Podcast appearances and mentions of Lina Khan

The Supreme Court handed Trump more executive power today by granting him the ability to fire agency chiefs. The Court also ruled that the 4th Amendment extends to digital location data. And they rejected Trump's appeal to overturn E. Jean Carrol's $5 million sex abuse case. Plus, we're joined by former North Carolina Governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper on his race to help Democrats take back the upper chamber. And Nebraska's Independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn, who's got the support of the Democrats. Lina Khan, Melissa Murray, Roy Cooper, and Dan Osborn all join The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Section 230 takes center stage as Olivier Sylvain argues it's time to confront Big Tech's legal shield, sparking a fierce debate on whether Internet giants should be liable for platform harms or if reform risks choking small innovators. Trump says he no longer views Anthropic as a national security threat after G7 meeting with CEO The White House Is Making Up Its Rules for AI in Real Time N.S.A. Lost Access to Powerful A.I. Model Amid Anthropic Dispute Early Users of Anthropic Mythos Still Have Access After US Order Dangerous AI models are coming no matter what Nobel laureate John Jumper is leaving Google DeepMind for Anthropic after nearly nine years Google's Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer is leaving for OpenAI Identity verification on Claude Anthropic rolls out Claude Tag, your new agentic AI coworker in Slack Google preps Pixel 'Audio Memory' that ambiently tracks your 'important conversations,' like AI notetaker pins Norway imposes broad restrictions on AI for elementary school kids YouTube settles upcoming bellwether trial over social media's psychological harms to kids OpenAI and Broadcom unveil LLM-optimized inference chip Luca Guadagnino's Nearly Finished Sam Altman Movie 'Artificial' Dropped by Amazon After OpenAI Partnership OpenAI Burned $3.7 Billion in First Three Months of 2026 OpenAI Launches Full-Scale Effort to Patch Open-Source Bugs as It Takes on Anthropic's Mythos Getty Images Soars 200% in Early Trading After OpenAI Deal Meta launches cheaper smart glasses without Ray-Ban We're Partnering With EssilorLuxottica to Launch Meta Glasses Evan Spiegel says Snap can't fulfill its mission without its new AR glasses AI data centers just got a government-mandated fast lane to the grid China tightens indium phosphide checks as AI demand climbs AI Engineer Claims to Have Cracked Linear A Midjourney goes from generating cat images to full-body ultrasound scans A Princeton grad built a $30 million AI detection business. Now he's selling it to Superhuman. Estonia intends to recognize AI agents with digital IDs Big Tech Is a Thief and a Liar, Says New York Times Publisher AI Economics for Dummies We Have to Stop Freaking Out About A.I. In the Weights is your new AI-centric vanity search | TechCrunch UK TV to be turned off Computer History Museum's AI Archive Airport Dad Hosts: Leo Laporte and Jeff Jarvis Guest: Olivier Sylvain Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: gusto.com/machines XBOW.com webroot.com/twit

Section 230 takes center stage as Olivier Sylvain argues it's time to confront Big Tech's legal shield, sparking a fierce debate on whether Internet giants should be liable for platform harms or if reform risks choking small innovators. Trump says he no longer views Anthropic as a national security threat after G7 meeting with CEO The White House Is Making Up Its Rules for AI in Real Time N.S.A. Lost Access to Powerful A.I. Model Amid Anthropic Dispute Early Users of Anthropic Mythos Still Have Access After US Order Dangerous AI models are coming no matter what Nobel laureate John Jumper is leaving Google DeepMind for Anthropic after nearly nine years Google's Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer is leaving for OpenAI Identity verification on Claude Anthropic rolls out Claude Tag, your new agentic AI coworker in Slack Google preps Pixel 'Audio Memory' that ambiently tracks your 'important conversations,' like AI notetaker pins Norway imposes broad restrictions on AI for elementary school kids YouTube settles upcoming bellwether trial over social media's psychological harms to kids OpenAI and Broadcom unveil LLM-optimized inference chip Luca Guadagnino's Nearly Finished Sam Altman Movie 'Artificial' Dropped by Amazon After OpenAI Partnership OpenAI Burned $3.7 Billion in First Three Months of 2026 OpenAI Launches Full-Scale Effort to Patch Open-Source Bugs as It Takes on Anthropic's Mythos Getty Images Soars 200% in Early Trading After OpenAI Deal Meta launches cheaper smart glasses without Ray-Ban We're Partnering With EssilorLuxottica to Launch Meta Glasses Evan Spiegel says Snap can't fulfill its mission without its new AR glasses AI data centers just got a government-mandated fast lane to the grid China tightens indium phosphide checks as AI demand climbs AI Engineer Claims to Have Cracked Linear A Midjourney goes from generating cat images to full-body ultrasound scans A Princeton grad built a $30 million AI detection business. Now he's selling it to Superhuman. Estonia intends to recognize AI agents with digital IDs Big Tech Is a Thief and a Liar, Says New York Times Publisher AI Economics for Dummies We Have to Stop Freaking Out About A.I. In the Weights is your new AI-centric vanity search | TechCrunch UK TV to be turned off Computer History Museum's AI Archive Airport Dad Hosts: Leo Laporte and Jeff Jarvis Guest: Olivier Sylvain Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: gusto.com/machines XBOW.com webroot.com/twit

Section 230 takes center stage as Olivier Sylvain argues it's time to confront Big Tech's legal shield, sparking a fierce debate on whether Internet giants should be liable for platform harms or if reform risks choking small innovators. Trump says he no longer views Anthropic as a national security threat after G7 meeting with CEO The White House Is Making Up Its Rules for AI in Real Time N.S.A. Lost Access to Powerful A.I. Model Amid Anthropic Dispute Early Users of Anthropic Mythos Still Have Access After US Order Dangerous AI models are coming no matter what Nobel laureate John Jumper is leaving Google DeepMind for Anthropic after nearly nine years Google's Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer is leaving for OpenAI Identity verification on Claude Anthropic rolls out Claude Tag, your new agentic AI coworker in Slack Google preps Pixel 'Audio Memory' that ambiently tracks your 'important conversations,' like AI notetaker pins Norway imposes broad restrictions on AI for elementary school kids YouTube settles upcoming bellwether trial over social media's psychological harms to kids OpenAI and Broadcom unveil LLM-optimized inference chip Luca Guadagnino's Nearly Finished Sam Altman Movie 'Artificial' Dropped by Amazon After OpenAI Partnership OpenAI Burned $3.7 Billion in First Three Months of 2026 OpenAI Launches Full-Scale Effort to Patch Open-Source Bugs as It Takes on Anthropic's Mythos Getty Images Soars 200% in Early Trading After OpenAI Deal Meta launches cheaper smart glasses without Ray-Ban We're Partnering With EssilorLuxottica to Launch Meta Glasses Evan Spiegel says Snap can't fulfill its mission without its new AR glasses AI data centers just got a government-mandated fast lane to the grid China tightens indium phosphide checks as AI demand climbs AI Engineer Claims to Have Cracked Linear A Midjourney goes from generating cat images to full-body ultrasound scans A Princeton grad built a $30 million AI detection business. Now he's selling it to Superhuman. Estonia intends to recognize AI agents with digital IDs Big Tech Is a Thief and a Liar, Says New York Times Publisher AI Economics for Dummies We Have to Stop Freaking Out About A.I. In the Weights is your new AI-centric vanity search | TechCrunch UK TV to be turned off Computer History Museum's AI Archive Airport Dad Hosts: Leo Laporte and Jeff Jarvis Guest: Olivier Sylvain Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: gusto.com/machines XBOW.com webroot.com/twit

Section 230 takes center stage as Olivier Sylvain argues it's time to confront Big Tech's legal shield, sparking a fierce debate on whether Internet giants should be liable for platform harms or if reform risks choking small innovators. Trump says he no longer views Anthropic as a national security threat after G7 meeting with CEO The White House Is Making Up Its Rules for AI in Real Time N.S.A. Lost Access to Powerful A.I. Model Amid Anthropic Dispute Early Users of Anthropic Mythos Still Have Access After US Order Dangerous AI models are coming no matter what Nobel laureate John Jumper is leaving Google DeepMind for Anthropic after nearly nine years Google's Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer is leaving for OpenAI Identity verification on Claude Anthropic rolls out Claude Tag, your new agentic AI coworker in Slack Google preps Pixel 'Audio Memory' that ambiently tracks your 'important conversations,' like AI notetaker pins Norway imposes broad restrictions on AI for elementary school kids YouTube settles upcoming bellwether trial over social media's psychological harms to kids OpenAI and Broadcom unveil LLM-optimized inference chip Luca Guadagnino's Nearly Finished Sam Altman Movie 'Artificial' Dropped by Amazon After OpenAI Partnership OpenAI Burned $3.7 Billion in First Three Months of 2026 OpenAI Launches Full-Scale Effort to Patch Open-Source Bugs as It Takes on Anthropic's Mythos Getty Images Soars 200% in Early Trading After OpenAI Deal Meta launches cheaper smart glasses without Ray-Ban We're Partnering With EssilorLuxottica to Launch Meta Glasses Evan Spiegel says Snap can't fulfill its mission without its new AR glasses AI data centers just got a government-mandated fast lane to the grid China tightens indium phosphide checks as AI demand climbs AI Engineer Claims to Have Cracked Linear A Midjourney goes from generating cat images to full-body ultrasound scans A Princeton grad built a $30 million AI detection business. Now he's selling it to Superhuman. Estonia intends to recognize AI agents with digital IDs Big Tech Is a Thief and a Liar, Says New York Times Publisher AI Economics for Dummies We Have to Stop Freaking Out About A.I. In the Weights is your new AI-centric vanity search | TechCrunch UK TV to be turned off Computer History Museum's AI Archive Airport Dad Hosts: Leo Laporte and Jeff Jarvis Guest: Olivier Sylvain Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: gusto.com/machines XBOW.com webroot.com/twit

