allows hemp business owners to dual-license and pivot directly into the regulated cannabis market. Similarly, Illinois lawmakers are advancing a massive industry overhaul (HB 5784) designed to ease financial burdens on smaller social equity operators while building parallel transitional pathways for hemp companies. By allowing these industries to consolidate, states are creating a vital legal gateway for hemp businesses to survive under the umbrella of the regulated cannabis market before federal workarounds vanish entirely.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
TODAY ON THE ROBERT SCOTT BELL SHOW: Patients Feel Like an Afterthought, Madhava Setty, Trust in Experts, Big Tobacco Bribery, Meme Disease Rising, Preservatives Heart Risk, FDA Supplement Crackdown, Thyroid Medication Access, Why Smart People Fall for Lies, Eucalyptus Globulus, and MORE! https://robertscottbell.com/patients-feel-like-an-afterthought-madhava-setty-a-5-million-donation-preceded-vape-decision-meme-disease-rising-preservatives-heart-risk-fda-supplement-crackdown-thyroid-medication-access-bill/ Purpose and Character The use of copyrighted material on the website is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public through information, critique, teaching, scholarship, or research. Nature of Copyrighted Material Weensure that the copyrighted material used is for supplementary and illustrative purposes and that it contributes significantly to the user's understanding of the content in a non-detrimental way to the commercial value of the original content. Amount and Substantiality Our website uses only the necessary amount of copyrighted material to achieve the intended purpose and does not substitute for the original market of the copyrighted works. Effect on Market Value The use of copyrighted material on our website does not in any way diminish or affect the market value of the original work. We believe that our use constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you believe that any content on the website violates your copyright, please contact us providing the necessary information, and we will take appropriate action to address your concern.
There's an unspoken rule in the social impact sector: we tell the truth, we follow the science, we play fair. But those rules are increasingly a losing strategy, because the industries we're up against don't have to win the argument. They just have to muddy it. Joelle Lester, Executive Director of the Public Health Law Center, has spent 25 years studying how Big Tobacco manufactured doubt, and how that same playbook now drives opposition to progress on climate, food, and public health.Episode Highlights: [00:04:00] Merchants of doubt: how the tobacco industry wrote the playbook for manufacturing scientific uncertainty [00:09:00] Why philanthropy needs to step up right now, and which foundations are leading [00:15:00] The strategic calculus of when to resist publicly versus when to go underground [00:24:00] Why scientists with integrity are at a structural disadvantage against opponents with none [00:33:00] “Cultural engineering” — Alessandra Orofino: why culture is always upstream of public policy [00:40:30] Why public health groups need to get better at storytelling and soundbitesNotable Quotes: Joelle Lester [00:05:00]: "The art of it is that they don't try to disprove it. They just try to raise doubt in people's minds about how believable the science is." Joelle Lester [00:41:05]: "Having all the evidence and having the legal authority and being right is not getting us where we need to go."Resources & Links:Public Health Law Center — https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/Cooking with Smoke report — https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/resources/Cooking-With-Smoke.pdfMerchants of Doubt (book & film) — https://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/Hosted by Eric Ressler, Founder & Creative Director of Cosmic, with co-host Jonathan Hicken, Executive Director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. New episodes every Tuesday.→ Subscribe: designingtomorrow.show → Work with Cosmic: designbycosmic.comListeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you'd like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.comThank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.
Twitter was launched 20 years ago, followed quickly by the iPhone and Instagram. Today, nearly 60% of the world's population uses social media. Medical experts are sounding the alarm on the potential for these platforms to cause systemic harm. This past year has seen large events in the legal and public health battle against tech giants, with millions of dollars awarded in damages to child victims. Why has pinning down these companies proven difficult? And, what are the parallels between the social media industry and the historical tactics of "Big Tobacco"? Guests: Matthew Bergman is a practicing attorney and the founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center, as well as a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. Ilona Kickbusch is an editorial board member of the BMJ and a visiting professor at the Digital Transformations for Health Lab at the University of Geneva, specializing in the commercial determinants of health. Further reading: From tobacco to TikTok: what public health litigation history tells us about holding social media accountable What is the evidence for social media addiction?
Russell Brand was once Hollywood's wildest and most controversial provocateur. Today, after battling severe addiction and facing scrutiny over his past, he has emerged as a sober family man, a devout Christian, and a vocal advocate for the MAHA movement. But the shadows of his past still haunt him in the headlines – and Russell is finally coming clean by addressing the sins of celebrity and fame. Dr. Drew reunites with Russell Brand for their first interview together in years. Taking a clinical and empathetic look at Russell's journey, they dive deep into the psychology of addiction, the reality of making mistakes, and the difficult but necessary path to redemption. Brand opens up about his conversion story, the lessons in his new book “How To Become A Christian In 7 Days“, and how he is pushing back against the media mob by focusing on truth, recovery, and spiritual health. Patrick and Ashley Sullivan, executive producers of the docuseries Breaking Big Food, join the show to expose how Big Tobacco quietly took over Big Food. They share the shocking evidence of how our food system is driving chronic illness, why the MAHA movement is right about the sugar epidemic, and how to fight back. Russell Brand is an award-winning comedian, actor, and broadcaster known for starring roles in hit films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, and the Despicable Me franchise. Celebrating over two decades of sobriety, Brand is a passionate advocate for addiction recovery and the author of “How To Become A Christian In 7 Days” available at https://TuckerCarlsonBooks.com. He hosts Stay Free with Russell Brand on Rumble. Follow at https://x.com/rustyrockets⠀Patrick and Ashley Sullivan are the executive producers of Breaking Big Food, now streaming on Apple TV and Amazon, which exposes how Big Tobacco took over Big Food and has manipulated and poisoned Americans. They co-host the Rock Bottom Podcast on YouTube and own Firefly Organic Coffee & Market in Scottsdale. Learn more at https://breakingbigfood.com 「 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 」 • VANMAN – Go to http://vanman.shop/drew and use code DREW for 15% off your first order • FATTY15 – The future of essential fatty acids is here! Strengthen your cells against age-related breakdown with Fatty15. Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit Subscription at https://drdrew.com/fatty15 • PALEOVALLEY - "Paleovalley has a wide variety of extraordinary products that are both healthful and delicious,” says Dr. Drew. "I am a huge fan of this brand and know you'll love it too!” Get 15% off your first order at https://drdrew.com/paleovalley • THE WELLNESS COMPANY - Counteract harmful spike proteins with TWC's Signature Series Spike Support Formula containing nattokinase and selenium. Learn more about TWC's supplements at https://twc.health/drew 「 ABOUT THE SHOW 」 This show is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Executive Producers • Kaleb Nation - https://kalebnation.com • Susan Pinsky - https://x.com/firstladyoflove Content Producer • Emily Barsh - https://x.com/emilytvproducer Hosted By • Dr. Drew Pinsky - https://x.com/drdrew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris and Shaun sit down with Matt Davison, the CEO of NAMI Chicago, to explore the intersection of law, advocacy, and radical empathy. Matt shares his transition from serving as a public defender and civil litigator to leading one of the nation's most prominent mental health advocacy organizations. He discusses the limitations of our current "triage" approach to mental health and why we must move "upstream" to address systemic issues before they become crises.Matt also opens up about his personal philosophy on "self-love" vs. "self-care," his concerns regarding the toxic impact of social media algorithms on youth, and the visceral moment on a Chicago Blue Line train that changed his perspective on systemic reform forever. This conversation is a pragmatic yet hopeful look at how we can build a more dignified system of care for all Chicagoans.Key Takeaways:The "Hammer and Nail" Fallacy: Why the criminal justice system is fundamentally ill-equipped to handle healthcare crises.The Blue Line Inflection Point: A powerful story about why individual advocacy isn't enough to fix a broken system.Upstream Intervention: The necessity of investing in community resources to prevent the "triage mode" of emergency rooms and jails.Social Media as a Public Health Crisis: Comparing modern algorithms to the "Big Tobacco" moment and their impact on youth body image.Self-Love vs. Self-Care: A therapist's distinction between occasional treats and the daily practice of checking in with yourself.Resources Mentioned:NAMI Chicago: namichicago.org988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 for immediate supportThanks to our sponsor, Mental. Mental is a wellness app built specifically for men, offering a sanctuary from "toxic positivity" and generic advice. It provides personalized, affordable, and science-backed support through real-life coaching designed to help you navigate life's messiest challenges. If you've been thinking about doing something for your mental health, visit https://app.getmental.com/subscribe to get started.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more people find these important conversations!