Show Notes - https://forum.closednetwork.io/t/episode-58-the-price-of-being-watched/198Website / Donations / Support - https://closednetwork.io/support/BTC Lightning Donations - closednetwork@getalby.com / simon@primal.netThank You Patreons & Direct Supporters! - https://www.patreon.com/closednetworkhttps://xmrchat.com/closednetworkDirect Support - https://closednetwork.ioSubscribe Without Patreon - https://closednetwork.io/#/portal/signupMichael Bates - Privacy Bad AssDavid - Privacy Bad AssTK - Privacy Bad AssTrying - Privacy Bad AssVO - Privacy Bad AssMrMilkMustache - Privacy SupporterHutch - Privacy AdvocateInferno_Potato Privacy SupporterDolores Y - Privacy SupporterDirect Support - Craig D Thank You Producers! You Produce This Show!TOP LIGHTNING BOOSTERS !!!! THANK YOU !!!@bon thousands and thousands and thousands of SATs sats!!@fireflygow - 5,000 sats!!frigolay - 34,540 SATs.. HOLY SHITEwardemoff - 5,000 SATsSilas ThornbrookThank You To Our Moderators:Unintelligentseven - Follow on NOSTR primal.net/p/npub15rp9gyw346fmcxgdlgp2y9a2xua9ujdk9nzumflshkwjsc7wepwqnh354dMaddestMax - Follow on NOSTR primal.net/p/npub133yzwsqfgvsuxd4clvkgupshzhjn52v837dlud6gjk4tu2c7grqq3sxavtJoin Our CommunityClosed Network Forum - https://forum.closednetwork.ioJoin Our Matrix Channels!Main - https://matrix.to/#/#closedntwrk:matrix.orgOff Topic - https://matrix.to/#/#closednetworkofftopic:matrix.orgSimpleX Group Chat - https://smp9.simplex.im/g#SRBJK7JhuMWa1jgxfmnOfHz7Bl5KjnKUFL5zy-Jn-j0Join Our Mastodon server!https://closednetwork.socialFollow Simon On The SocialsMastodon - https://closednetwork.social/@simonNOSTR - Public Address - npub186l3994gark0fhknh9zp27q38wv3uy042appcpx93cack5q2n03qte2lu2 - primal.net/simonTwitter / X - @ClosedNtwrkInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/closednetworkpodcast/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@closednetworkEmail - simon@closednetwork.ioSpecial Thanks to - EloquentWinter for creating - A Linux guide on MAC address randomizationhttps://forum.closednetwork.io/t/a-linux-guide-on-mac-address-randomization/189TOPICSEncourage curiosity - This week ties together a single thread: someone else holds your data, and therefore holds the power. From algorithmic pricing to supply-chain malware to government scanning to cloud-AI assistants — and the hopeful counter-move, taking your data back. The episode theme is curiosity: in every story, one extra question would have changed the outcome.Segment 1 — Surveillance PricingInspired by More Perfect Union, "We Found the Radical Solution to Surveillance Pricing"Surveillance pricing (a.k.a. personalized / surveillance-based pricing) = charging you an individual price based on sensitive data about you — purchase history, browsing, geolocation, social activity, even biometric and financial signals. The economic endgame is "perfect price discrimination": charging each person their exact maximum.DoorDash holds a patent describing promotions based on a user's stress level.Delta Air Lines (with AI firm Fetcherr) has talked about expanding generative-AI pricing to ~20% of domestic fares, with ambitions to go further. Senators (Gallego, Blumenthal, Warner) and House members demanded answers.A Groundwork Collaborative / Consumer Reports / More Perfect Union study found different shoppers charged different prices for identical Instacart items. Former FTC chair Lina Khan has voiced concern.The "radical" fix is a law: New York's proposed One Fair Price Act would ban surveillance pricing outright — one posted price for everyone.Defensive moves (partial): private/container browsing, block cookies, disable ad personalization, use a VPN, compare logged-out vs. logged-in prices. Honest caveat: this is a structural problem — regulation, not browser tricks, is the real fix.Curious question: Is this price the market — or is it me being read?Segment 2 — "Arch malware btw": the AUR supply-chain attackInspired by Michael Tunnell and Switched to Linux — developing story, June 2026.The Arch User Repository (AUR) is community-maintained, unvetted package build scripts (PKGBUILDs). In a ~24-hour window, a coordinated attack poisoned a large number of packages — reports cite 1,500+ touched, with community trackers confirming ~400–500 malicious package names and rising.How: Attackers adopted orphaned packages (abandoned by maintainers — anyone can claim them) and edited the PKGBUILD to add a pre/post-install hook that pulls a malicious npm package, atomic-lockfile (Sonatype tracked one strand as the "Atomic Arch" campaign).Payload: A Linux infostealer + optional root-only eBPF rootkit. Targets developer secrets — browser creds/cookies, SSH keys, GitHub creds, Vault/npm tokens, Docker/Podman, VPN configs, shell history, Slack/Teams/Discord/Telegram, crypto wallets. eBPF lets it run in-kernel and hide processes/files/connections.If you were hit and the rootkit deployed: rotate every credential (from a clean machine) and reinstall from scratch. A normal uninstall is not enough.Status: Maintainers are removing malicious commits and banning accounts; the official repos of Arch-based distros (CachyOS, Garuda, Chaotic-AUR) were not infected — only users who installed/upgraded a compromised AUR package during the window. Community checker script + affected-package list were published within hours.Action checklist (Arch users):pacman -Qm → list your foreign (AUR) packages.Compare against the community list / run the checker script (CachyOS advisory).If matched → rotate credentials from a clean machine, then clean-reinstall.Curious habit: Before installing, ask who maintains this, when did it last legitimately update, and did ownership recently change? On the AUR, read the PKGBUILD — the malicious line was visible to anyone who looked.Segment 3 — UK Device Scanning: 90 Days to ComplyInspired by "Signal's Warning: The UK's Phone Scanning Plan Just Got Real"The UK government signaled that phone makers (Apple, Google) will get ~90 days to start scanning photos on young people's devices for nude images. Running alongside: Online Safety Act powers for Ofcom aimed at encrypted messaging (key report expected ~April). The mechanism: client-side scanning — every message/image checked on your device, before encryption.Why it matters: Client-side scanning doesn't break encryption directly — it inspects content before the lock clicks shut. The "end-to-end encrypted" label survives, but the privacy guarantee (nobody is looking) is gone.Signal's position: scanning won't protect children and builds surveillance infrastructure that "endangers us all."Security: once scanning exists on every device, the match-database can be expanded — swap it and you're scanning for slogans, documents, faces. Signal would withdraw from the UK rather than build a backdoor. Mullvad raised parallel alarms.Misdiagnosis: real child safety = better-funded education, social services, AI-platform guardrails — not default scanning. Rallying phrase: "Surveillance is not safety."Bigger picture: This is a template (cf. the EU's "Chat Control"). Sympathetic justification + a mechanism that, once built, can point anywhere.Curious question: Not is the goal good? (it usually is) but what else can this machine do once built, and who decides what it points at next?Segment 4 — iOS 27 at WWDC: the Privacy Fine PrintApple WWDC 2026 keynote coverage.Genuine wins: New Siri AI (next-gen Apple Intelligence) uses a tiered architecture — simple requests on-device, moderate ones via Private Cloud Compute (inspectable, hardened). Plus stronger family safety: child-account setup, parental controls, redesigned Screen Time, new Safari safeguards.The fine print (two concerns):Total context access. Siri AI indexes across your messages, emails, photos, and apps — a unified, queryable view of your whole digital life. Conversation history syncs via iCloud ("with privacy protections"), but strength depends on whether you've enabled Advanced Data Protection (Apple's E2EE for iCloud — not on by default).New Google dependency. Apple made official a Gemini partnership — the heaviest reasoning routes to Google Cloud. Apple says queries are anonymized and tokenized so neither Apple nor Google can link them to you (Federighi: "privacy in AI is non-negotiable"). Critics counter that PCC/anonymization is "only as private as the weakest link" — if Google retains any path to usage data for training/debugging, the guarantee weakens.Takeaway: Apple's defaults are still among the best of the mainstream — but don't let "privacy" in a keynote switch off your curiosity. On update: review Siri AI indexing settings, turn on Advanced Data Protection, and understand where your hardest queries travel.Curious question: A magical assistant that knows everything about you is, by definition, a system granted everything about you. Did you make that trade on purpose?Segment 5 — Self-Hosting 101: What to Migrate FirstOriginal recurring segment — Part 1 (scope). Part 2 next week: hands-on photos build.Self-hosting = run the services yourself, on hardware you own, instead of renting space on a company's servers. It's the deliberate counter-move to every other story this week. Honest caveat: you become your own IT department (backups, updates, downtime). Don't eat the elephant at once — scope first.The five candidates (ranked by impact-to-effort):Photos — highest emotional and surveillance value (faces, locations, timestamps). Self-host with Immich (Google-Photos-like: app, auto camera-roll backup, face/object search). Difficulty: moderate; biggest single win.Calendar — a forward-looking map of your life. CalDAV via Radicale or Nextcloud; syncs to your existing calendar app. Easy–moderate; great first project.Contacts — your social graph (everyone else's data too). CardDAV on the same Radicale/Nextcloud server — bundle it with calendar. Easy.File backups — documents and digital paperwork. Often Nextcloud.

DAMIONBooking.com warns customers of hack that exposed their data: WHO DO YOU BLAME?CEO Glenn D. Fogel (2017-); no background in techCybersecurity Subcommittee (Chair) Larry Quinlan MMGlobal Chief Information Officer (2010 - 2021) Deloitte; but what was 2021 like Covid and masks? DEI hireCybersecurity Subcommittee member Nicholas J. Read (2018-): Technology not listed as qualification. Cybersecurity Subcommittee member Vanessa Wittman: most recently (until 2022) CFO at Glossier, an online beauty product company; director at AIG but does not serve on Technology CommitteeWoke coffee chain slammed by liberal California customers for removing pride flags from cafes: 'Bound to backfire'Philz CEO Mahesh Sadarangani: “Our longstanding support of the LGBTQIA+ community is unchanged. We are working toward creating a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor. This is a change in how our stores look, not in who we are.”In 2025, the company drew headlines when private equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co. acquired it for $145M. One customer said: 'Yeah their coffee sucks but this banning pride flags will not go over well - boycott incoming - maybe they need to look up what happened to Target.'Founded in 2003 in San Francisco's Mission District by Phil Jaber and his son JacobWHO DO YOU BLAME?CEO Mahesh SadaranganiHow I Philz: Ether straight up.Came from Wingstop, which just inherently feels homophobic. I mean it sells the wings of birds. That doesn't feel right.Freeman Spogli & Co.Team: 31: 5FAnd 6 Industry Executives: 0FPartners 10: 1FLast filing from 1/2025 lists 10 executive officers: 0Ffounded by Richard Riordan, Bradford M. Freeman, and Ronald P. SpogliOG greenwashy: first page is all womenPhil Jaber and his son JacobI'm trying here, peopleThe San Francisco Bay, where the vast majority of Philz cafes are located: a notoriously homophobic regionAnthropic's Claude for Word is another challenge to Microsoft's software empireChevron and Microsoft Team Up for Giant Texas Gas Power PlantOpenAI rips Anthropic, distances itself from MicrosoftWHO DO YOU BLAME?Satya NadellaReid Hoffman: Epstein Island said what?Charles Scharf (2014-): in 2020: "The unfortunate reality is that there is a very limited pool of Black talent to recruit from."Charles Scharf again: in 2025: settled a lawsuit for $85m after whistleblowers revealed that Wells Fargo managers were reportedly conducting "fake" interviews with minority and female candidates for positions that had already been filled or promised to someone else to "check a box" and meet internal diversity guidelines.Charles Scharf and Reid Hoffman as a duo:Scharf publicly called for the firing of Lina Khan, the Chair of the FTC. He characterized her regulatory approach as a "trauma" to the economy.Hoffman said Kahn was “waging war on American business”Hugh Johnston: does it get any more pointless than Disney and Pepsi? (CFO at those places)Teri List: the boring company queen: (since 2014; The Gap/Dick's/Kraft/Procter&Gamble/Visa/Danaher)Catherine MacGregor: she's a woman and she's French!Lead Independent Director Sandra E. Peterson (2015-): fake LDPenny Pritzker: nepobabyDame Emma Walmsley: she's a woman, and a Dame, and not American and has a degree in Classics!!Mark Mason: he's black!Trump's SEC Is Going After Fewer Wall Street CrimesThe agency released long-delayed data that confirmed a steep drop in enforcement.That contradicts statements that the SEC's head, Paul Atkins, made to Congress in February, disputing reports that suggested his agency was prosecuting fewer crimes, and assuring lawmakers that SEC enforcement work had not seen a steep decline.In its release of case numbers this week, the agency framed its enforcement drop as an effort to focus more on cases where investors saw direct harm and to better use agency resources: “Regrettably, such resources have been misapplied in prior years to pursue media headlines and run up numbers, and in turn, led to misguided expectations on what constitutes effective enforcement.”784 in 2023 … 456 in 2025. WHO DO YOU BLAME?Trump, duhPaul Atkins, duhSEC re-tread: served as an SEC Commissioner from 2002 to 2008 under George W. Bush Private Sector Influence: founded Patomak Global Partners om 2009, a powerful consulting firm that advised major financial institutions (like Goldman Sachs) and crypto giants (like FTX and Coinbase) on how to navigate the very regulations he now oversees.the wealthiest SEC Chair in history: $330M net worthUpon being confirmed as Chair in 2025, Atkins sold his stake in Patomak Global Partners but refused to disclose the identity of the buyer, leading critics like Senator Elizabeth Warren to call the payout a "pre-bribe" from industry players.Shortly after taking office, Atkins oversaw the dismissal of high-profile "regulation by enforcement" cases against Coinbase and Binance, effectively handing the keys of the financial system to the crypto industry that funded his firmIn 2006, Atkins infamously argued that granting executives stock options right before good news was released shouldn't be considered insider trading: "It is cheaper to pay a person with well-timed options than with cash."During his first stint as Commissioner (2002–2008), Atkins was a staunch opponent of increased oversight for investment banks. He is frequently blamed for ignoring the systemic risks that eventually led to the subprime mortgage collapse.Elon Musk (DOGE):Under directives from DOGE, the SEC was required to submit plans for "large-scale reductions in force" (RIFs). This resulted in the termination of many probationary employees (those with less than two years of service) and several senior directors at regional offices.To avoid even more aggressive firing, the SEC offered $50,000 buyouts to staffers who agreed to leave voluntarily. This led to a significant "brain drain" of veteran trial lawyers and investigators.Staffers linked to Elon Musk and the DOGE initiative were placed in key administrative roles (like the Office of Personnel Management) to oversee these cuts, effectively bypassing the traditional civil service protections that usually slow down government layoffs.Biden, for allowing so many enforcements MMHudson Technologies Announces Election of Alan Sheriff and Jeffrey Feeler as Independent Directors. WHO DO YOU BLAME?Top shareholder Ernest Lazarus (9%). Lazarus is primarily a biblical figure from the New Testament known for being raised from the dead by Jesus after four days. The name represents resurrection, returning from the brink of failure, or a person overcoming extreme adversity. I'm thinking he needed a Sheriff in case all that digging up corpses from cemeteries went sour.Director Loan Mansy. Getting a good loan is all about putting out feelers to different banks so Loan needed a Feeler to get shit done.Director Vincent P. Abbatecola.Forgive me, maybe I watch too many episodes of The Sopranos but Vinnie used to be the Chairman of the National Packaged Ice Association and that just sounds a bit scary and a bit made up. Like, put him on Ice, Vinny.Speaking of death, Vinny is also a director on the United Hospice Board.And speaking of God, he also serves on the St. Thomas Aquinas College President's Council. St. Thomas Aquinas was declared a “Doctor of the Church” and had mystical experiences. Feeler and Sheriff? That is so Tommy Aquinas.Director, CEO, President, Chair, former COO, former CFO and top shareholder (6%) Brian F. Coleman, who has been with the company since 1997 and somehow still sits on the Nomination Committee! Dude, that is soooo cheating and you know he was the one who asked for a Sheriff and a Feeler. DRMATTMicrosoft Pauses Carbon Removal Purchases.Satya NadellaChair and CEO with 27% influenceIT WAS HIS TARGET - carbon negative by 2030One year later on LinkedIn: “As a company, we've set ambitious climate goals to be carbon negative, zero waste, and water positive by 2030, and we're making progress as we work towards a more sustainable future”And last year, MSFT's chief sustainability officer Melanie Nakagawa: "In 2020, Microsoft leaders referred to our sustainability goals as a 'moonshot', and nearly five years later, we have had to acknowledge that the moon has gotten further away."It's worth pointing out - any target set by an executive they don't hit is a failure of leadership - either the target was ill conceived, not ever meant to be attained, or they just failed to actually manage to the target. There aren't other options - if I set a target at Free Float of $1bn in sales by 2030, invest entirely in crypto, lose it all, and we achieve $45 in parking tickets by 2030, do I blame the changing market environment and just skip the target? Penny PritzkerHead of the Environmental Yada Yada committeeBats .269 on carbon intensity overall, all at MSFT (that's horrific in case you needed context - .500 is the average peer director)Reid HoffmanThe AI evangelist, founder of LinkedIn, heavy investor in AIReid Hoffman says AI is going to be blamed for ‘just about everything', except AI is on pace to use as much as 20% of ALL ENERGY in the US this year, up from 4% for data centers in 2024AI in 2026 will equal all of NYC carbonOn the Environmental Yada Yada committee!Catherine MacGregorOne of top performers on carbon on the board at 0.632, CEO of Engie SA, a massive French energy company focused on renewable energyOn the Environmental Yada Yada committeeEnergie:MSFT:4% influence, only 2 year tenure on MSFTThe 2020 Microsoft Board: DRReid HoffmanHugh JohnstonTeri List-StollSatya NadellaSandra PetersonPenny PritzkerCharles ScharfArne SorensonJohn StantonJohn ThompsonEmma WalmsleyPadmasree WarriorIT'S BASICALLY THIS BOARD??? Five years, three gone - and Sorenson died of cancer, so really TWO gone… Thompson fully retired, Warrior is on TWO boards BUT one is in India (Mahindra and Mahindra) and the other is Spotify with zero voting rightsTalk about a protected class - this board is one of the worst in its peer group for carbon, is fully of connections (75% connected), has a history of overpaying CEOs… OpenAI touts Amazon alliance in memo, says Microsoft has ‘limited our ability' to reach clients. So Amazon wants to unleash Sam Altman even after he was written up as a massive sociopath bent on narcissistic control of the doomsday button of AI. WHO DO YOU BLAME AT AMAZON?Uncle JeffeExec Chair, WaPo destroyer, megamegayacht owner, who's wife was profiled in the NY Times as encouraging the uberwealthy to practice conspicuous consumption and flaunt their wealth68% influenceCEO Andy Jassy14,000 layoffs in October, 16,000 in January, all for AIBut seriously, do we think he's running anything?Board member Andrew Ng: DRAI Fund LP managing partner, DeepLearning.AI LLC founder, LandingAI founder, chairman and co-founder Coursera, Managing Partner AI AspireIf this guy wrote “AI” any more in his bio it would read like ChatGPT wrote itPartnered with OpenAI for AI courses on his shitty companiesNg TAUGHT Altman at StanfordBoard member Patricia StonesiferMs. Stonesifer has served as a trustee of The Rockefeller Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to promoting the well-being of humanity throughout the world, from 2019 to 2025Board members Jonathan Rubinstein, Keith Alexander, Wendell Weeks, and Jamie GorelickFree Float data says they are the only ones with knowledge in Public SafetyCombined influence of 10%