A man walked into the Washington Hilton with guns, a shotgun, and knives. A Secret Service agent got shot. Trump said the system worked. It did not. In this episode:
A Los Angeles jury just found Meta and YouTube liable for the design of their platforms, not the content on them. Millions of dollars in damages. A ruling that both companies acted with malice. And the crack in Section 230 that opens the door to around two thousand similar cases.Gene is joined by media literacy expert Shakeese to break down what the verdict actually means, why the "design, not content" pivot is the same legal strategy that broke Big Tobacco, and why waiting on the courts is not a defense plan. They walk through the internal documents showing the companies knew, the martial arts analogy that makes media literacy click as training instead of theory, and how the Daily Armor framework puts your judgment back on every day.If you've ever felt the pull of the feed and wondered why it's so hard to put down, this episode is the answer. The hook was engineered. A jury just said so. Your training is what happens next.Chapters:(00:00) Cold Open: The Verdict That Cracked Section 230(02:30) What Happened in Court(09:15) Design, Not Content: Why This Case Got Through(16:40) They Knew: The Internal Documents(24:20) Media Literacy as Self Defense with Shakeese(34:00) The Daily Armor Application(43:15) The Child Question(51:00) What a Warrior Does Now(58:20) OutroSend us Fan Mail
Timestamps : 0:00 - Introduction – Welcome to The Holistic Kids Show 0:51 - Meet the Guests – Patrick Sullivan Jr. & Ashley Leroux Sullivan 3:12 - Their Journey – How They Got Into Food Advocacy 4:00 - Big Tobacco Bought Big Food – The 1980s Takeover 7:36 - The Making of Breaking Big Food Documentary 8:44 - Ashley's Mold Test & The Birth of Firefly Organic Coffee 12:00 - Shocking Stats – Chronic Disease & America's Health Crisis 15:02 - Patrick's Thyroid Cancer Story & the 4 Pillars of Health 19:07 - How Kids Can Get Closer to Their Food 23:37 - The Truth About Mold & Toxins in Coffee 26:17 - One Change Kids Can Make Today – Ditch the Lunchables 27:25 - Where to Find the Documentary & Key Takeaways What if the same companies that got America hooked on cigarettes are now controlling what's on your dinner plate? In this eye-opening episode of The Holistic Kids Show, hosts Zane, Emad, and Ca sit down with Patrick Sullivan Jr. and Ashley Leroux Sullivan — husband-and-wife team and executive producers of the groundbreaking documentary Breaking Big Food: How the American Food System Went Rotten, and How It's Being Revived (now streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video). Together, they unpack:
Headlines have been screaming about a new study suggesting that vaping could cause cancer — and that vaping could be just as dangerous as cigarettes. And if this were true, it would be a HUGE deal. We've been hearing for years that vaping is a safer option — and can help you quit ciggies. But the new paper has run up against angry criticisms from other scientists, with some calling the paper "misleading" and "problematic." So what's going on?? Do scientists still think vaping is safer than cigarettes? How well do vapes actually help people quit smoking? And could Big Tobacco be behind the scenes, clouding the truth about all of this?? We get help sorting it out from Professor Bernard Stewart, Professor Lion Shahab and Professor Becky Freeman. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsVapingCancer In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Vaping world set alight by new study (02:50) Why Some Scientists Have Linked Vaping to Cancer (07:45) Why Some Scientists Pushed Back Against Vaping-Cancer Claims (17:51) Is Vaping as Dangerous as Smoking? (25:15) Do Vapes Help People Quit Smoking? (30:52) Big Tobacco Is Funding Vaping Research This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Rose Rimler, with help from Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Meryl Horn and Michelle Dang. We're edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Additional music from Parry Music Library / BMGPM. Thanks so much to the Australian science media centre and all the scientists who responded to our emails on this — we asked a lot of you!. A big thanks to Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman family. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chuck Todd digs into the aftermath of the Virginia redistricting vote and finds plenty of blame to spread around — Democrats are gloating, Republicans are upset, and the whole episode confirms that partisan redistricting has become a race to the bottom with no one coming out clean. Henotes the "no" campaign in Virginia performed about as well as it realistically could, argues that not a single Republican had the guts to call out Texas's initial redistricting as wrong — meaning he has zero sympathy for the ones now complaining that Democrats responded in kind — and warns that gerrymandering is ultimately an insult to the founding fathers no matter who's doing it, even as he gives Democrats partial credit for at least putting the question to voters. He argues Trump's approval numbers portend a catastrophic midterm for the GOP, that Democrats' ceiling is around 40 House seats, and that incumbent Republicans will soon be desperate to distance themselves from Trump — though very few can credibly do so. On Iran, he says the Wall Street Journal editorial board unloaded on Trump, declaring that Tehran now thinks Trump is a sucker, and argues the president made everything worse by starting a war he doesn't have the guts to finish. He closes with a fascinating read on Tucker Carlson's public break with Trump, noting Trump has burned virtually every professional relationship he's ever had — but cautioning that it's genuinely hard to know what Carlson actually believes, that this could be a fake "heel turn," or that Tucker may be positioning himself for his own presidential run as the face of an anti-Trump MAGA movement. Then, veteran trial lawyers Mark Lanier and Rahul Ravipudi — the legal team that just won a landmark bellwether verdict against Meta and YouTube — join the Chuck Toddcast to explain how civil litigation is doing more to rein in big tech than the federal government has managed in a decade. They walk through how they persuaded a jury that these platforms engaged in negligent and punitive conduct toward children, systematically dismantling the "it's on the parents" defense by showing that parents simply aren't equipped to manage what amounts to engineered addiction — and that when that addiction takes hold in children, it causes irreparable harm by literally rewiring developing brains. They reveal that Meta's own internal research documents were devastating at trial, that former tech employees took the stand to call out the companies' safety practices, and that these platforms behaved exactly like Big Tobacco did — knowing the harm was real and burying the evidence. They break down how they proved addiction by design: endless scroll, autoplay, slot-machine psychology, and deliberately hidden safety features all created to maximize "time spent," a corporate metric fundamentally at odds with user wellbeing. The conversation gets into the nuts and bolts of the legal strategy and what comes next. Lanier and Ravipudi describe cross-examining Mark Zuckerberg, who they say couldn't handle basic questions about protecting kids, and explain why YouTube's defense — that it's a streaming service like Netflix rather than social media — collapsed once its own internal documents consistently referred to the platform as "social media." They explain that this is a bellwether case, meaning the judge used nine representative cases to establish facts and conditions that will now apply to roughly 3,000 other pending cases, with eight more trials coming and a settlement fund likely in the companies' future. The attorneys discuss whether tech companies are simply pricing these verdicts in as a cost of doing business (they argue settling would actually be a PR boon for the platforms), draw parallels and distinctions between big tech and tobacco, and offer concrete policy recommendations: a meaningful minimum age requirement, scrapping Section 230, nighttime curfews for minors, and removing the endless scroll. Their bottom line: tech companies won't do the right thing unless they're forced to, and the legal system is finally catching up to what regulators refused to address. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and explains why he has reservations about NBA star Kevin Durant. 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! 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. 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 05:30 Democrats gloating and Republicans upset after Virginia referendum 06:30 Redistricting has become a race to the bottom 07:00 The “no” vote in Virginia did about as good as it could have 08:00 No Republican had the guts to say Texas redistricting was wrong 08:45 No sympathy for Republicans who don’t acknowledge Trump started this 09:15 Trump getting involved didn’t help the “No” campaign 10:15 Republicans need Trump’s base and can’t repudiate him 11:00 Trump’s approval numbers portend a catastrophic midterm for GOP 11:30 Democrats ceiling is around 40 seats in the house 12:30 Yes campaign required Obama to clarify his position on gerrymandering 14:15 Voters in northern Virginia have felt personally attacked by Trump 15:00 DOGE put a lot of people in northern Virginia out of work 15:45 More resources & attention wouldn’t have helped the “no” campaign 17:00 Incumbent Republicans will be desperate to distance from Trump 19:00 Not many Republicans can credibly distance themselves from Trump 20:30 We need to fix the infrastructure of democracy & have better incentives 22:00 Are Dems going to jam things down the voters’ throats like GOP does* 22:30 Emulating Trump’s tactics is bad for America 23:30 Gerrymandering is an insult to the founding fathers 24:30 Democrats get credit for at least going to the voters on redistricting 25:00 Florida’s state constitution bars partisan & racial gerrymandering 27:00 Florida gerrymander would look like “strips of bacon”, against constitution 28:00 Trump may bully Florida legislature into gerrymandering 29:30 The best Trump can hope for now is a deal similar to Obama’s nuclear deal 30:00 WSJ editorial board unloaded on Trump, said Iran thinks Trump is a sucker 31:00 Trump made everything worse with Iran 32:00 Trump doesn’t have the guys to finish the job, because it requires ground troops 33:00 The louder Trump squeals, the more you know the criticism is correct 34:30 Trump knows he made a massive mistake 35:45 It’s clear Trump doesn’t understand Iran & didn’t have a strategy 37:00 What to make of Tucker Carlson’s break with Trump? 37:45 Trump has burned every professional relationship he’s ever had 39:00 It’s hard to know what Carlson’s true motivations and beliefs are 40:15 There’s a real chance this is a fake “heel turn” by Carlson 42:00 Maybe Tucker believes he could be president as anti-Trump MAGA 49:45 Mark Lanier & Rahul Ravipudi join the Chuck ToddCast 52:15 Civil litigation is doing more to rein in big tech than government 52:45 You can’t fight big tech without an army of lawyers 53:45 Meta & Youtube found liable by jury of negligence & punitive conduct 55:15 How did you push back on the narrative of “parental challenges”? 56:15 Parents aren’t equipped to control kids social media addiction/use 57:00 Addiction in children is an irreparable harm, brain is rewired 58:00 Meta’s own internal research documents were damning 59:15 Without guardrails, tech companies race to the bottom for engagement 1:00:15 Tech companies behaved just like big tobacco, knew harm was real 1:01:45 Former tech employees called out safety practices at trial 1:02:45 How did you prove addiction at trial? 1:04:00 Proved the companies deliberately made products more addictive 1:04:45 Endless scroll, autoplay and slot machine science used to trap you 1:06:15 Platforms make it hard to access or find safety features 1:07:15 Goal of “increasing time spent” is at odds with users well-being 1:09:30 Architect for Youtube algorithm was forced to take the stand 1:10:15 Architect proposed changing algorithm for kids, didn’t happen 1:11:15 TikTok & Snapchat settled, did that clear the way to win in court? 1:13:15 Plaintiffs had finished discovery before any settlements 1:14:15 Youtube’s lawyer argued it’s a streaming platform and not social media 1:16:00 Despite their protests, Youtube is not like Netflix because of features 1:17:45 Exhaustive internal documents refer to Youtube as “social media” 1:19:15 How was the experience of cross-examining Mark Zuckerberg? 1:20:45 Zuckerberg couldn’t handle some very basic questions about kids 1:22:45 What makes this case a “bellwether case”? 1:24:15 Judge used 9 cases to determine facts & conditions for other 3,000 1:26:15 8 more trials are upcoming 1:27:45 Companies will likely need to create a settlement fund 1:28:15 Similarities and differences between big tech & tobacco companies 1:30:15 Companies achieved a critical mass of kids using the product 1:31:45 Are companies pricing in penalties/settlements as “cost of doing business”? 1:33:00 Settling these cases would be a PR boon for these companies 1:34:30 Preview of the upcoming trials against the tech companies 1:36:45 What are some good guardrails congress can put on the tech companies? 1:38:30 An age limit of would do good, as would scrapping Section 230 1:40:15 A nighttime curfew and removing the endless scroll also has benefits 1:41:30 There’s no law mandating 25 years of age to rent car, industry imposed it 1:42:15 Companies might self-regulate after losing lawsuits 1:43:30 These companies won’t do the right thing unless forced to do so 1:44:00 Expectations for the appeals process? 1:45:45 What year do you expect all of these cases to be fully resolved? 1:47:15 A recommendation algorithm should make a platform a publisher 1:49:15 It will likely take years before we see big tech make serious changes 1:50:15 Ask Chuck 1:50:30 Joke about Trump being a lame duck 1:51:15 Do you have a great story about Tim Russert? 1:56:15 What is your project to get independents elected? 1:59:45 Is there a meaningful distinction between MAGA & Republican? 2:05:30 If a third party emerges, what do you think they’ll call themselves? 2:08:30 How would the midterms be affected if Alito or Thomas retire in October? 2:10:45 Is there any way Dems can reach the “own the libs” part of the electorate? 2:14:45 Is there any way to stop gerrymandering? Your NFL draft strategy? 2:22:30 Kevin Durant rantSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Veteran trial lawyers Mark Lanier and Rahul Ravipudi — the legal team that just won a landmark bellwether verdict against Meta and YouTube — join the Chuck Toddcast to explain how civil litigation is doing more to rein in big tech than the federal government has managed in a decade. They walk through how they persuaded a jury that these platforms engaged in negligent and punitive conduct toward children, systematically dismantling the "it's on the parents" defense by showing that parents simply aren't equipped to manage what amounts to engineered addiction — and that when that addiction takes hold in children, it causes irreparable harm by literally rewiring developing brains. They reveal that Meta's own internal research documents were devastating at trial, that former tech employees took the stand to call out the companies' safety practices, and that these platforms behaved exactly like Big Tobacco did — knowing the harm was real and burying the evidence. They break down how they proved addiction by design: endless scroll, autoplay, slot-machine psychology, and deliberately hidden safety features all created to maximize "time spent," a corporate metric fundamentally at odds with user wellbeing. The conversation gets into the nuts and bolts of the legal strategy and what comes next. Lanier and Ravipudi describe cross-examining Mark Zuckerberg, who they say couldn't handle basic questions about protecting kids, and explain why YouTube's defense — that it's a streaming service like Netflix rather than social media — collapsed once its own internal documents consistently referred to the platform as "social media." They explain that this is a bellwether case, meaning the judge used nine representative cases to establish facts and conditions that will now apply to roughly 3,000 other pending cases, with eight more trials coming and a settlement fund likely in the companies' future. The attorneys discuss whether tech companies are simply pricing these verdicts in as a cost of doing business (they argue settling would actually be a PR boon for the platforms), draw parallels and distinctions between big tech and tobacco, and offer concrete policy recommendations: a meaningful minimum age requirement, scrapping Section 230, nighttime curfews for minors, and removing the endless scroll. Their bottom line: tech companies won't do the right thing unless they're forced to, and the legal system is finally catching up to what regulators refused to address. 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! 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. 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 Mark Lanier & Rahul Ravipudi join the Chuck ToddCast 02:30 Civil litigation is doing more to rein in big tech than government 03:00 You can’t fight big tech without an army of lawyers 04:00 Meta & Youtube found liable by jury of negligence & punitive conduct 05:30 How did you push back on the narrative of “parental challenges”? 