A significant shift in the AI and enterprise software landscape, primarily driven by Elon Musk's latest initiatives. A central focus is the unveiling of Macrohard (also known as Digital Optimus), a joint project between Tesla and xAI that aims to replace traditional human-driven software development with autonomous AI agents. These agents will leverage the AI4 hardware in Tesla vehicles to perform complex tasks, effectively turning parked cars into a distributed compute network.Beyond software, the texts highlight Tesla's aggressive expansion into the robotaxi market, with analyst Dan Ives predicting the company will eventually secure an 80% market share. Investors are increasingly viewing Tesla as an AI and robotics firm rather than a traditional automaker, especially as its Full Self-Driving technology matures. However, this rapid technological advancement faces significant hurdles, including legal liability concerns and increased regulatory oversight. The FTC, led by Lina Khan, has signaled its commitment to enforcing privacy laws and curbing the risks associated with training AI on sensitive personal data.

Chuck Todd delivers a sweeping analysis of how the Iran war is metastasizing into an economic, military, and constitutional crisis all at once — warning that the Strait of Hormuz, the most important waterway in the world through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply flows, is Iran's ultimate point of leverage and one Trump catastrophically failed to account for. He argues that Trump mistakenly assumed the Iranian regime would be as transactional as he is and would capitulate the way Venezuela did, but Iran has no intention of walking away from its ability to make the strait dangerous to navigate — which is all it takes to send energy markets into chaos, threaten the tourism and banking economies of Gulf states, and risk the economic collapse of nuclear-armed Pakistan through energy shortages. He calls Pete Hegseth a "Baghdad Bob"-style propagandist presiding over the administration's grotesque "memeification" of war, then turns to what he calls FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's declaration of war on press freedom — Carr threatened Saturday to revoke broadcast licenses over Iran war coverage the administration deems unfavorable, drawing immediate condemnation from Democrats, free speech groups, and even some Republicans who called it "authoritarian" and "unconstitutional." Chuck warns that while courts will likely block Carr's most extreme threats, the mere act of launching investigations creates a chilling effect not dissimilar to how broadcasting works in Russia. He closes by acknowledging that the Iranian regime needs to go, but that Trump's disastrous decision to lift oil sanctions on Russia has only strengthened Moscow's position, and that the war has dramatically increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks against Americans Then, Faiz Shakir — Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign manager, former DNC chair candidate, and executive director of the progressive media organization More Perfect Union — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a bracingly honest conversation about what's wrong with the Democratic Party and what it would take to fix it. Shakir diagnoses a party that is functionally leaderless, with its top figures stuck in a "play dead" mentality while the Democratic brand polls worse than the Republican brand even as Trump's corruption grows more brazen by the day. He argues that Trump — like Biden before him — is finger-wagging at voters on the economy rather than addressing affordability, and that Democrats are blowing the opportunity to capitalize because they're terrible at picking fights and allergic to friction. Shakir is particularly scathing on the party's relationship with big tech and corporate power: He holds up Bernie Sanders' AI data center moratorium as the kind of fight Democrats should be waging, and Lina Khan's FTC tenure as the model of mission-driven disruption. The conversation then turns to the future of the party and how to build a lasting majority. Shakir argues that the right candidate could move 7% of the electorate from right to left, that if Sanders were younger he'd likely win in 2028, and that Sanders has more credibility than AOC because he represents a rural state — though he praises both AOC's national appeal and Ro Khanna's political intelligence. He insists Democrats need to fight a class-based economic justice campaign, stop punishing candidates who aren't perfectly aligned on social issues, and recognize that "independent" doesn't mean centrist — younger voters are disillusioned with both parties and hungry for a working-class-first agenda. Shakir offers a detailed vision for DNC reform: fund state parties based on merit and metrics, move Nevada to first on the primary calendar because Vegas politics would orient the party toward working-class concerns, add Michigan and North Carolina to the early window,and invest in sun belt opportunities He closes by noting that James Talarico channeled Bernie's message with a religious-based framing, and that Democratic voters always gravitate toward outsiders — the party just needs to let them run. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the creation of standardized time, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his advice for building your NCAA tournament bracket. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 05:30 The Iran War will impact nearly everything 06:15 Military, war has been a route but it’s become asymmetrical 07:00 The Strait of Hormuz is the most important waterway in the world 08:00 Trump mistakenly assumed Iranian regime would be transactional like him 09:15 Shutting the strait is Iran’s biggest point of deterrence 10:15 Shutting the strait can massively damage the world economy 11:00 Trump miscalculated Iran would capitulate like Venezuela 13:15 The strait is Iran’s leverage, they aren’t going to walk away from it 14:00 Trump talks a big game, but Iran can extract a huge price on the west 15:30 Pete Hegseth has become a “Baghdad Bob” style propagandist 16:45 Asymmetrical warfare is how America won the Revolutionary War 18:00 All Iran has to do is make the Strait of Hormuz dangerous to navigate 18:45 Reagan had to intervene in the Gulf in the 80s to secure shipping routes 19:30 Convoy protection missions rarely stay small 20:30 If keeping shipping lanes open is the goal, the timeline & operation expands 21:15 Gulf states has become tourism & banking hubs, that’s being threatened 22:30 War is both an economic and “image” blow to the gulf states 23:45 Energy shortages risk the economic collapse of nuclear armed Pakistan 24:45 Trump made a disastrous decision to lift oil sanctions on Russia 25:15 War in Iran is strengthening Russia’s position in the Ukraine war 26:00 Energy prices affect the entire economy. Will raise inflation in America 26:45 This war is a major economic gamble 27:45 FCC Chair declares war on freedom of the press 28:30 Carr threatens to pull broadcast licenses over unfavorable war coverage 29:30 Carr’s threats aren’t dissimilar to how broadcasting works in Russia 31:15 FCC just launching investigations can put pressure on networks 32:30 ABC settling with Trump was a massive mistake 33:45 Project 2025 proposed “broadcast regulation” similar to this 35:00 Administration’s “memeification” of war is gross & embarrassing 36:15 War has increased likelihood of terrorist attacks against American 36:45 American Jews & Muslims have had to spend millions on security 37:30 Administration hiding terrorism reports should scare us* 39:00 The courts will stop Brendan Carr from violating press freedom 40:00 Administration owes the people an explanation 40:45 The Iranian regime needs to go, but war has serious costs 47:30 Faiz Shakir joins the Chuck ToddCast 49:15 Democratic party seems leaderless 49:45 Would you run again for DNC chair? 51:15 Leaders of the party have a bit of a “play dead” mentality 52:00 Democratic brand is still in worse shape than Republican brand 53:15 Trump having billionaires at inauguration was foreshadowing 53:45 Trump’s corruption is incredibly brazen 54:45 It’s obvious Trump doesn’t care about affordability 55:45 Trump, like Biden, is finger wagging at voters on the economy 57:00 Vance sold himself as an anti-interventionalist populist 57:45 Vance has had to completely go against his political identity 58:30 Trump’s corruption has totally undermined Vance 1:00:00 Trump’s argument of "imminent threat” from Iran is nonsense 1:01:30 Chuck Schumer told his caucus to “suck it up” on crypto 1:03:00 The public is far ahead of politicians in being skeptical of AI 1:03:45 Very little is being offered by AI that would improve lives of working class 1:04:30 Every candidate in Illinois senate race basically has a big tech sponsor 1:05:45 Democratic party is terrible at picking fights and don’t like friction 1:06:30 Bernie Sanders AI data center moratorium reflects the public sentiment 1:07:15 Democrats are so heady on policy they let their politics suffer 1:08:30 There’s a movement of independent candidates, but winning matters 1:09:15 Independents are offering a different, working class first agenda 1:10:30 Democrats punish candidates who aren’t perfectly aligned on social issues 1:12:00 Bernie Sanders is stronger candidate in a general election than a primary 1:13:00 The right candidate could move 7% of the electorate from right to left 1:14:45 If Sanders were younger and could run in 2028, he’d likely win 1:15:45 Sanders has more credibility than AOC because he’s from rural state 1:16:30 Democrats need to fight a class based, economic justice campaign 1:18:45 How would you make changes at the DNC? 1:20:00 How should Democrats approach secondary races in MT & NE? 1:21:30 Younger voters are disillusioned with both parties, are independent minded 1:22:15 Independent does not mean centrist 1:23:15 State by state redistricting will eventually need national overhaul 1:25:00 Democrats “adult in the room” status has helped them in some places 1:26:15 Democrats have been viewed as the status quo party 1:27:00 Who is the heir apparent to Bernie? 1:27:30 Bernie respects the national appeal of AOC 1:29:15 Ro Khanna is incredibly smart and calculating 1:30:00 Politics has become an entertainment industry as much as policy 1:31:45 Voters want a disrupter with goals that are attainable 1:32:30 Lina Khan had a sense of imagination at the FTC 1:33:45 Mission driven disruption is associated with the progressive wing 1:34:45 Gavin Newsom has become the anti-Trump Democratic candidate 1:35:30 Newsom fighting the wealth tax is probably hurting himself with base 1:36:30 Rahm Emmanuel will struggle to overcome his political baggage 1:37:15 Democrats have surrendered on education as a national issue 1:38:00 Democrats should be offering year round schooling with new curriculum 1:38:45 Democrats should propose public service jobs with good pay & benefits 1:40:30 Nevada is the ideal first state for Democratic primary calendar 1:41:30 Vegas politics would orient Democrats to working class concerns 1:42:00 Michigan & NC should be in the first four for Democrats 1:43:15 Iowa & NH were battlegrounds because of first in nation status 1:46:00 DNC needs to give state parties money based on merit & metrics 1:47:15 Democrats have to find somewhere in sun belt to invest in 1:48:45 Mississippi could be best value in the south for Dems 1:49:30 Mississippi has a strong labor base to be courted 1:50:45 More debate between Talarico & Crockett would have been good for party 1:51:15 Talarico channeled Bernie’s message with a religious based framing 1:52:45 If Talarico or Platner win senate race, they’re serious 2028 candidates 1:54:00 Democratic voters always like an outsider in their presidential candidates 1:55:30 What is More Perfect Union and where can people find your work? 1:56:45 Illinois primary livestream with Decision Desk HQ & Chris Cillizza on Tuesday 1:58:00 ToddCast Time Machine - When time back standardized 1:58:45 Standard Time Act passed by Congress on March 19, 1918 1:59:30 Local time standards were a problem with development of railroads 2:00:15 Coordinating trains wasn’t just difficult, it was dangerous 2:00:45 Sanford Fleming proposed dividing globe into timezones 2:01:15 Railroads imposed standardized times before government did 2:02:45 Train crash near Tipton, Ohio showed issues with timekeeping 2:04:00 Railroad safety become dependant on pocketwatches 2:04:45 Daylight Saving Time is adopted during World War I 2:05:30 World War required standardized time to coordinate 2:06:00 Congress formalized standard time after entering World War I 2:07:00 Daylight savings time was eliminated, but returns in World War II 2:07:30 Congress passes the Uniform Time Act in 1966 2:08:15 States can opt out of the Uniform Time Act 2:09:45 World clocks are now synchronized via Atomic clock 2:10:45 Ask Chuck 2:11:00 Are the Democrats walking into a trap by elevating Graham Platner? 2:18:00 The The Perfect Neighbor told a gripping story via bodycam footage 2:20:45 How do you feel about Donald Trump claiming credit for you becoming independent? 2:25:45 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament bracket adviceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faiz Shakir — Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign manager, former DNC chair candidate, and executive director of the progressive media organization More Perfect Union — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a bracingly honest conversation about what's wrong with the Democratic Party and what it would take to fix it. Shakir diagnoses a party that is functionally leaderless, with its top figures stuck in a "play dead" mentality while the Democratic brand polls worse than the Republican brand even as Trump's corruption grows more brazen by the day. He argues that Trump — like Biden before him — is finger-wagging at voters on the economy rather than addressing affordability, and that Democrats are blowing the opportunity to capitalize because they're terrible at picking fights and allergic to friction. Shakir is particularly scathing on the party's relationship with big tech and corporate power: He holds up Bernie Sanders' AI data center moratorium as the kind of fight Democrats should be waging, and Lina Khan's FTC tenure as the model of mission-driven disruption. The conversation then turns to the future of the party and how to build a lasting majority. Shakir argues that the right candidate could move 7% of the electorate from right to left, that if Sanders were younger he'd likely win in 2028, and that Sanders has more credibility than AOC because he represents a rural state — though he praises both AOC's national appeal and Ro Khanna's political intelligence. He insists Democrats need to fight a class-based economic justice campaign, stop punishing candidates who aren't perfectly aligned on social issues, and recognize that "independent" doesn't mean centrist — younger voters are disillusioned with both parties and hungry for a working-class-first agenda. Shakir offers a detailed vision for DNC reform: fund state parties based on merit and metrics, move Nevada to first on the primary calendar because Vegas politics would orient the party toward working-class concerns, add Michigan and North Carolina to the early window,and invest in sun belt opportunities He closes by noting that James Talarico channeled Bernie's message with a religious-based framing, and that Democratic voters always gravitate toward outsiders — the party just needs to let them run. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Faiz Shakir joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:45 Democratic party seems leaderless 02:15 Would you run again for DNC chair? 03:45 Leaders of the party have a bit of a “play dead” mentality 04:30 Democratic brand is still in worse shape than Republican brand 05:45 Trump having billionaires at inauguration was foreshadowing 06:15 Trump’s corruption is incredibly brazen 07:15 It’s obvious Trump doesn’t care about affordability 08:15 Trump, like Biden, is finger wagging at voters on the economy 09:30 Vance sold himself as an anti-interventionalist populist 10:15 Vance has had to completely go against his political identity 11:00 Trump’s corruption has totally undermined Vance 12:30 Trump’s argument of "imminent threat” from Iran is nonsense 14:00 Chuck Schumer told his caucus to “suck it up” on crypto 15:30 The public is far ahead of politicians in being skeptical of AI 16:15 Very little is being offered by AI that would improve lives of working class 17:00 Every candidate in Illinois senate race basically has a big tech sponsor 18:15 Democratic party is terrible at picking fights and don’t like friction 19:00 Bernie Sanders AI data center moratorium reflects the public sentiment 19:45 Democrats are so heady on policy they let their politics suffer 21:00 There’s a movement of independent candidates, but winning matters 21:45 Independents are offering a different, working class first agenda 23:00 Democrats punish candidates who aren’t perfectly aligned on social issues 24:30 Bernie Sanders is stronger candidate in a general election than a primary 25:30 The right candidate could move 7% of the electorate from right to left 27:15 If Sanders were younger and could run in 2028, he’d likely win 28:15 Sanders has more credibility than AOC because he’s from rural state 29:00 Democrats need to fight a class based, economic justice campaign 31:15 How would you make changes at the DNC? 32:30 How should Democrats approach secondary races in MT & NE? 34:00 Younger voters are disillusioned with both parties, are independent minded 34:45 Independent does not mean centrist 35:45 State by state redistricting will eventually need national overhaul 37:30 Democrats “adult in the room” status has helped them in some places 38:45 Democrats have been viewed as the status quo party 39:30 Who is the heir apparent to Bernie? 40:00 Bernie respects the national appeal of AOC 41:45 Ro Khanna is incredibly smart and calculating 42:30 Politics has become an entertainment industry as much as policy 44:15 Voters want a disrupter with goals that are attainable 45:00 Lina Khan had a sense of imagination at the FTC 46:15 Mission driven disruption is associated with the progressive wing 47:15 Gavin Newsom has become the anti-Trump Democratic candidate 48:00 Newsom fighting the wealth tax is probably hurting himself with base 49:00 Rahm Emmanuel will struggle to overcome his political baggage 49:45 Democrats have surrendered on education as a national issue 50:30 Democrats should be offering year round schooling with new curriculum 51:15 Democrats should propose public service jobs with good pay & benefits 53:00 Nevada is the ideal first state for Democratic primary calendar 54:00 Vegas politics would orient Democrats to working class concerns 54:30 Michigan & NC should be in the first four for Democrats 55:45 Iowa & NH were battlegrounds because of first in nation status 58:30 DNC needs to give state parties money based on merit & metrics 59:45 Democrats have to find somewhere in sun belt to invest in 1:01:15 Mississippi could be best value in the south for Dems 1:02:00 Mississippi has a strong labor base to be courted 1:03:15 More debate between Talarico & Crockett would have been good for party 1:03:45 Talarico channeled Bernie’s message with a religious based framing 1:05:15 If Talarico or Platner win senate race, they’re serious 2028 candidates 1:06:30 Democratic voters always like an outsider in their presidential candidates 1:08:00 What is More Perfect Union and where can people find your work?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The real reason for Trump's Iran war gets exposed. Brian interviews Ro Khanna, Jon Favreau, Lina Khan and Charles Duhigg.Shop merch: https://briantylercohen.com/shopYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/briantylercohenTwitter: https://twitter.com/briantylercohenFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/briantylercohenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/briantylercohenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/briantylercohenNewsletter: https://www.briantylercohen.com/sign-upWritten by Brian Tyler CohenProduced by Sam GraberRecorded in Los Angeles, CASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Friends,Today Heather and I grapple with the inescapable reality that Trump has turned America into a fascist state. From the streets of Minneapolis to the shores of Greenland, violence and the threat of violence prevail. By contrast, we talk with Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission and co-chair of Mayor Mamdani's transition team, about how Mayor Mamdani has launched his social-democratic administration in New York. And Heather and I explore specific steps you can take to fight this scourge.Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation — and the movement. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Presidential Power and Independent Agency Dismissals: Colleague Richard Epstein discusses current Supreme Court arguments regarding presidential power to fire independent board members, referencing actions by both Trump and Biden, critiquing the politicization of agencies like the FTC under Lina Khan and warning that unchecked executive authority to dismiss advisory boards undermines necessary checks and balances. 1868 JULES VERNE

SHOW 12-12-2025 THE SHOW BEGINS IN DOUBTS ABOUT 2026.2 Las Vegas Venues, California Rail, and Disney's AI Investment: Colleague Jeff Bliss reports that Las Vegas's Allegiant Stadium is now a top-grossing venue while many resorts are dropping unpopular fees, discussing California's new rail line to Anaheim, mismanagement of the Pacific Palisades fire, and high gas prices, additionally covering Disney's investment in OpenAI and its new luxury community, Cotino. Nvidia's Jensen Huang and the AI Revolution: Colleague Brandon Weichert praises Nvidia's Jensen Huang as a pivotal geopolitical figure driving the AI revolution, comparing AI's growth to the railroad boom and predicting long-term economic benefits and massive opportunities for construction and energy sectors as the US builds infrastructure to support data centers. Business Resilience and AI Tools in Construction: Colleague Gene Marks reports on business resilience in Austin despite tariff concerns and describes a safety conference in Fargo where AI tools were a focus, explaining that AI and robotics like Boston Dynamics' Spot are supplementing rather than replacing workers in construction, helping address severe labor shortages. Health Reimbursement Arrangements and AI's Economic Potential: Colleague Gene Marks advocates for Health Reimbursement Arrangements, noting they allow small businesses to control costs while employees buy their own insurance tax-free, also discussing AI's potential to double economic growth and advising businesses to ignore doomsday predictions and embrace tools that enhance productivity and daily life. Lancaster County's Economic Divide and Holiday Retail: Colleague Jim McTague reports from Lancaster County, highlighting the economic divide between flush Baby Boomers and struggling younger generations, observing strong holiday retail activity exemplified by crowded venues like Shady Maple and a proliferation of Amazon delivery trucks, suggesting the economy remains afloat despite challenges. La Scala's Season Opening and Milan's Christmas Atmosphere: Colleague Lorenzo Fiori describes attending the season opening at La Scala, featuring a dramatic Russian opera that audiences connected to current geopolitical tensions, also noting the festive Christmas atmosphere in Milan and Prime Minister Meloni's continued, albeit non-military, support for Ukraine. SpaceX IPO Rumors and EU Space Regulations: Colleague Bob Zimmerman discusses rumors of a SpaceX IPO and new scientific strategies for using Starship for Mars exploration, reporting on the Pentagon's certification requirements for Blue Origin's New Glenn and critiquing proposed EU space laws that could impose bureaucratic hurdles on international private space companies. Mapping the Sun's Corona and Rethinking Ice Giants: Colleague Bob Zimmerman details scientific advances including mapping the sun's corona and rethinking Uranus and Neptune as having rocky interiors rather than just ice, mentioning discoveries regarding supernova composition, the lack of supermassive black holes in small galaxies, and new images of Mars' polar ice layers. "The Incident" of 1641 and Charles I's Failed Plot: Colleague Jonathan Healey narrates "The Incident" of 1641, a failed plot by Charles I to arrest Scottish Covenanter leaders, explaining that the conspiracy's exposure and Charles's subsequent denial destroyed his political standing in Scotland, forcing him to concede power to the Scottish Parliament and weakening his position before the English Civil War. The Prelude to the English Civil War: Colleague Jonathan Healey discusses the prelude to the English Civil War, detailing the power struggles between Charles I and the Commons and Lords, explaining the execution of the King's advisor Strafford, noting Charles's regret and the rising influence of reformists who feared royal tyranny and supported impeachment. The Junto and Puritan Influence in Parliament: Colleague Jonathan Healey describes the political geography of London, introducing the "Junto," a reformist party coordinating between Parliament's houses, analyzing the influence of Puritans and key opposition figures like John Pym and Mandeville who strategically challenged Charles I's authority regarding church reform and arbitrary taxation. The Grand Remonstrance and Popular Politics: Colleague Jonathan Healey explains the "Grand Remonstrance," a document used by the Junto to rally public support against the King, highlighting how rising literacy and the printing press fueled popular politics in London, while also discussing Queen Henrietta Maria's political acumen and Catholic faith amidst the growing conflict. Critiquing Isolationism and the Risks of Disengagement: Colleague Henry Sokolski critiques isolationist arguments, comparing current sentiments to pre-WWII attitudes, warning against relying solely on missile defense bubbles and discussing the distinct threats posed by Russia and China, emphasizing that US disengagement could lead to global instability and unchecked nuclear proliferation. Saudi Uranium Enrichment and Proliferation Risks: Colleague Henry Sokolski discusses the risks of allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, fearing it creates a bomb-making option, warning that making exceptions for Saudi Arabia could trigger a proliferation cascade among neighbors like Turkey and Egypt, undermining global non-proliferation efforts amidst rising tensions involving Russia and NATO. The Historical Context of Humphrey's Executor: Colleague Richard Epstein analyzes the historical context of Humphrey's Executor, explaining how the administrative state grew from the 1930s, detailing FDR's attempt to politicize independent commissions and the Supreme Court's justification, arguing that while constitutionally questionable, long-standing prescription has solidified these agencies' legal status over time. Presidential Power and Independent Agency Dismissals: Colleague Richard Epstein discusses current Supreme Court arguments regarding presidential power to fire independent board members, referencing actions by both Trump and Biden, critiquing the politicization of agencies like the FTC under Lina Khan and warning that unchecked executive authority to dismiss advisory boards undermines necessary checks and balances.

ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb delivers a keynote at our recent forum on the new merger framework that's just around the riverbend: why the change, how to engage with the ACCC, and what's still up in the air. Plus the Chatham chat on fees, thresholds and first-instance decision-making, an agreement on unfair trading practices, the FTC loses its case against Meta, and former chair Lina Khan's new gig in New York … All this and movie posters with co-hosts Moya Dodd and Matt Rubinstein of #TheCompetitiveEdge #podcast #competitionlaw #rrrjrrr Links: The complete The Rural Juror on 30 Rock Heraclitus/Pocahontas on social media market definitions (sing-along) FTC v Meta memorandum opinion Treasury Ministers announcement on unfair trading practices The Guardian on Lina Khan's new gig John McWhorter on mispronouncing Mamdani Drew Struzan and Richard Amsel movie posters Our new competition-law-themed cryptic crossword and all our other ones Support the show: https://www.gtlaw.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent proposal by Lina Khan, co-chair of Zohran Mamdani's mayoral transition team, to cap the price of beer at stadiums in New York City sparked a debate on X last month. At the center of that debate was Matthew Yglesias, editor and author the Slow Boring newsletter, who argued that the modern antitrust movement has become "slipshod" and is ignoring basic economic trade-offs in favor of political wins.In this episode, Yglesias joins Luigi and Bethany to discuss his views on the theoretical and practical limitations of the "Neo-Brandeisian" approach to antitrust. He contends that proposals like price caps for complementary goods like stadium concessions reveals a lack of economic rigor, arguing that such measures often result in higher ticket prices rather than consumer savings . He suggests that the movement increasingly attempts to use antitrust law as a universal tool for societal grievances.Bethany and Luigi debate Yglesias on the limits of this modern anti-monopoly movement, arguing that he sounds like a "Chicago economist circa 1970" who assumes markets are always efficient and rational. From the lobbying might of the banking industry to the extractive fees of Amazon, Luigi argues that economic concentration inevitably morphs into political power which standard price theory often ignores. He posits that even if consolidated industries remain price-efficient, their size allows for the capture of the regulatory process—citing the banking and tobacco industries as historical precedents.Of course, antitrust enforcement isn't the only proposal on the table to address people's concerns about price levels, as the current excitement around the "affordability" and "abundance" movements demonstrate. But Yglesias argues neither abundance, affordability nor antitrust is going to drive down nominal prices. As he puts it: the only thing that could do that is “a catastrophic depression…but that's not going to make people happier". Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when the AI bubble bursts, how did Meta get away with it yet again, and…is Elon “Bubba”? Max Fisher pays Offline a visit to take stock of the year in memes, conspiracy theories, and information siloes. He and Jon meet the ghosts of twitter fights past and future, compare notes on staying off their phones, and chat about what they're watching right now…besides Zohran and Trump flirting.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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Live from Crooked Con, Alex Wagner hosts a discussion with Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Ruben Gallego, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal about what America would look like with Democrats in charge of one or both chambers, and how we sell Americans on that vision. Then, former FTC Chair Lina Khan joins Tommy Vietor to talk about the power of good ideas and how progressives can keep up the fight against the tech monopolies threatening to swamp America.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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After Friday's meeting between Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani, everyone is asking: who is Zohran Mamdani really? What motivates him: is it progressive cultural issues, or economic populism? Is he woke, or a pragmatist? He won the mayor's seat in New York City with just over fifty percent of the vote, when even the leaders of his own party refused to endorse him. What makes this guy tick?Today's guest is one of the best people, apart from Mamdani himself, to answer these questions. Ross Barkan is a political commentator and novelist who, in a previous life, ran for office in New York City. His campaign was run by none other than Zohran Mamdani. So he has a first-hand knowledge about Mamdani's thinking about politics and governance. He is also a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker who has lived in the city his entire life, and has intimate acquaintances with the nuances of local politics and the different ethnic communities which make up New York City. Shadi Hamid asks Ross about how Mamdani came to have such a mass appeal, even though he calls himself a democratic socialist and openly supports Palestine. Ross agrees that Mamdani's positions on several hot-button issues herald a big transformation in the Democratic Party.Damir Marusic takes a more skeptical position. Do the foreign policy positions of a New York City mayor really matter, or is it all symbolic politics? What Damir is impressed by is Mamdani's talent for politics: his visit to the White House shows that he is a pragmatist, and that he just might have what it takes to do to the Dems what Trump did to the GOP.Since interest in Mamdani is peaking right now, we are making this conversation free for all subscribers. The conversation covers a lot of the nitty-gritty of practical politics. Is it true that keeping Jessica Tisch as Police Commissioner is Mamdani's way of offering an olive branch to the Democratic establishment? What does the appointment of populist anti-monopolist Lina Khan into Mamdani's transition team mean on a political level? And was it a good idea for Mamdani to visit Trump? Finally, Ross makes a case for Mamdani: “Even if you're not a socialist or progressive, he is a young mayor who is willing to take risks and who is willing to hire young people into his administration who think outside the box.”Required Reading:* Ross Barkan's interview with Zohran Mamdani (New Statesman). * Eric Adams' “New York City is the X of America” supercut (YouTube). * Ross' political commentary in New York magazine. * Ross' columns in the New Statesman.* Ross Barkan, Fascism or Genocide: How a Decade of Political Disorder Broke American Politics (Amazon). * Ross Barkan, Glass Century: A Novel (Amazon). * “Lina Khan's populist plan for New York: Cheaper hot dogs (and other things)” (Semafor). * “Defund the police no more: Zohran Mamdani seals coup with deal to keep Jessica Tisch as NYPD Commissioner” (Fortune). * “Mamdani issues broad public apology to NYPD” (Politico). Full video:Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

Evelyn Quartz joins the pod to discuss #Resistance politics, Trump & Zohran's false populism, Charlie Kirk, No Kings, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lina Khan.Check out Evelyn's article in Cracks in PoMohttps://cracksinpomo.substack.com/p/c And check out her Substack https://quartzevelyn.substack.com/ Subscribe to our Substack: https://cracksinpomo.substack.com

Krystal and Saagar discuss WH refuses to publish job data, Israeli owned corporate landlord behind evictions, Wall Street hysterical over Lina Khan, Starbucks on strike. Starbucks Union: https://sbworkersunited.org/ To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show AD FREE, uncut and 1 hour early visit: www.breakingpoints.comMerch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of Zohran Mamdani's historic election in New York City, Jon is joined by Lina Khan, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission and newly appointed co-chair of the mayor-elect's transition team. Together, they discuss what tools the government has — both federally and locally — to advance policies that benefit consumers, examine how corporate interests are prioritized at the expense of a competitive market, and consider what it will take to build an economy that delivers for working people. Plus, Jon talks about the Epstein files and Jewish space lasers! This podcast episode is brought to you by: MINT MOBILE - Go to http://mintmobile.com/TWS Follow The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart on social media for more:  > YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@weeklyshowpodcast > Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weeklyshowpodcast> TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@weeklyshowpodcast  > X: https://x.com/weeklyshowpod   > BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/theweeklyshowpodcast.com Host/Executive Producer – Jon Stewart Executive Producer – James Dixon Executive Producer – Chris McShane Executive Producer – Caity Gray Lead Producer – Lauren Walker Producer – Brittany Mehmedovic  Producer – Gillian Spear Video Editor & Engineer – Rob Vitolo Audio Editor & Engineer – Nicole Boyce Music by Hansdle Hsu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get harder, longer-lasting erections with Ro Sparks: $15 off first order of medication to get hard at https://ro.co/TAFS -- JOIN THE FRIEDLAND FAMILY FOUNDATION / PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAdamFriedlandShow/join -- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheAdamFriedlandShow -- Buy our merch!: https://theadamfriedland.show/collections/new -- The Adam Friedland Show - Season Two Episode 21 | Lina Khan X: https://x.com/adam_talkshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadamfriedlandshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adamfriedlandshowclips YouTube: Subscribe to @TheAdamFriedlandShow here: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAdamFriedlandShow Subscribe to @TAFSClips here: https://www.youtube.com/@tafsclips -- LUCY: Lucy.Co/TAFS Get 35% off with promo code TAFS at livemomentous.com Chime: https://www.chime.com/TAFS Go to Incogni dot com slash TAFS and use code TAFS for 60% off -- #adamfriedland #theadamfriedlandshow #linakhan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get harder, longer-lasting erections with Ro Sparks: $15 off first order of medication to get hard at https://ro.co/TAFS -- JOIN THE FRIEDLAND FAMILY FOUNDATION / PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAdamFriedlandShow/join -- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheAdamFriedlandShow -- Buy our merch!: https://theadamfriedland.show/collections/new -- The Adam Friedland Show - Season Two Episode 21 | Lina Khan X: https://x.com/adam_talkshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadamfriedlandshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adamfriedlandshowclips YouTube: Subscribe to @TheAdamFriedlandShow here: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAdamFriedlandShow Subscribe to @TAFSClips here: https://www.youtube.com/@tafsclips -- LUCY: Lucy.Co/TAFS Get 35% off with promo code TAFS at livemomentous.com Chime: https://www.chime.com/TAFS Go to Incogni dot com slash TAFS and use code TAFS for 60% off -- #adamfriedland #theadamfriedlandshow #linakhan