06:30 Parents aren’t equipped to control kids social media addiction/use 07:15 Addiction in children is an irreparable harm, brain is rewired 08:15 Meta’s own internal research documents were damning 09:30 Without guardrails, tech companies race to the bottom for engagement 10:30 Tech companies behaved just like big tobacco, knew harm was real 12:00 Former tech employees called out safety practices at trial 13:00 How did you prove addiction at trial? 14:15 Proved the companies deliberately made products more addictive 15:00 Endless scroll, autoplay and slot machine science used to trap you 16:30 Platforms make it hard to access or find safety features 17:30 Goal of “increasing time spent” is at odds with users well-being 19:45 Architect for Youtube algorithm was forced to take the stand 20:30 Architect proposed changing algorithm for kids, didn’t happen 21:30 TikTok & Snapchat settled, did that clear the way to win in court? 23:30 Plaintiffs had finished discovery before any settlements 24:30 Youtube’s lawyer argued it’s a streaming platform and not social media 26:15 Despite their protests, Youtube is not like Netflix because of features 28:00 Exhaustive internal documents refer to Youtube as “social media” 29:30 How was the experience of cross-examining Mark Zuckerberg? 31:00 Zuckerberg couldn’t handle some very basic questions about kids 33:00 What makes this case a “bellwether case”? 34:30 Judge used 9 cases to determine facts & conditions for other 3,000 36:30 8 more trials are upcoming 38:00 Companies will likely need to create a settlement fund 38:30 Similarities and differences between big tech & tobacco companies 40:30 Companies achieved a critical mass of kids using the product 42:00 Are companies pricing in penalties/settlements as “cost of doing business”? 43:15 Settling these cases would be a PR boon for these companies 44:45 Preview of the upcoming trials against the tech companies 47:00 What are some good guardrails congress can put on the tech companies? 48:45 An age limit of would do good, as would scrapping Section 230 50:30 A nighttime curfew and removing the endless scroll also has benefits 51:45 There’s no law mandating 25 years of age to rent car, industry imposed it 52:30 Companies might self-regulate after losing lawsuits 53:45 These companies won’t do the right thing unless forced to do so 54:15 Expectations for the appeals process? 56:00 What year do you expect all of these cases to be fully resolved? 57:30 A recommendation algorithm should make a platform a publisherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Natalie Nicole, founder of Dulsa Life, joins Brian Nichols to reveal why Big Sugar wanted to keep him at 385 pounds and how the alternative sweetener industry is quietly destroying America's metabolic health. Natalie breaks down why roughly 70% of Americans are now battling chronic metabolic illness, how high fructose corn syrup hits your cells like a fire hose compared to the "garden hose" of real sugar, and why every pink, blue, yellow, and green sweetener packet at the grocery store is laced with maltodextrin, dextrose, or sugar alcohols that wreck your gut. They get into the Ozempic shortcut trap, the 10-year slow-poisoning timeline that precedes a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, and why SNAP benefits and Big Soda subsidies are making the problem exponentially worse for working class Americans.We expose the uncomfortable truth about why "zero calorie" sweeteners are one of the most successful marketing scams in food history... and why the same playbook Big Tobacco ran in the 60s is now running Big Sugar. Natalie shares the blueprint behind Dulsa - a functional sweetener built with organic monk fruit, allulose, prebiotic yacon root, and shelf-stable probiotics - and walks through how she's hijacking your body's natural GLP-1 production without the black box warnings. If you've ever flipped over a "healthy" nutrition label, shrugged, and told yourself "it's probably fine"... you need to hear this.Chapters :0:00 - Intro: Big Sugar's War On Your Health1:55 - Meet Natalie Nicole: From Red Pill To Sugar Fighter3:49 - I Was 385 Pounds And Drinking A Liter Of Mountain Dew Daily6:49 - Sugar Is A Slow Poison (The 10-Year Diabetes Countdown)8:21 - The Ozempic Generation & The GLP-1 Shortcut Trap11:15 - High Fructose Corn Syrup Is A Fire Hose To Your Cells14:56 - Path Of Least Resistance: Why We Keep Choosing Sugar16:49 - The Big Tobacco Playbook Is Now Running Big Sugar19:13 - Our Kids Have Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease21:19 - RFK Jr, The Food Pyramid, And Sugar's 600 Hidden Names23:18 - Aldi, Food Deserts & The Free Market Solution26:06 - What Dulsa Actually Is (Sweetener + Supplement + Probiotic)28:57 - Why Your Grandma's Food Doesn't Exist Anymore31:59 - Natalie's Final Message: You're Not Broken33:31 - How To Get Dulsa (Use Code: NICHOLS)Dulsa Life:Website: https://dulsalife.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dulsalife/ Health Benefits: https://dulsalife.com/pages/health-benefits Discount Code: NICHOLS at checkoutStudio Sponsor:Cardio Miracle: https://cardiomiracle.com/tbns Referenced In Episode:Dr. Adrian Bejan / Constructal Law (Duke University) - prior TBNS guestJohn Odermatt / Plexus - Lions of Liberty Network colleagueCX Without the BS (Brian's business podcast)Lions of Liberty Network: https://www.lionsofliberty.com/The Brian Nichols Show:Website: https://thebriannicholsshow.com/Brian on socials: @BNicholsLiberty Order Cardio Miracle (CardioMiracle.com/TBNS) for 15% off and take a step towards better heart health and overall well-being! WATCH The Brian Nichols Show on YouTube & Rumble Follow Brian on social media: X.com/Twitter (https://www.briannicholsshow.com/twitter) & Facebook (https://www.briannicholsshow.com/facebook) LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE to The Brian Nichols Show for a BRAND NEW episode airing every THURSDAY at 9pm EST! Email Listener Questions to brian@briannicholsshow.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Natalie Nicole, founder of Dulsa Life, joins Brian Nichols to reveal why Big Sugar wanted to keep him at 385 pounds and how the alternative sweetener industry is quietly destroying America's metabolic health. Natalie breaks down why roughly 70% of Americans are now battling chronic metabolic illness, how high fructose corn syrup hits your cells like a fire hose compared to the "garden hose" of real sugar, and why every pink, blue, yellow, and green sweetener packet at the grocery store is laced with maltodextrin, dextrose, or sugar alcohols that wreck your gut. They get into the Ozempic shortcut trap, the 10-year slow-poisoning timeline that precedes a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, and why SNAP benefits and Big Soda subsidies are making the problem exponentially worse for working class Americans. We expose the uncomfortable truth about why "zero calorie" sweeteners are one of the most successful marketing scams in food history... and why the same playbook Big Tobacco ran in the 60s is now running Big Sugar. Natalie shares the blueprint behind Dulsa - a functional sweetener built with organic monk fruit, allulose, prebiotic yacon root, and shelf-stable probiotics - and walks through how she's hijacking your body's natural GLP-1 production without the black box warnings. If you've ever flipped over a "healthy" nutrition label, shrugged, and told yourself "it's probably fine"... you need to hear this. Chapters : 0:00 - Intro: Big Sugar's War On Your Health 1:55 - Meet Natalie Nicole: From Red Pill To Sugar Fighter 3:49 - I Was 385 Pounds And Drinking A Liter Of Mountain Dew Daily 6:49 - Sugar Is A Slow Poison (The 10-Year Diabetes Countdown) 8:21 - The Ozempic Generation & The GLP-1 Shortcut Trap 11:15 - High Fructose Corn Syrup Is A Fire Hose To Your Cells 14:56 - Path Of Least Resistance: Why We Keep Choosing Sugar 16:49 - The Big Tobacco Playbook Is Now Running Big Sugar 19:13 - Our Kids Have Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease 21:19 - RFK Jr, The Food Pyramid, And Sugar's 600 Hidden Names 23:18 - Aldi, Food Deserts & The Free Market Solution 26:06 - What Dulsa Actually Is (Sweetener + Supplement + Probiotic) 28:57 - Why Your Grandma's Food Doesn't Exist Anymore 31:59 - Natalie's Final Message: You're Not Broken 33:31 - How To Get Dulsa (Use Code: NICHOLS) Dulsa Life: Website: https://dulsalife.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dulsalife/ Health Benefits: https://dulsalife.com/pages/health-benefits Discount Code: NICHOLS at checkout Studio Sponsor: Cardio Miracle: https://cardiomiracle.com/tbns Referenced In Episode: Dr. Adrian Bejan / Constructal Law (Duke University) - prior TBNS guest John Odermatt / Plexus - Lions of Liberty Network colleague CX Without the BS (Brian's business podcast) Lions of Liberty Network: https://www.lionsofliberty.com/ The Brian Nichols Show: Website: https://thebriannicholsshow.com/ Brian on socials: @BNicholsLiberty ❤️ Order Cardio Miracle (CardioMiracle.com/TBNS) for 15% off and take a step towards better heart health and overall well-being!