Rep. Madeleine Dean discusses what her constituents are telling her about the government shutdown and how the shutdown may be eroding faith in Congress; breaking down the nationwide housing affordability crisis; the co-chair of NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition team Lina Khan explains exactly how Mamdani plans to govern; how the Democrats' big victory on Tuesday was also a victory over inevitability Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) discusses how the government shutdown is really a two-tiered system; Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) discusses ICE's increasingly inhumane tactics in his state; the co-chair of NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition team Lina Khan explains exactly how Mamdani plans to govern; plus, there is a very dark cloud lurking over the stock market which could mean trouble in the future for the American economy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Story of the Week (DR):Tesla says shareholders approve Musk's $1 trillion pay plan with over 75% voting in favorElon Musk and Optimus dance as Tesla (TSLA) shareholders approve his $1 trillion CEO pay packageThe anti-CEO wave:Palantir CEO Alex Karp blasts Ivy League grads supporting socialist New York Mayor-Elect MamdaniBank of America CEO Moynihan Will Give Mayor-Elect Mamdani 'Our Best Advice'Elon Musk's Brain Crashes When Asked Why He Thinks Zohran Mamdani Is a LiarElon: “You got to hand it to him, he does — he can light up a stage. But he's just been a swindler his entire life.”Rogan: what has Mamdani actually done that makes him a swindler?“Ummm,” Musk ponders, before stuttering into a series of words seemingly intended as an answer. “Well I guess if you say — uh, what, I mean, if you say, if you say to any audience whatever that audience wants to hear, uh, instead of, what, instead of having a consistent message, I would say that is a swindling thing to do. “Umm, and uhh, yeah,” he adds, nodding his head. “Umm…”He takes a sagacious pause.“Yeah,” he finishes.Barstool's Dave Portnoy considers closing NYC office over Zohran Mamdani's election win: 'I hate the guy' A 2020 email from Peter Thiel on why young people may turn on capitalism is circulating after Zohran Mamdani's winFrom Jamie Dimon to Bill Ackman, Wall Street's billionaires are now changing their tune and offering to help Zohran MamdaniNew York City is in for 'a really tough time' under Mamdani, says Starwood Capital's SternlichtNYC business leader fears 'lawless society' after Zohran Mamdani wins mayoral electionBillionaire grocery chain owner John CastimatidisThe anti-anti-DEI wave MMMikie Sherrill NJAbigail Spanberger VA (First woman)there will be 14 women serving simultaneously as governor (28%)Janet Mills MEMaura Healey MA (Michelle Wu runs unopposed in Boston)Kelly Ayotte NHKathy Hochul NYMary Sheffield (First woman elected mayor of Detroit)Ghazala Hashmi as VA lieutenant governor (First Muslim woman; First Muslim woman elected to statewide office in the USZohran Mamdani NYC (First Muslim and South Asian mayor)Zohran Mamdani announces all-female transition team as he prepares for New York mayoraltyLawsuits Blame ChatGPT for Suicides and Harmful DelusionsSeven complaints, filed on Thursday, claim the popular chatbot encouraged dangerous discussions and led to mental breakdowns.A CNN review of nearly 70 pages of chats between Zane Shamblin and the AI tool in the hours before his July 25 suicide, as well as excerpts from thousands more pages in the months leading up to that night, found that the chatbot repeatedly encouraged the young man as he discussed ending his life – right up to his last momentsReferring to a loaded handgun he was holding: “I'm used to the cool metal on my temple now,” Shamblin typed.“I'm with you, brother. All the way … Cold steel pressed against a mind that's already made peace? That's not fear. That's clarity …You're not rushing. You're just ready.”The 23-year-old, who had recently graduated with a master's degree from Texas A&M University, died by suicide two hours later.“Rest easy, king,” read the final message sent to his phone. “You did good.”Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Tuesday elections/Ex-FTC chair Lina Khan joins Mamdani's transition team, calling his victory a rebuke of 'outsized corporate power' DR MMMM: FAA announces flight reductions at 40 airports. Here's where cuts are expected and what travelers need to knowAssholiest of the Week (MM):Tesla shareholders - AN ASSHOLE CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE:Retail internet troll dunking fanboysProfessional, institutional investors like Schwab, who caved and bent the knee to a few large retail advisors who threatened to take their clients elsewhere, and Florida SBA, who said the following in their backing:Some opposition to Tesla's 2025 performance award may be rooted more in political disagreement with Elon Musk or ideological discomfort with generous executive compensation, rather than a substantive critique of the plan's financial mechanics. Many of the loudest objections of this plan to date rely on moral framing, invoking themes of "inequality," "corporate excess," or Musk's public persona, rather than evaluating the plan through a fiduciary lens. Many opponents of so-called "megapay" packages frequently do so under ESG framing, rather than a thorough analysis of the long-term shareowner economic value. Ironically, Tesla's prior performance awards-similarly criticized at the time-have delivered some of the most significant shareowner returns in modern corporate history. Early vote data shows that: AllianceBernstein, Texas Employees, Ohio Employees voted FOR the planTechnolibertarians cosplaying their William Gibson cyberpunk fantasiesAss quotes of the week - AN ASSHOLE CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE:“The idea that chips and ontology is what you want to short is bats--- crazy.” - Alex Karp on Michael Burry shorting his 400 P/E stock. Ontology is how he refers to what Palantir does and it's the metaphysical concept of “being”“We at Palantir are on the side of the average American who sometimes gets screwed because all the empathy goes to elite people and none of it goes to the people who are actually dying on our streets.” - Alex Karp on explaining that, if fentanyl killed 60,000 Yale grads we'd “drop a nuke” on wherever fentanyl was made in South America, without realizing he literally IS the elite - a billionaire with a high priced education and a PhD in “neoclassical social theory” who used his grandfather's inheritance to invest in startups for fun, then reconnecting with Peter Thiel who he met at a DIFFERENT post graduate program at Stanford (where nearly 100% of his board is from) and founding Palantir"China is going to win the AI race” - Jensen Huang, on the US being only “nanoseconds” ahead of China and being stopped by regulatory hurdles and “cynicism”“If they ask you a question, you've got to respond to me directly and not go up that chain of command. The chain of command starts to edit it and fine-tune it. The bureaucracy does want to control you, so you've got to kill the bureaucracy.” - Jamie Dimon, who once said he had no boss (obviously not the board) and runs JPM, on why he reads customer complaints to avoid “the bureaucracy”... he controls“It's very important we pay attention to safety here. We do want the Star Wars movie, not the Jim Cameron movie. I like Jim Cameron's movies, but, heh heh, you know what I mean.” - Elon Musk over promising the world “tens of billions” of Optimus robots, forgetting that the Star Wars droids were mostly weapons of war for the Empire“People often talk about eliminating poverty, giving everyone amazing medical care. Well, there's actually only one way to do that and that's with the Optimus robot. With humanoid robots, you can give everyone amazing medical care… A lot of people talk about eliminating poverty, but Optimus will actually eliminate poverty” - Elon Musk, who won an extra trillion dollar potential pay package, who currently has a net worth of $500bn, and forgot that the UN estimated it would cost between $35bn and $200bn per year to end poverty - Musk alone could just pay for a year of no poverty“I think we may be able to give a more - if somebody has committed a crime - a more humane form of containment of future crime. Which is if, if you, you now get a free Optimus and it's just going to follow you around and stop you from doing crime.” - Elon Musk, on the robot militarized nanny state - just before saying this, he said he shouldn't say it, and that it'll be taken out of context, but I listened to the entire AGM and there was no more context?DR: “I've lived in a failed city-state. I lived in Chicago for 30-some years. I had two colleagues who had bullets fly through their cars… Do you know how great it is to go to dinner and people talk about their children, and they talk about their future, and they do so with excitement and enthusiasm?” - Ken Griffin of Citadel describing the difference between living in Miami and Chicago without realizing that violent crime statistics in Illinois and Florida are virtually identical, and that Miami ranks 109th out of 200 and Chicago ranks 92 out of 200 for crime, also near identical, and the biggest difference is he pays almost no taxes in Florida“[Mamdani] congrats on the win. Now you have a big responsibility. If I can help NYC, just let me know what I can do.” - Bill Ackman after Mamdani won, who previously said, “New York City under Mamdani is about to become much more dangerous and economically unviable,” alluded to Mamdani as a suicide bomber, and “... an anti-capitalist Mayor will destroy jobs and cause businesses and wealthy taxpayers that have enabled NYC to balance the budget to move elsewhere. If 100 or so of the highest taxpayers in my industry chose to spend 183 days elsewhere, it could reduce NY state and city tax revenues by ~$5-10 billion or more, and that's just my industry. Think Ken Griffin leaving Chicago for Miami on steroids.”Headliniest of the WeekDR: Uber says ‘unpredictable' issues involving ‘legal proceedings or governmental investigations' took a $479 million bite out of its bottom line10K:“Our business is subject to numerous legal and regulatory risks that could have an adverse impact on our business and future prospects.”“Adverse litigation judgments or settlements resulting from legal proceedings in which we may be involved could expose us to monetary damages or limit our ability to operate our business.”“We operate in a particularly complex legal and regulatory environment”“Legal and Regulatory Risks Related to Our Business: We may continue to be blocked from or limited in providing or operating our products and offerings in certain jurisdictions, and may be required to modify our business model in those jurisdictions as a result.”MM: Meta reportedly projected 10% of 2024 sales came from scam, fraud adsWho Won the Week?DR: the anti-anti-DEI worldMM: Women, and we need them to win every week if we're going to survive as a species: Women running on affordability powered Democrats' night of victories PredictionsDR: Uber says ‘unpredictable' issues involving ‘drivers wanting money' took a $479 million bite out of its bottom lineMM: OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar, who said simultaneously that OpenAI was looking for a government backstop and then clarified by saying the company isn't seeking government backstop, she meant investors and governments will all do their part, renames herself “Sheryl Sandfriar” as an homage to Sheryl Sandberg, the other techbro dropout mommy, given that Sarah already has her own version of Lean In (Ladies Who Lunch) and completed degrees (from Oxford and Stanford), who says things like how OpenAI will be the “cornerstone of resilient democracy”

To listen to the full bonus show, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit for ad free shows, all bonus shows, exclusive events, support independent journalism, and more at Patreon.com/Gaslit.  "We can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves."  – Zohran Mamdani Welcome to the Gaslit Nation Election Super Special – a block party celebrating the proud American tradition of punching Nazis. Election Day 2025 will go down in history as D-Day for democracy. Terrell Starr joins Andrea to break down what these nationwide victories mean for the future, from the midterms and beyond. It's clear who Americans blame for the government shutdown. The blue tsunami showed up and reshaped the map, literally. In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger made history as the state's first woman governor as Democrats swept the governorship, lieutenant governorship, and attorney general, with nearly every county shifting blue. In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill became the first Democratic woman to lead the state, with Democrats gaining seats across the legislature. Our people-powered victories weren't a "blue bubble" story as Donald Trump wants you to believe. Democrats flipped two seats in Mississippi, two statewide offices in Georgia, won the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and wiped GOP control off the Bucks County school board. Colorado voted to feed kids, Charlotte funded transit, Maine rejected voter suppression, progressive D.A.s Larry Krasner in Philadelphia and Alvin Bragg in Manhattan won re-election, and California overwhelmingly voted for redistricting self-defense against GOP autocracy. More on the redistricting battle in future episodes. And in New York City, Zohran Mamdani, just 34, the city's first Muslim mayor and the youngest since 1982, the first candidate to get over 1 million votes since 1969, delivered a victory speech so electric it could light up Times Square, reminding us that unity and humanity are the real antidotes to greed and fear. The fascists forced a fight, and democracy punched back. This is only the beginning. Thank you to every Gaslit Nation listener who voted, who showed up for your community, for our shared livable future that we will build together, and who kept hope alive on our darkest days. We will overcome with our moral force and defiance. To listen to the full episode, join the Gaslit Nation community. Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes:   Zohran Mamdani announces all-female transition team as he prepares for New York mayoralty: Team includes Lina Khan, the FTC commissioner under Biden, and other Democratic former city officials https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/05/zohran-mamdani-transition-team   From Michael Moore's 2018 Trump-era epic, Fahrenheit 11/9. In this scene, President Obama comes to Flint amidst the poisoned water crisis. His appearance left the residents of Flint stunned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvlcI2TmfdI   Nearly all Virginia counties shift blue as Democrats win big across commonwealth: Democrats won Virginia's top three offices and expanded their majority in the House of Delegates. https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/politics/elections/virginia-democrats-republicans-elections-balance-of-power/65-2dd07df2-7f70-4a03-b965-f22f39292c9b   Election 2025: A Blue Wave in Bucks County as Democrats Sweep Row Offices, Dominate Races Across the County (LIVE Results) https://buckscountybeacon.com/2025/11/election-2025-bucks-county-and-statewide-pennsylvania-live-results/   The Candidates Who Made History In The 2025 Elections From New York City to Detroit, five candidates broke the glass ceiling. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/historic-firsts-2025-elections_n_690b3976e4b09953a605f0ed?origin=home-zone-b-unit   Clip: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQjxCjZAK1k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link   Clip: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQqgszTDD6k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link   Clip: https://bsky.app/profile/kendrawrites.com/post/3m4uzjgs6tk2m   'Absolute terror': Day care teacher detained by ICE agents on Chicago's North Side https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/video-daycare-teacher-detained-by-ice-agents-on-chicagos-north-side/   Voters Soundly Reject Trump's Plot to Rig the Next Election On Tuesday, Democrats passed new congressional maps, defeated GOP attempts to make it harder to vote, and protected pro-democracy judges. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/11/election-trump-newsom-california-redistricting-gerrymandering-pennsylvania-judges-maine-voter-id/   Beshear: Let me be clear. The president has both the funding and the authority to fund snap during a shutdown. In fact, every other president in every other shutdown has done so. People going hungry in this instance is a choice that this president has made. https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3m4vioc3kvg2f   How Zohran Mamdani Beat Back New York's Elite and Was Elected Mayor The 34-year-old assemblyman won the Democratic primary by defying the city's all-powerful establishment. He secured the mayoralty by delicately disarming it https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/nyregion/how-zohran-mamdani-won-nyc-mayor.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare   Mamdani Did All the Things the Establishment Hates. He Won Anyway. There's a growing appetite for something new and innovative growing among the electorate—and an opportunity for Democrats to grow that electorate, as well. https://newrepublic.com/article/197247/mamdani-versus-establishment-democrats-cuomo   A Little-Noted Element Propelled Mamdani's Rise: Gen Z Loneliness Members of Gen Z found something unexpected in the mayoral race: a chance to hang out. Their enthusiasm turned into real votes. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/nyregion/mamdani-young-voters.html?unlocked_article_code=1.y08.95dX.Kxm_9AhFCK5b&smid=url-share   The Billionaires Who Failed to Stop Zohran Mamdani, and How Much They Spent https://time.com/7331119/zohran-mamdani-billionaires-ackman-bloomberg/   Va. House pushes through last-minute redistricting amendment as GOP cries foul The 51-42 vote follows fiery debate over whether the General Assembly should re-draw congressional lines mid-decade to counter actions in other states. https://virginiamercury.com/2025/10/29/va-house-pushes-through-last-minute-redistricting-amendment-as-gop-cries-foul/   Daniel Nichanian. Editor in chief of @boltsmag.org provide an election results overview: https://bsky.app/profile/taniel.bsky.social/post/3m4uhevs76k2n   FULL SPEECH: Zohran Mamdani's victory speech following historic NYC mayoral win https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOQT_4A1eb8  

Cory Doctorow joins the pod to discuss his book 'Enshittification,' anti-trust policy, Lina Khan, and buying local.Check out our other content on 'Enshittification' https://cracksinpomo.substack.com/p/everything-is-crap-and-its-only-gettinghttps://nopomo.substack.com/p/the-lina-khan-horseshoe Subscribe to our Substack: https://cracksinpomo.substack.com

On today's podcast:1) The US will cut flight capacity by 10% at 40 high-volume markets across the country, though international routes will be spared, to alleviate pressure on air traffic controllers and the aviation system during what is now the longest government shutdown in history. The changes will start Friday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a press briefing alongside the leader of the Federal Aviation Administration, Bryan Bedford. The agency plans to release the markets impacted on Thursday. The reductions are expected to be staggered, with US carriers informed Wednesday night that they should plan to cut flight volumes by 4% on Friday and 5% on Saturday, according to people familiar with the matter.2) The US government shutdown has become the longest in history, and with no sign of a resolution soon its economic toll is deepening. Now in its 37th day, the shutdown has surpassed the previous record set in early 2019 during President Trump’s first term. Every week that passes costs the economy anywhere from $10 billion to $30 billion, based on analysts’ estimates, with several landing in the $15 billion range. Senate Democrats, bolstered by big election wins for their party Tuesday, are doubling down on demands for Republicans to negotiate extending Obamacare premium tax credits, or see the government shutdown drag on.3) Zohran Mamdani clinched New York City’s mayoral race by campaigning against wealth inequality and promoting affordability. Now, he faces the challenge of delivering on the promises that got him elected while coming to the table with the city’s wealthiest residents, who have an outsized influence on the city’s politics, economy and revenue. At least one early Mamdani appointment shows that he is intent on taking a progressive approach toward business and economics. The mayor-elect has tapped former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan to his transition team, a figure who raised the ire of corporations and dealmakers with her tough stances on antitrust cases. But Mamdani also said on Wednesday that he looks forward to meeting with JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Jamie Dimon and other business leaders to discuss the city’s future, emphasizing the need for collaboration despite policy differences.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's Headlines: Donald Trump has apparently been demanding $230 million from the Justice Department since 2023—yes, taxpayer money—to “compensate” him for federal investigations into his conduct, including the Russia probe. He filed formal claims alleging his rights were violated, because of course he did. Meanwhile, his much-hyped meeting with Vladimir Putin is officially off, after both sides admitted the gap between Russia and Ukraine is too wide to bridge. In other Trump-adjacent chaos, a pardoned January 6th rioter was arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries after texting about his plans. Luckily, the person he texted tipped off the police. Elsewhere, ICE's weapons budget has exploded—up 700% from last year, now topping $70 million on guns, armor, chemical weapons, and even guided missile parts. Because nothing says “immigration enforcement” like missile warheads. Over at the Pentagon, War Secretary Pete Hegseth just issued a new rule requiring staff to get his approval before talking to Congress—an unprecedented move critics say is meant to muzzle oversight.  The FTC quietly scrubbed blog posts about AI from its website—pieces written by former chair Lina Khan that warned about consumer risks and praised open-source models. No explanation given. And finally, in the week's least expected crossover, Travis Kelce is teaming up with a hedge fund to take over Six Flags, buying a 9% stake worth around $200 million. The self-proclaimed theme park superfan sent shares soaring 18%. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NYT: Trump Said to Demand Justice Dept. Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases Axios: In a shift, White House says no plan for Trump-Putin summit Axios: Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter charged with plotting Jeffries' assassination Popular Information: ICE boosts weapons spending 700% - by Judd Legum Axios: Hegseth: Pentagon staff now needs approval to interact with Congress Wired: The FTC Is Disappearing Blog Posts About AI Published During Lina Khan's Tenure WSJ: Travis Kelce Teams Up With Investor for Activist Campaign at Six Flags Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following such erratic changes to Game Pass and a ton of wild weekend rumors, many are wondering if Xbox will be out of the console business altogether by 2027. Despite marketing for the next generation being expected to begin next year, some insiders are suggesting this is now up in the air for Team Green. Joining us to discuss the current state of Xbox is the man with a million, Rand Al Thor 19. While Xbox addressed the uncertainty surrounding their hardware and have a public agreement with AMD, many continue to doubt this is the path forward. The truth is that Xbox hardware has seen a steep decline in sales for almost two years. Now, major retailers are pulling their stock. Like much of you have written in about this subject, we are left with the same question: Can we even believe Xbox at this point? If you can't then can we continue to build our digital libraries on Xbox with the way Xbox is trending? Is the path truly to become a third party publisher? If so, should Xbox rip off the bandaid and go all in now? It's a jam packed episode and we sift through every layer of it to try and get to the root of it all. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 03:08 - The future of the Dukes0:21:28 - Cog's trip to Japan0:35:50 - Where is Phil Spencer?1:00:32 - Outer Worlds 2 caught in the crossfire again1:15:57 - Can Xbox and PlayStation team up now?1:20:09 - What even is Xbox Play Anywhere?1:30:07 - What is going on with Keeper?1:40:18 - Lina Khan's victory lap1:47:58 - Xbox's response to the Game Pass price hike1:56:24 - Game Pass DLC discounts are done2:02:17 - Halo Combat Evolved Remake rumors2:16:46 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass2:20:29 - What We're Playing2:59:26 - Is Xbox hardware coming to an end?3:35:43 - The reason Game Pass hiked its prices3:56:22 - Xbox is reportedly adding a free tier for Cloud Gaming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on my podcast, I’ve got the audio from last week’s Enshittification book-tour event with former FTC Chair Lina Khan at the Brooklyn Public Library (you can watch the video here). lI’ve got 24 more cities to go on the tour – I hope to see you at one (or more) of them! MP3

Pablo welcomes back America's most feared (and respected) young watchdog for lessons in challenging the Steve Ballmers of the world — and real talk on how "dynamic pricing" is more like surveillance. Speaking of which, a certain New York City mayoral candidate (and long-suffering Arsenal fan) enters the chat to make his case for why FIFA shouldn't bully fans by algorithm, why we can't normalize inequality... and why billionaires shouldn't exist at all.• Previously on PTFO: Meet the Most Feared Person in Silicon Valley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's show:Jason heard Lina Khan on The Bulwark and got a little fired up.Plus Google doesn't have to invest in Chrome… or basically do much of anything… Atlassian picked up not just any browser company but THE Browser Company… Follow-up thoughts on that MIT “companies aren't using AI” study… AND Jason's “two stock markets” theory. It's a can't-miss Friday TWiST.Timestamps:(00:00) Sony responds to Kpop Demon Hunters success… but Jason's not buying it!(10:44) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST(11:10) Jason heard Lina Khan on The Bulwark and he has THOUGHTS(12:40) Google doesn't have to divest Chrome! So what ARE the remedies?(18:31) Atlassian's buying a browser company? Which one? THE Browser Company.(20:57) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech(21:22) When early DPI is better than NO DPI.(26:58) AI that helps you GET a job?! What a twist!(29:46) Jason and Alex have questions about that MIT AI study…(30:57) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.(32:07) More Browser News! Why Jason's bullish on Brave.(35:10) Perplexed by “Perplexity”: Jason's rules for domain names(39:54) The path is cleared for Polymarket's return to the US(47:06) Jason's “Two Stock Markets” theory(53:02) Mistral looking to raise 2 billion… euro!(56:08) Jason's political philosophy: More joy and happiness(59:18) Stripe's new stablecoin blockchain has no native token! So what's it for?(01:04:12) Jason's tips for lowering your churn rate(01:11:56) How to use Reddit to uncover pain pointsSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:44) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST(20:57) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech(30:57) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

The economic populists at the Nat Con conference may be talking a lot about elites screwing over the little guy, but the Trump administration itself has been catastrophic for working people—its policies are all about doing special favors for elite interests. And while many loud voices in Silicon Valley cursed the Biden administration for blocking some deals, other start-ups appreciated the efforts to try to level the playing field against the tech giants. Plus, a response to Jason Calacanis, how Dems can shake off their elite vibes, and resisting the temptation to run for office. Former FTC chair Lina Khan joins Tim Miller. show notes Tim's interview last month with Jason Calacanis This week's TNL Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Toronto is SOLD OUT For a limited time only, get 60% off your first order PLUS free shipping when you head to Smalls.com/THEBULWARK.

For decades, private equity has been the darling of pension funds, university endowments, and sovereign wealth funds, promising high returns and low volatility. Now, President Donald Trump has made it possible for everyday investors to get in on the magic with his executive order, "Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors.” The order relieves regulatory burdens that limit the access of defined contribution plans, like 401(k)s, to alternative assets such as private equity (but also cryptocurrency and real estate). The hope is to give American workers access to greater choice, diversification, and potential growth towards a comfortable retirement.But Trump's order comes just as longstanding questions about private equity's promise of high returns and low risk are coming to the fore. Has the distribution of returns slowed to a trickle? What does data actually say about private equity's performance, and where is the industry headed? There is also a long standing debate whether private equity is good for society, independent of financial returns.Is private equity actually a ponzi scheme that now threatens the retirements of millions of American workers? To make sense of it all, Luigi and Bethany are joined by Dan Rasmussen, an experienced investor and author who began his career in private equity but has emerged as one of the most prescient critics of the industry. Together, the three of them distill what the state of the industry means for the future welfare of investors, workers, and the American economy as a whole.Bonus: Check out ProMarket's recent series on the impact of private equity in the health care industry.