In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, we sit down with New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez for a wide-ranging conversation about his office's landmark case against Meta and what it reveals about the dangers embedded in today's social media platforms. At the center of the case is “Issa,” a fictional teenage user created as part of an undercover operation that exposed just how quickly young users can be targeted with explicit content and sexual solicitations. Torres walks us through how what once existed in the darkest corners of the internet has migrated onto mainstream platforms—and how Meta's own algorithms and product design not only failed to stop it, but in some cases appeared to amplify it. By focusing on design choices rather than user-generated content, Torres and his team were able to sidestep Section 230 protections and argue that the platform itself plays an active role in facilitating harm. The conversation also explores the broader implications of the case, from the addictive nature of social media to its parallels with Big Tobacco. TorreZ argues that waiting for definitive long-term studies on harm is a luxury we can't afford, pointing instead to the immediate psychological, social, and physical risks facing young users. Looking ahead, he outlines potential remedies—including age verification, algorithmic reform, and independent oversight—as well as ongoing litigation against other platforms like Snapchat. The discussion closes with a warning about the next frontier: artificial intelligence. Without clear accountability and proactive regulation, Torrez suggests, the harms posed by AI could eclipse those of social media. This case, then, may represent not just a legal victory, but the beginning of a broader shift toward tech accountability in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Same prompt as last time except this one is claude 4.6 opus. taking bloody ages no wonder they don't to be robot executioners they wouldn't fire until the target was in another postcode. LLM more like Lame Loading Model. At least Grok was fast. Oh wow Claude is brutal. I think I will stop doing roast shownotes after this but it's pretty funny. Okay yeah this will be the last roast notes so enjoy while it lasts. I ran it again telling it to be less harsh and yeah, it's still harsh. G'day, you legends! Welcome to the notes for Episode 150 of The Two Jacks, where Jack the Insider teams up with Hong Kong Jack (the ex-Labor bloke who's wandered off into conservative wilderness—mate, what happened? We view that shift with the contempt it deserves, like watching a once-solid pub mate switch to light beer). It's all fair dinkum Aussie banter here: politics, elections, wars, strikes, and sport, with a bit of arsehole flair thrown in. We've bumped timestamps forward 25 seconds to account for the theme music—because who doesn't love a dramatic entrance?This ep clocks in at around 1:13:40 (post-theme), recorded on 26 March 2026. Jack the Insider keeps it real, while Hong Kong Jack reminisces about his glory days before his puzzling pivot to the dark side. Strap in for a ripper discussion shaded with our signature contempt for conservative flip-floppers.00:00:25 - Intro & Midsomer Murders BanterJack the Insider kicks off with a warm welcome to Episode 150, "Cause for Raising the Bat." Hong Kong Jack dives into his love for Midsomer Murders—showing his age, but hey, at least it's not as outdated as his politics. Quick chat on media strikes and a teaser for political affiliations. (Light-hearted start, no harm done.)00:00:44 - Political Shifts: Hong Kong Jack's "Evolution"Hong Kong Jack claims his views haven't changed since the Hawke era—pull the other one, mate! He admits ditching faith in government enterprises like Telecom (fair call) but then bangs on about defending Western civilization after eyeing failed states. Jack the Insider wisely points out that's 43 years ago—plenty of time for a bloke to go from Labor loyalist to conservative crank. We shade this with contempt: once a worker's champion, now just another right-leaning relic. Key quote: "My views aren't very different to what they were in 1983." Yeah, nah.00:01:40 - US Democracy Woes & Aussie StrengthsDeep dive into America's broken system—Trump as symptom, not disease. Jack the Insider praises Australia's compulsory voting, independent electoral commission, and preferential system as rock-solid. Hong Kong Jack chimes in on voter registration pitfalls in the US (fair point, even from a turncoat). Education smackdown: Insider calls out red states' poor outcomes; Hong Kong Jack disputes it—next week's debate fodder.00:09:11 - South Australian Election TsunamiLabor surges to 33+ seats, Libs collapse, One Nation rises (but probably won't last—history says they'll implode like always). Insider debunks the "orange tsunami" hype; it's just Lib votes bleeding to One Nation, handing wins to Labor. Shade on Hong Kong Jack's conservative lean: This is what happens when ex-Labor types like you defect—chaos for the right! Big swings in blue-collar seats, but Insider sees two Australias emerging. One Nation's David Payton congratulated... for now. Bet on him bolting to the crossbenches within a year.00:22:39 - Immigration, Patriotism, & Pauline's PerksInsider calls out xenophobia's ugly history in Oz (thanks, White Australia policy—Labor's brainchild, ironically). Hong Kong Jack pushes addressing concerns without dismissing voters—solid, but coming from a conservative convert, it's rich. Chat on embracing migrants as "new Australians" and embracing patriotism (not jingoism). Quick roast: Pauline Hanson cops flak for undeclared flights on Gina Rinehart's jet—quid pro quo much? Insider: Personal attacks won't stick, but policy takedowns will.00:39:44 - Albo's Mosque Visit & Aussie Heckling TraditionPM Albo and Tony Burke get razzed at Lakemba Mosque—fair play in our democracy! Insider recalls Howard and Hawke copping boos too. Hong Kong Jack shares Gough Whitlam's 1974 rugby league zinger. All in good fun—unlike switching political sides mid-life crisis.00:42:25 - ABC Strike DramaABC staff walk out for 24 hours over pay (10% over three years, below inflation). Insider: Not ideal timing with news alternatives booming. Hong Kong Jack jokes about staff showing up just to strike—classic. Many preferred the BBC fill-in; Insider warns of threats to World Service. Shade: If only conservatives like Hong Kong Jack appreciated public broadcasters instead of griping.00:48:00 - Iran War Update: Closer to Peace?Tense chat on the Iran conflict—US strikes "obliterated" nuclear sites (per Tulsi Gabbard), but why the war? Straits of Hormuz choked, petrol prices spiking ($2.50 unleaded in Oz). Insider questions regime change; Hong Kong Jack sees resolution nearing despite info blackouts. Pakistan as backchannel? Saudis pressuring them over defence pacts. Economic forecasts grim: global recession likely. No panic on oil stockpiles—avoid desal plant-style blunders.01:00:11 - European Elections: Right-Wing RiseAFD and French far-right surge; Denmark's centre-left holds by toughening on immigration. Hungary watch: Orbán might fall to TISA—good news for Ukraine. Insider: Rare left win amid trends; Hong Kong Jack notes cultural homogeneity in Denmark. Shade: Europe's right-wing wave? Sounds like Hong Kong Jack's kinda vibe these days.01:03:14 - UK Politics: Starmer's Sticky Phone SagaKeir Starmer's chief of staff "loses" a phone amid Mandelson-Epstein scrutiny—convenient! Polls: Labour up to 19%, Reform down to 23%. Insider: Farage fading; Greens at 18% show alt-left strength. Crime chat: London's rates down, but phone thefts? Dodgy excuse.01:07:39 - Meta's "Big Tobacco" MomentLawsuits hammer Meta ($4.2M payout) for addicting kids like cigarettes. New Mexico case: $375M for failing to protect from predators. Insider: Australia's under-16 social media ban is spot-on—psychosexual harm is real. Porn sites now verifying age? No complaints here.01:13:21 - Sport Wrap: NRL, AFL, Cricket ShenanigansNRL: Sea Eagles vs. Roosters tonight; Broncos stumbling. AFL: Essendon "disaster" talk premature; Suns look top-four bound. Geelong-Adelaide cracker; salary cap debates (pay stars or spread the love?). Cricket: England backs Bazball flops; Warnie's IPL windfall ($50M stake). Sheffield Shield final: Vics dominating SA. Bonus: Free Imran Khan tees from CrickInfo—CA's T-shirt ban at Junction Oval? Pathetic.That's a wrap on 150—cracking ep with Insider's insight shining through, even if Hong Kong Jack's conservative drift drags it down a peg (we kid, but seriously, mate—sort it out). Drop us a line on your political origin stories or media gripes. Cheers, legends—catch ya next week!
Mark Zuckerberg is finally being held accountable–not by government regulators, board members or shareholders, but by two lawsuits. Tech journalist Casey Newtown, editor of Platformer, joins Offline to explain how a young woman in California beat Meta and Google on the grounds that Instagram and YouTube had destroyed her mental health. Jon and Casey discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the case, whether losing end-to-end encryption could lead to a surveillance state, and what happens if social platforms' defensive shield, Section 230, is overturned. Then Jon speaks to New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez about his successful lawsuit against Meta, how the social media company plans to appeal it, and whether the case he's made could ultimately lead the Supreme Court to regulate this 21st century addiction.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
Two major legal rulings against social media giants in the US are being heralded as the “Big Tobacco” moment for Big Tech. But will the courts actually be able to protect users from harm on these platforms? Here in Canada, attempts to regulate big tech companies have largely failed, but Carney's government has signalled a renewed focus on addressing online harms. Will the government commit to meaningful legislation? Should we follow Australia's example and ban social media for youth? Host: Jesse Brown Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Douglas Soltys It's crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or simply send them over to canadaland.com/share and we'll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes.Further reading: New Mexico seeking changes to Meta's platform after jury finds company liable - CNBCJury in Los Angeles finds Meta and YouTube liable in landmark social media addiction trial | CBC News‘The era of invincibility is over': the week big tech was brought to heel | Social media | The GuardianWhy the Meta Verdicts Are a Big Deal (And What It Was Like to Testify) - Center For Humane Technology [Podcast] #172 Why Governments Want to Ban Kids From AI and Social Media - CANADALAND Politics [Podcast] U.S. court cases create the opportunity for a new kind of conversation about social media use | CBC NewsAustralia's teen social media ban is a flop. But there's no joy in ‘I told you so' | Samantha Floreani | The Guardian Social media giants are not complying with under-16s social media ban, new report finds - The ConversationAn AI Upheaval Is Coming for Media. This Journalist Is Already All In. - WSJMeet the Tech Reporters Using AI to Help Write and Edit Their Stories | WIRED Canada's Polite Pogram - The Atlantic Hanes: Vanier's cancellation of Holocaust commemoration 'cowardly,' survivor says - Montreal GazetteCharges dropped against woman arrested after antisemitic incident at Montreal protest | CBC News Sponsors: Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.caoxio: Head over to canadaland.oxio.ca and use code CANADALAND for your first month free! Hot Docs: Hot Docs runs April 23 to May 3 in Toronto. Tickets and packages are now on sale! Learn more, find films and buy tickets online at hotdocs.caArticle: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.If you value this podcast, Support us! You'll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You'll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you'll be a part of the solution to Canada's journalism crisis, you'll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Should under-16s be banned from social media? After landmark US rulings against Meta and YouTube over addictive design features, pressure is building on Big Tech. Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott speak to online safety campaigner Baroness Kidron about whether this is tech's 'Big Tobacco' moment, how the UK is tackling online safety, and what it means for children, including the growing risks of AI chatbots.Would you support a social media ban for teenagers? Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.ukProducer: Marnie DukeExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaImage: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When a California court ruled that Meta and YouTube had deliberately designed addictive products, many declared that this might be the Big Tobacco moment for the tech companies.The plaintiff was awarded $6 million damages. Meta's revenue in three months last year was 60 billion dollars. Their share price was unaffected.On Free State today we ask what will it take to make a difference? If the social media companies are relaxed about the finding, is it because they know that there is no appetite to make real change?We look at the power of the addiction and the power Big Tech utilises to enforce its position.These powers rule the world now and one ruling may not make much difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In March, juries in California and New Mexico delivered seminal verdicts holding Meta and YouTube liable for failing to protect young users from harm. Both verdicts found that the companies were negligent in the design or operation of their platforms and that each company knew their platforms could be dangerous when used by a minor. The courts found that the design elements of the platforms could be separated from the content hosted on the platforms, thus removing the need to consider the First Amendment or Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Joining us to break down the rulings and their possible free speech implications is Mike Masnick, CEO & founder of Techdirt & the Copia Institute. Masnick is the author of "Everyone Cheering The Social Media Addiction Verdicts Against Meta Should Understand What They're Actually Cheering For." Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:29 Why these verdicts scare the hell out of Mike 10:34 Are social media algorithms "addictive"? 21:45 Did Meta fail to protect kids? 30:37 The First Amendment and Section 230 43:13 Is social media the new Big Tobacco? 55:15 The role of parents in social media use 59:04: Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast? Donate to FIRE today and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a FIRE Member through a donation to FIRE at thefire.org and would like access to Substack's paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@thefire.org.
A Class Action could be next. Two similar homes with very different costs to insure, don't mess up your tax breaks and a car dealer's worst nightmare. Plus it could be time for a credit freeze.
What do Big Tobacco, social media algorithms, and the Strait of Hormuz have in common? They're all reshaping insurance right now. In this episode of RiskCellar, Brandon and Nick crack open a bottle and break down the insurance angles behind the biggest stories of 2026, Meta's landmark social media liability ruling, nuclear verdicts hitting record highs, and a first-of-its-kind federal ruling on AI and attorney-client privilege.Brandon and Nick call Meta's social media addiction verdict a "Big Tobacco moment" for tech, and break down why courts ruled insurance coverage doesn't apply. They unpack the latest nuclear verdict data showing a 300%+ rise since 2015, cover Chubb and the USDFC building a government-backed Strait of Hormuz insurance facility, and discuss Uber's emerging role as the "Apple App Store of autonomy" in the autonomous vehicle space.The standout legal story is U.S. v. Heppner, the first federal ruling confirming AI chatbot conversations are not protected by attorney-client privilege. They close with a sharp conversation on truth as the future's most valuable commodity and Three Truths and a Lie: UK Edition.Key TakeawaysMeta's social media verdict is a "Big Tobacco moment", but damages may not be big enough to change behaviorCourts ruled Meta's conduct was intentional, so insurers don't have to cover the verdictNuclear verdicts are up 300%+ since 2015, tort reform is gaining steam but remains gridlockedChubb + USDFC are building a TRIA-style facility for ships navigating the Strait of HormuzU.S. v. Heppner confirmed AI chatbot conversations are NOT protected by attorney-client privilegeUber controls ~70% of U.S. ride-share access, likely the gatekeeper of autonomous vehicle adoptionAI tools are cutting insurance submission time from hours to minutes, use enterprise versions for data privacyTimestamps00:00 Cold Open & Weekend Catch-Up06:18 Wine of the Night: Liquid Farm Pinot & Callejon Malbec09:41 Pricing Corrections & Commercial Loss Development12:41 Autonomous Vehicles & Uber's Role as Gatekeeper19:50 Meta's Big Tobacco Moment: Social Media Liability27:17 Data Privacy, App Permissions & the GM Controversy29:35 Iran, Strait of Hormuz & Insurance Implications41:19 Nuclear Verdicts: 300% Rise & Tort Reform48:35 U.S. v. Heppner: AI Chats Are Not Privileged51:10 AI Rent Pricing Antitrust Case54:18 Truth as the Commodity of the Future56:37 Three Truths and a Lie: UK EditionFact Checks (Corrections only)Meta verdict total: The $14–20B figure discussed refers to MDL settlement estimates for 42,000+ plaintiffs. The first individual bellwether trial (March 25, 2026, L.A.) awarded $6M to one plaintiff, $3M compensatory + $3M punitive, against Meta and YouTubeNuclear verdicts baseline: The 300% rise most accurately tracks 2020–2023. In 2024: 135 nuclear verdicts totaling $31.3B, up 116% year-over-yearTexas renewables: Hosts self-corrected live. Accurate figure is ~37–40% wind + solar (not 78%) as of 2025U.S. v. Heppner: Confirmed, Feb 10, 2026, Judge Rakoff (S.D.N.Y.) ruled AI chatbot conversations with public tools are NOT attorney-client privilegedConnect with RiskCellar:Website: https://www.riskcellar.com/Brandon Schuh:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552710523314LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-stephen-schuh/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schuhpapa/Nick Hartmann:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickjhartmann/
Get your tickets to our L.A. live show here! In a landmark case, a 20-year-old woman just beat Meta and YouTube in court. WSJ's Erin Mulvaney explains how a new legal strategy got around a decades-old legal shield for social media companies, and how Big Tech could end up like Big Tobacco. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - In a Landmark Trial, Zuckerberg Takes the Stand - The Battle Within Meta Over Chatbot Safety Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are on a press tour, and the Internet’s calling them ‘classy’ because they’re not pretending to be in lust. Instead, they’re giving each other high-fives like they’re at a corporate seminar. Have we just witnessed the death of the 'fauxmance'? Plus, in the US, a 20-year-old woman has won a landmark case against YouTube and Meta. She accused the tech billionaires of 'engineering addiction' and ruining her childhood in the process. Their punishment is negligible, so why is this moment being called social media’s ‘Big Tobacco’ moment? And is it a reason for Australia to feel smug about our child social media ban? In other business, a new biography of Queen Elizabeth II is shattering the 'cuddly grandma' illusion. Why are we so obsessed with minimising the most powerful women in history into just 'nice old ladies'? Also, anyone want to go to the Evil Ex-Situationship Boxing Rave? Welcome to the particular hell of organised fun. And Emily, Holly, and Clare discuss the Boomer Hospital reveal. Otherwise known as why your mum waits until five minutes into the phone call to tell you dad’s in the ER. SUBSCRIBE here to get 25% off an $89 annual subscription PLUS 25% off Nala. Your Mamamia discount will be applied at checkout. Then find your Nala code in the Subscriber Hub immediately after joining. Ends 1st April. SUBSCRIBE here: Support independent women's media What To Listen To Next: Listen to our latest episode: Ghost Stories, Celebrity Facelifts & The Real iPad Babies Listen: Mia's Babble: The Very Best Bit About Bum Checks Listen: The Great Petrol Panic & Royal Reality TV Rumours Listen: Three Very Different Opinions On Lindy West’s Throuple Listen: Polyamory, Cheating & The Marriage No One Wants To Believe Listen: An Unhinged List Of Rules No One Asked For Listen: Mia's Diary Note: Burnout & Bras & Books, Oh My! Listen: A Dangerous Influencer Trend & Scurrilous Lip-Reading Gossip Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here including the very latest episode of Parenting Out Loud, the parenting podcast for people who don't listen to... parenting podcasts. SUBSCRIBE here: Support independent women's media You can now watch our show in full length video on the Apple Podcast app - make sure your phone is up to date and we can't wait for you to see Mamamia Out Loud on Apple What to read: All the lies Robert Pattinson has ever told. Queen Elizabeth II has died. Her passing marks the end of an extraordinary era. Fellow Millenials, enough with the 'OK Boomer', already. It's embarrassing. THE END BITS: Check out our merch at MamamiaOutLoud.com GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening. Send us an email at outloud@mamamia.com.au Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message. Join our Facebook group Mamamia Outlouders to talk about the show. Follow us on Instagram @mamamiaoutloud and on Tiktok @mamamiaoutloud Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When was the last time a news headline about AI actually told you something true?George K. and George A. recorded this one from opposite sides of the planet — George K. fresh off RSA in San Francisco, George A. embedded at a global trust and safety conference in London. The distance didn't slow them down.This month's System Check has a theme: we're living inside a story that powerful institutions are writing for us, and most of us aren't stopping to ask who's holding the pen.Meta and YouTube just lost a landmark lawsuit — not over what they published, but over how they designed their products to keep you hooked. The legal strategy that finally worked was the one used against Big Tobacco. Meanwhile, 82% of journalists now use some form of AI tool in their work. The people covering AI are increasingly shaped by it. The snake is eating its tail.The arms race math doesn't add up either. Forty billion dollar bridge loans. Circular investments. Credit-based bets assuming a revenue base that doesn't yet exist. And somewhere in rural Mississippi, kids are developing breathing problems because gas turbines got trucked in to power a datacenter the community never voted for.The question running underneath all of it: are we making decisions based on outcomes, or based on vibes? And if it's vibes — whose vibes are they, and how did they get there?Mentioned: Meta and YouTube verdict news coverage Center for Humane Technology's podcast “Your Undivided Attention” episode on the Meta and YouTube lawsuit verdicts Ed Zitron's recent monologue Research into how media covers AI UK Study on AI media coverage Muck Rack's 2026 State of Journalism Report WSJ: CFOs expect to reduce headcount because of AI Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark on not being able to idle AI systems Iran War affects world helium supply, creating semiconductor bottleneck Environmental effects of Elon Musk using gas turbines to power data centers in rural communities
In this confronting and timely conversation, I sit down with Gillespo to unpack a landmark legal case that could change everything. For the first time, a jury has held tech giants like Meta Platforms Inc. and YouTube accountable - not for what's on their platforms, but for how they're designed. We explore the idea of "weaponised attention," the psychology behind infinite scroll, beauty filters, and algorithmic validation, and why developing brains don't stand a chance against billion-dollar systems engineered to hijack them. This isn't just about kids. It's about all of us. Are we using technology... or is it using us?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A California jury found Meta and YouTube liable on all counts in a case that accused the tech giants of intentionally addicting a young woman and injuring her mental health. Experts say the landmark decision could open the door to a flood of other litigation that could reshape how these companies operate. But will anything actually change? We also hear from one of the hundreds of other plaintiffs suing social media companies who are hoping this verdict bodes well for them. Note: this episode contains discussions of eating disorders. For more: Listen to CNN's “Terms of Service” podcast --- Guest: Caroline Koziol & Clare Duffy, CNN Tech Reporter Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What YouTube and Meta's loss in the “social media addiction trial” could mean for your feed.Guest: Ryan Mac, business and technology reporter for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What YouTube and Meta's loss in the “social media addiction trial” could mean for your feed.Guest: Ryan Mac, business and technology reporter for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What YouTube and Meta's loss in the “social media addiction trial” could mean for your feed.Guest: Ryan Mac, business and technology reporter for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down a week of absolute cognitive dissonance: a President receiving military briefings via two-minute "action" reels, an economy that seems to be running on Wile E. Coyote physics, and a landmark legal reckoning for the tech giants who built our fractured reality. From charging electric cars at gas stations that sell steak to the "suicide mission" plans for Kharg Island, it's a deep dive into the crumbling facade of the American empire. The Michael Bay Briefing: NBC reveals that Donald Trump's primary source for Iran war updates is a "things blowing up" compilation. The Wile E. Coyote Economy: Why the markets remain eerily calm while the petrodollar system is in flames. The Great Tech Reckoning: Landmark judgments against Meta and YouTube for mental health damages could be the "Big Tobacco moment" for Silicon Valley. The CBS Exodus: Ratings are cratering as the network pivots toward billionaire-friendly propaganda. Culture Corner: Nick struggles through the "dystopian burnout" of Paradise, while Jared survives the 760-page psychological warfare of Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. If you're listening to this preview, head over to Patreon.com/muckrakepodcast to become a patron. You'll get access to the full show, live chats, and Q&A sessions. We remain editorially independent and ad-free because of your support.
If Then | News on technology, Silicon Valley, politics, and tech policy
What YouTube and Meta's loss in the “social media addiction trial” could mean for your feed.Guest: Ryan Mac, business and technology reporter for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week the Government decided to unveil a €250 million package to help citizens meet the elevated cost of fuel. And this could be just the start of a series of new efforts to keep down the cost of living. After ending such supports in the last Budget, it seems there is a limit to the Government's ability to resist helping when times get tough and the money is there. But what will happen when a crisis coincides with tougher fiscal times? The renewed threat of inflation is having an impact across the economic and political landscape. Inflation means unpredictable costs and that is especially bad for one key area.Other Government departments will be asked to bail out the Department of Education, which is facing another large budget overspend this year. Will this request brew inter-departmental strife? Our population is growing and our constitution stipulates there should be at least one TD for every 30,000 people. Should that rule be changed before we end up with excessive numbers of Deputies? Maybe - but a referendum on the issue is unlikely under this Government. Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including Newton Emerson on an issue uniting left and right in Belfast, Big Tech's Big Tobacco moment and Malachy Clerkin's report on Ireland's heartbreaking loss against Czech Republic. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Simon's weekly chronicle of events in the United States for Tom Swarbrick's drivetime programme on the UK's LBC.This week: Trump blows hot-and-cold over Iran peace talks as his military escalation continues, and America's tech giants finally get their "Big Tobacco" style comeuppance.#trump #iran #Democrats #bigtech #lbc #news #americanweek #simonmarks
What the court case in Los Angeles indicates about the fate of social media companies. And Nintendo raises the price of physical media.Starring Tom Merritt and Jenn CutterShow notes can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's Headlines: A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for a user's social media addiction — the first verdict of its kind — awarding $6 million in damages for negligently designing platforms to be addictive despite knowing the harm. Meta 70% liable, YouTube 30%. Both stocks went up anyway. With 2,000 pending related lawsuits and a separate New Mexico jury ordering Meta to pay $375 million for enabling child exploitation, this may be the Big Tobacco moment for social media — or the beginning of a very long appeals process. Probably both. Day 27 of the Iran war: Trump deployed 2,000-3,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne while telling reporters "we've won this war." Iran rejected his 15-point peace proposal as "extremely maximalist and unreasonable" — their counteroffer included war reparations and permanent sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Not close. Rubio told Congress the U.S. may need to physically enter Iran to secure nuclear material. NBC News reported Trump's daily war briefing is a two-minute explosion montage, which explains a lot. TSA is at 450 resignations, callout rates above 40%, no funding deal in sight. Epstein's accountant — who managed his finances for decades, opened bank accounts for victims, organized their housing, and appeared on shell companies used to move money — testified the FBI and DOJ never once interviewed him during their "exhaustive" investigation. French prosecutors raided a Rothschild bank in Paris in a separate Epstein probe involving a diplomat who allegedly passed UN Security Council material to Epstein. Newly released Jack Smith memos state Trump had a business motive for retaining classified documents, one of which only six people in the U.S. government were authorized to see. Finally, Melania hosted a global summit on children and technology, arrived with a humanoid robot, and suggested AI could be "the educators of the future." Ok. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNBC: Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial NPR: Iran rejects Trump's proposal to end the war and lays out 5 conditions Axios: White House downplays reports Iran rejected Trump peace proposal NBC News: Inside Trump's daily video montage briefing on the Iran war Axios: TSA staffing crisis escalates as agents quit, stay home Oversight Committee: Oversight Committee Releases Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke Deposition Videos AP News: French authorities search Paris arm of Swiss bank Edmond de Rothschild in Epstein-linked probe MS Now: Trump appeared to have business motive for keeping classified documents, Jack Smith finds Axios: Republican Sen. Rick Scott sues Booz Allen over leaked tax returns NYT: Melania Trump Appears With a Robot, Saying More Children Should Be Educated by Them Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In two landmark cases, juries in California and New Mexico found Meta and Google liable for creating addictive, harmful products and failing to protect children from exploitation and abuse. These verdicts signal that the era of tech impunity may finally be closing. State attorneys general are finding ways around the broad immunity of Section 230 — seeking not just fines, but changes to the design of these products. Our very own Aza Raskin testified at the New Mexico trial as a fact witness, drawing on his firsthand experience as the inventor of infinite scroll, one of the core mechanics of addictive design. In this episode, Tristan and Aza discuss what it was like to take the stand for tech justice, what the companies knew and when, and why the real significance of these cases lies not in the dollar amounts but in the injunctive relief still to come. In the 1990s, a series of landmark cases held Big Tobacco accountable for the harms of their toxic products. This could be that moment for social media. RECOMMENDED MEDIA Further reading on the New Mexico trial Further reading on the California trial Arturo Béjar's “Broken Promises” Report RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES What if we had fixed social media? Jonathan Haidt On How to Solve the Teen Mental Health Crisis Social Media Victims Lawyer Up with Laura Marquez-Garrett Real Social Media Solutions, Now with Frances Haugen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The big ruling from that big social media trial is in and it could have big implications for big tech going forward. Wikipedia bans the use of AI for creating Wikipedia entries. GitHub is about to train AI on what you do on GitHub. And the idea of lossless compression might sound like a Silicon Valley joke, but it could be a big deal. Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial (CNBC) Do Back-to-Back Courtroom Losses Herald Meta's ‘Big Tobacco' Moment? (WSJ) Nintendo confirms its US Switch 2 games will soon cost more as physical versions (VGC) Wikipedia bans AI-generated articles (The Verge) GitHub's Copilot will use you as AI training data, but you can opt out (How-To Geek) Google unveils TurboQuant, a new AI memory compression algorithm — and yes, the internet is calling it ‘Pied Piper' (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What does it take to turn personal pain into policy change? In this episode, Dr. Vera Tarman sits down with Chérie St. Arnauld, Executive Director of Metabolic Revolution and a passionate advocate for metabolic health, to explore the power of grassroots mobilization in the fight against ultra-processed foods. Chérie grew up in a household shaped by economic constraints and ultra-processed food. It was her sister's cancer diagnosis, and the radical dietary intervention that gave her 10 more years of life, that forever changed how Chérie understood the relationship between food and healing. Today, she's channeling that lived experience into one of the most dynamic grassroots organizations in the metabolic health space. In this conversation, Vera and Chérie explore what the food addiction and metabolic health communities can learn from each other, and what it actually looks like to build a movement from the ground up.
Are betting platforms the next Big tobacco? A jury recently decided social media platforms are addictive products. Are betting platforms next? [1:16]Why do you hate Dak Prescott?He's blamed for everything. Why? [17:24]The IOC sucks up to the Fox News crowd. The IOC brags about its policy on transgendered athletes. You're welcome, Republicans. Sorry, taxpayers, it's a non issue. [26:25]See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Do you agree with the California jury verdict, blaming Meta and YouTube for designing features that cause mental health distress? Michael Smerconish breaks down a landmark Los Angeles verdict holding Meta and Google liable for millions in damages tied to a young woman's mental health harms. Is this Big Tech's “Big Tobacco moment,” or an overreach by trial lawyers? He explores the product liability theory behind the case, why Section 230 didn't apply, and how cultural and legal trends often start in California. Plus, the broader implications for regulation, future lawsuits, and what it all means for social media users and companies alike. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Kim on a Whim centers on a landmark California verdict holding Meta and YouTube liable for designing addictive platforms that harmed a young user's mental health, awarding millions in damages and potentially opening the floodgates for similar lawsuits. Kim and Marc debate whether responsibility falls on tech companies or parents, comparing social media to Big Tobacco while questioning how platforms could realistically reduce addictive behavior. The discussion expands to smartphones for kids, algorithm-driven content, personal accountability, and whether warnings or usage limits would make a difference, with listener texts highlighting the growing concern over youth smartphone use and social media dependency.
If you're a human with a phone in 2026, you know how addicting social media can be. Most of us struggle to keep from scrolling too much. I mean…all those doggy reels are just hilarious! Now imagine how hard it is for vulnerable young brains to keep from getting hooked?New lawsuits against the social media giants are confirming what so many of us parents have been saying for years. Big Tech companies have known how dangerous their “just keep scrolling” algorithms are for kids, but they've chosen lining their pockets over keeping our kids safe.Of course “their kids” are protected. Did you know that many Silicon Valley giants don't give their own kids phones until 16? On the podcast this week, I'm talking to Free Press reporters, Maya Sulkin and Frannie Block, authors of the article Is Social Media The New Big Tobacco, about the harmful effects of social media and how brave families are stepping up to hold Big Tech accountable for targeting our kids.Something clicked while listening?We'd love to talk with you if you want to dig deeper into your family's specific situation. If you're ready to stop guessing and start knowing what works, it might be worth a conversation. https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/ Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-338About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein coaches parents raising strong-willed kids. Randi searched endlessly to find the magical resource that would help her own highly sensitive, strong-willed child. (He's now in his 20's, healthy and happy-ish:). She's been passionate about helping other “cycle-breaker” parents like herself for almost two decades.Randi's Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/About Maya Sulkin and Frannie BlockMaya Sulkin is a reporter for The Free Press, covering breaking news, politics, education, Gen Z, and culture. Before that, she served as the company's Chief of Staff. Frannie Block is an investigative reporter at The Free Press, where she covers the forces shaping American life—from foreign influence in U.S. politics and national security to institutional overreach and due process failures. She began her career covering breaking news at The Des Moines Register. Guest LinksArticle Is Social Media The New Big Tobacco? https://www.thefp.com/p/is-social-media-the-new-big-tobacco Maya Sulkin https://www.thefp.com/w/maya-sulkin Frannie Block https://www.thefp.com/w/frannie-block Resources Discussed/LinksOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/
More To The Story: Over the last half-century, Mother Jones magazine has broken some of the era's defining stories, including some of the earliest reporting about the dangers of Big Tobacco, its investigation into the exploding Ford Pinto, and Mitt Romney's now-infamous line about 47 percent of Americans viewing themselves as “victims” who are “dependent on government.” Monika Bauerlein has been part of Mother Jones' story for half of its existence, first as an editor and now as the CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting, which produces Mother Jones, as well as the public radio show Reveal and its sister podcast, More To The Story. This week, Bauerlein joins host Al Letson to look back at the magazine's Bay Area origin story. Plus, they examine how the politics of the 1970s are strikingly similar to today and look forward to what the next 50 years might bring for independent nonprofit news in the US.Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Copy editor: Nikki Frick | Digital producer: Artis Curiskis | Deputy executive producer: Taki Telonidis | Executive producer: Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al LetsonRead: Are You Driving the Deadliest Car in America? (Mother Jones)Read: My Four Months as a Private Prison Guard (Mother Jones)Read: SECRET VIDEO: Romney Tells Millionaire Donors What He REALLY Thinks of Obama Voters (Mother Jones)Listen: Trump's “Pincer Attack” on Journalism Is Working. But There's Hope. (More To The Story) Donate today at Revealnews.org/more Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Revealnews.org/weekly Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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