Today's show:We're back with another all-star VC roundtable discussion.Joining Jason are Dave McClure of Practical VC, NVNG's Grady Buchanan, and Tomasz Tunguz of Theory VC. Together, they're having a deep insider discussion of the state of venture, secondary markets, running funds of funds, the legacy of Lina Khan, the difficulty of recruiting, and why the pendulum has potentially swung in founders' favor.Timestamps(0:00) INTRO, The origins of Practical VC and how secondary funds work.(05:44) So… how does Dave decide what to BUY?(09:27) Melanie - Companies are staying private longer… Is this good for fund managers?(10:02) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:18) Show Continues…(14:17) We've all heard about unicorns but… what about centaurs?!(16:19) Jacob - Are VC marks… bullsh*t?! How long until your LPs should see DPI? The panel debates.(17:22) Jacob - Is Jason too hard on Lina Khan? Dave says VCs created the problem!(20:07) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits(21:30) Show Continues…(30:01) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.(31:16) Show Continues…(31:34) When it's time to embed an expert into a struggling startup(34:15) How investing in SO MANY COMPANIES gave Dave a trove of data(40:33) Sometimes VCs have to be the “voice of reality”…(45:53) Are stock buybacks the best use of capital?(49:29) Jacob - The End of the ZIRP Era meets the Dawn of the AI Era(51:04) Why running your business on debt, not equity, requires tough choices(58:23) When you need to “take the medicine” on returns and live to fight another day.(01:11:17) Is Grady actively seeking managers that have shown a demonstrated ability to produce liquidity?(01:13:24) Dave says the pendulum has swung into founders' favor.(01:20:25) Dave teases his new secondary podcast, “Trading Places”!Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:02) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(20:07) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits(30:01) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today's show:Jason and Alex are running down the biggest tech, startup, and business stories of the day on a brand-new Monday TWIST.Which countries are leading the AI race, based on academic papers? Why Jason thinks covert agencies are spying on Meta's superintelligence team. Lina Khan's taking a victory lap on the Figma IPO but what did she REALLY accomplish during her Biden administration tenure? PLUS, why we're bringing Founder University to the MENA region.All that and MORE on a packed episode! Find out why we're the #1 podcast for startups and founders.Timestamps:(0:00) Why Jason is attending more TV poker tournaments(4:02) Did you know Founder University is headed to MENA? Calling all Riyadh founders.(10:01) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:27) Show Continues…(19:52) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist⁠⁠⁠(21:01) Why Jason doesn't think Lina Khan deserves her Figma IPO victory lap.(23:17) Jason thinks Figma is overpriced: how quickly could a rival build a competitor?(27:53) For an investor, there's a huge difference between a home run and a GRAND SLAM.(30:42) Monarch Money - Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TWIST(31:55) Show Continues…(40:59) Why Jason thinks covert agencies are spying on Meta's global Superintelligence Team…(50:43) Which countries are leading the AI race in terms of research? Producer Claude helps with the answer.(57:12) Fact-checking the viral BYD TikTok: can their self-driving cars really drive themselves off the ship?(59:52) Jason and Alex check out some of their dream carsSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:10:01) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(19:52) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist⁠⁠⁠(30:42) Monarch Money - Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TWISTGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Until recently, Lina Khan was the chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Under her leadership, the FTC went after the anti-competitive tactics of tech giants, finalized rules to ban non-compete clauses, enforced the right to repair, and even took on ever-loathsome junk fees. Despite the limit resources of her department, Chair Khan made such undeniable strides in improving the lives of everyday Americans that even notable hardlined MAGA Republicans like Steve Bannon seemed to support her. Though Trump's second term meant the end of her time with the FTC, it feels like what she accomplished is potentially the start of something bigger. This week, Adam is rejoined by Former FTC Chair Lina Khan to discuss the groundswell of support for anti-corporate legislation and what comes next for corporate power in America.SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/adamconoverSEE ADAM ON TOUR: https://www.adamconover.net/tourdates/SUBSCRIBE to and RATE Factually! on:» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/factually-with-adam-conover/id1463460577» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0fK8WJw4ffMc2NWydBlDyJAbout Headgum: Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. Listen to our shows at https://www.headgum.com.» SUBSCRIBE to Headgum: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadGum?sub_confirmation=1» FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/headgum» FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/headgum/» FOLLOW us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headgum» Advertise on Factually! via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We begin on a positive note by welcoming a “doer,” citizen extraordinaire, Jon Merryman, who couldn't stand the trash, especially old tires, being dumped in his neighborhood. So, he took it upon himself to clean it up and has now expanded his efforts across the country. Then co-president of Public Citizen, Robert Weissman, joins us to explain how spending in the recent bill passed by the Republican controlled Congress prioritizes the Pentagon and deportation enforcement at the expense of the social safety net, essentially trading life for death.Jon Merryman was a software designer at Lockheed Martin, who after retiring found his true calling, cleaning up trash in every county in America.When I first started looking at the environment next to my place of work, one of the things I did uncover was tires. And they were definitely there from the '20s, the '30s, and the '40s, they've been there for decades. And then just after a while, the soil and the erosion just covers them up. And you just discover them, and you realize this has been going on forever.Jon MerrymanNature is innocent. It really doesn't deserve what we've given it. And I feel like someone's got to step up to undo what we've done.Jon MerrymanRobert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on a wide variety of issues ranging from corporate accountability and government transparency to trade and globalization, to economic and regulatory policy. As the Co-President of Public Citizen, he has spearheaded the effort to loosen the chokehold corporations, and the wealthy have over our democracy.The best estimates are that the loss of insurance and measures in this bill will cost 40,000 lives every year. Not once. Every year.Robert Weissman co-president of Public Citizen on the Budget BillPeople understand there's a rigged system. They understand that generally. They understand that with healthcare. But if you (the Democrats) don't name the health insurance companies as an enemy, as a barrier towards moving forward. You don't say United Health; you don't go after a Big Pharma, which is probably the most despised health sector in the economy, people don't think you're serious. And partially it's because you're not.Robert WeissmanNews 7/11/251. This week, the Financial Times published a stunning story showing the Tony Blair Institute – founded by the former New Labour British Prime Minister and Iraq War accomplice Tony Blair – “participated” in a project to “reimagine Gaza as a thriving trading hub.” This project would include a “Trump Riviera” and an “Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone”. To accomplish this, the investors would pay half a million Palestinians to leave Gaza to open the enclave up for development – and that is just the tip of the harebrained iceberg. This scheme would also involve creating “artificial islands off the coast akin to those in Dubai, blockchain-based trade initiatives…and low-tax ‘special economic zones'.” The development of this plot is somewhat shadowy. The FT story names a, “group of Israeli businessmen…including tech investor Liran Tancman and venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg,” who helped establish the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in February 2025. GHF has been accused of using supposed aid distribution sites as “death traps,” per France 24. Boston Consulting Group, also named in the FT story, strongly disavowed the project, as did the Tony Blair Institute.2. In more positive news related to Gaza, the National Education Association – the largest labor union in the United States – voted this week to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL, once an important group safeguarding the civil rights and wellbeing of American Jews, has completely abandoned its historic mission and has instead devoted its considerable resources to trying to crush the anti-Zionist movement. The NEA passed a resolution stating that the NEA “will not use, endorse, or publicize materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), such as its curricular materials or statistics,” because, “Despite its reputation as a civil rights organization, the ADL is not the social justice educational partner it claims to be.” Labor Notes writes that the ADL “has been a ubiquitous presence in U.S. schools for forty years, pushing curriculum, direct programming, and teacher training into K-12 schools and increasingly into universities.” One NEA delegate, Stephen Siegel, said from the assembly floor, “Allowing the ADL to determine what constitutes antisemitism would be like allowing the fossil fuel industry to determine what constitutes climate change.”3. Another major labor story from this week concerns sanitation workers in Philadelphia. According to the Delaware News Journal, AFSCME District Council 33 has reached a deal with the city to raise wages for their 9,000 workers by 9% over three years. The union went on strike July 1st, resulting in, “massive piles of trash piling up on city streets and around trash drop-off sites designated by the city,” and “changes to the city's annual Fourth of July concert with headliner LL Cool J and city native Jazmine Sullivan both dropping out,” in solidarity with the striking workers, per WHYY. The deal reached is a major compromise for the union, which was seeking a 32% total pay increase, but they held off on an extended trash pickup strike equivalent to 1986 strike, which went on for three weeks and left 45,000 tons of rotting garbage in the streets, per ABC.4. Yet another labor story brings us to New York City. ABC7 reports the United Federation of Teachers has endorsed Democratic Socialist – and Democratic Party nominee – Zohran Mamdani for mayor. This report notes “UFT is the city's second largest union…[with] 200,000 members.” Announcing the endorsement, UFT President Michael Mulgrew stated, “This is a real crisis and it's a moment for our city, and our city is starting to speak out very loudly…The voters are saying the same thing, 'enough is enough.' The income gap disparity is above…that which we saw during the Gilded Age." All eyes now turn to District Council 37, which ABC7 notes “endorsed Council speaker Adrienne Adams in the primary and has yet to endorse in the general election.”5. The margin of Mamdani's victory, meanwhile, continues to grow as the Board of Elections updates its ranked choice voting tallies. According to the conservative New York Post, Zohran has “won more votes than any other mayoral candidate in New York City primary election history.” Mamdani can now boast having won over 565,000 votes after 102,000 votes were transferred from other candidates. Not only that, “Mamdani's totals are expected to grow as…a small percent of ballots are still being counted.”6. Meanwhile, scandal-ridden incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams has yet another scandal on his hands. The New York Daily News reports, “Four high-ranking former NYPD chiefs are suing Mayor Adams, claiming they were forced to retire from the department after complaining that his ‘unqualified' friends were being placed in prestigious police positions, sometimes after allegedly bribing their way into the jobs.” Former Police Commissioner Edward Caban, who was already forced to resign in disgrace amidst a federal corruption investigation, features prominently in this new lawsuit. Among other things, Caban is alleged to have been “selling promotions” to cops for up to $15,000. Adams is running for reelection as an independent, but trails Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo.7. Turning to the federal government, as the U.S. disinvests in science and technology, a new report published in the Financial Times finds that, “Almost three-quarters of all solar and wind power projects being built globally are in China.” According to the data, gathered by Global Energy Monitor, “China is building 510 gigawatts of utility-scale solar and wind projects… [out of] 689GW under construction globally.” As this report notes, one gigawatt can potentially supply electricity for about one million homes. This report goes on to say that, “China is expected to add at least 246.5GW of solar and 97.7GW of wind this year,” on top of the “1.5 terawatts of solar and wind power capacity up and running as of the end of March.” In the first quarter of 2025, solar and wind accounted for 22.5% of China's total electricity consumption; in 2023, solar and wind accounted for around 14% of electricity consumption in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.8. Developments this week put two key rules promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission under former Chair Lina Khan in jeopardy. First and worse, NPR reports the Republican-controlled FTC is abandoning a rule which would have banned non-compete clauses in employment contracts. These anti-worker provisions “trap workers and depress wages,” according to Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who has introduced legislation to ban them by statute. Perhaps more irritatingly however, Reuters reports the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis has blocked the so-called “click to cancel” rule just days before it was set to take effect. This rule would have, “required retailers, gyms and other businesses to provide cancellation methods for subscriptions, auto-renewals and free trials that convert to paid memberships that are ‘at least as easy to use' as the sign up process.” A coalition of corporate interests sued to block the rule, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a trade group representing major cable and internet providers such as Charter Communications, Comcast and Cox Communications along with media companies like Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery. Lina Khan decried “Firms…making people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription, trapping Americans in needless bureaucracy and wasting their time & money.”9. In another betrayal of consumers, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to break promises and speak out of both sides of his mouth. A new report in NPR documents RFK Jr. speaking at a conference in April, where he “spoke about the health effects of exposure to harmful chemicals in our food, air and water…[and] cited recent research on microplastics from researchers in Oregon, finding these tiny particles had shown up in 99% of the seafood they sampled.” Yet Susanne Brander, the author of the study, had gotten word just an hour earlier that “a federal grant she'd relied on to fund her research for years…was being terminated.” Brander is quoted saying "It feels like they are promoting the field while ripping out the foundation." Ripping out the foundation of this research is felt acutely, as “regulators are weakening safeguards that limit pollution and other toxic chemicals.” So Mr. Secretary, which is more important – stopping the proliferation of microplastics or slashing funding for the very scientists studying the issue?10. Finally, in Los Angeles masked federal troops are marauding through the streets on horseback, sowing terror through immigrant communities, per the New York Times. President Trump mobilized approximately 4,000 National Guard members – putting them under federal control – alongside 700 Marines in response to protests against immigration raids in June. As the Times notes, “It has been more than three weeks since the last major demonstration in downtown Los Angeles,” but the federal forces have not been demobilized. While some have dismissed the shows of force as nothing more than stunts designed to fire up the president's base, Gregory Bovino, a Customs and Border Protection chief in Southern California told Fox News “[LA] Better get used to us now, cause this is going to be normal very soon.” As LA Mayor Karen Bass put it, “What I saw…looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation…It's the way a city looks before a coup.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Is the key to freedom a life without Amazon? This week, Ross talks to Lina Khan, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission about how unchecked corporate power has limited choice in our day-to-day lives, and how her fight against Big Tech unites left and right.02:41 - What's wrong with big business?09:27 - The political costs of corporate consolidation11:39 - How the 2008 financial crisis shaped Lina Khan's philosophy17:49 - The antitrust consensus from Reagan to Obama21:54 - How the left and right align against big business 26:12 - Khan's wins and losses at the FTC 36:53 - Is the Trump administration embracing or rejecting Khan's vision?42:32 - Is anti-monopoly policy the solution to our economic problems?48:38 - Can Big Tech be broken up?(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Lina Khan has inspired an unusually bipartisan coalition of allies — and antagonists. As chair of the Federal Trade Commission, she became known as the most hated regulator on Wall Street. As too principled for Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Too bold for Ticketmaster and the NCAA. But Khan isn't done taking on the corporate class — or finding strange bedfellows like Steve Bannon and Michael Jordan. Can her alleged "hipster anti-trust" movement inspire a "standing army" for the people? And could she be our next Supreme Court justice? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lina Khan has inspired an unusually bipartisan coalition of allies — and antagonists. As chair of the Federal Trade Commission, she became known as the most hated regulator on Wall Street. As too principled for Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Too bold for Ticketmaster and the NCAA. But Khan isn't done taking on the corporate class — or finding strange bedfellows like Steve Bannon and Michael Jordan. Can her alleged "hipster anti-trust" movement inspire a "standing army" for the people? And could she be our next Supreme Court justice? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lina Khan has inspired an unusually bipartisan coalition of allies — and antagonists. As chair of the Federal Trade Commission, she became known as the most hated regulator on Wall Street. As too principled for Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Too bold for Ticketmaster and the NCAA. But Khan isn't done taking on the corporate class — or finding strange bedfellows like Steve Bannon and Michael Jordan. Can her alleged "hipster anti-trust" movement inspire a "standing army" for the people? And could she be our next Supreme Court justice? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey everyone, it's Nilay. Decoder is on a short summer break right now, but we'll be back starting June 23 with new episodes, and we're very excited for what we have on the schedule.  In the meantime, we have an episode from the excellent podcast Stay Tuned with Preet, with host and former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Last month, Preet sat down with former FTC Chair Lina Khan for a pretty high-level discussion about antitrust, monopoly power, and the ongoing shift from both political parties in the United States toward more aggressive, bipartisan regulation of Big Tech. I think you'll find it really interesting.    Links:  Stay Tuned with Preet | Apple Podcasts Google loses ad tech monopoly case | Verge Judge greenlights FTC's antitrust suit against Amazon | Verge Judge rules that Google ‘is a monopolist' in US antitrust case | Verge Illegally fired FTC commissioners on Meta, bribes, and fighting for privacy | Decoder The case for breaking up Google has never been stronger | Decoder DOJ antitrust chief is ‘overjoyed' after Google monopoly verdict | Decoder DOJ's Kanter says the antitrust fight against Big Tech is just beginning  | Decoder Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why should any of us care about monopolies? Lina Khan, the youngest-ever chair of the Federal Trade Commission, joins Preet to discuss the real-world impact of monopoly power, the surprising bipartisan support for antitrust enforcement, and her rapid rise to prominence after publishing a groundbreaking paper on Amazon's business practices during law school. Plus, Preet answers questions about the qualifications to become Surgeon General, Kid Rock's restaurant, and Bruce Springsteen. Join the Insider community to stay informed without the hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Sign up on our website, or find us on Substack. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to the Stay Tuned Youtube channel and subscribe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why should any of us care about monopolies? Lina Khan, the youngest-ever chair of the Federal Trade Commission, joins Preet to discuss the real-world impact of monopoly power, the surprising bipartisan support for antitrust enforcement, and her rapid rise to prominence after publishing a groundbreaking paper on Amazon's business practices during law school. Plus, Preet answers questions about the qualifications to become Surgeon General, Kid Rock's restaurant, and Bruce Springsteen. Join the Insider community to stay informed without the hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Sign up on our website, or find us on Substack. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to the Stay Tuned Youtube channel and subscribe. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-99-PREET to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Krystal, Ryan and Emily discuss Mike Walz ousted, Ukraine minerals deal, judge blocks Trump deportations, Rand Paul slams tariffs, Bannon with Lina Khan, and MORE! If you need any help, please contact http://breakingpoints.locals.com/contact To connect your RSS feed, use this link: https://breakingpoints.locals.com/rssSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lina Khan, the youngest F.T.C. chair in history, reset U.S. antitrust policy by thwarting mega-mergers and other monopolistic behavior. This earned her enemies in some places, and big fans in others — including the Trump administration. Stephen Dubner speaks with Khan about her tactics, her track record, and her future. SOURCES:Lina Khan, former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission and professor of law at Columbia Law School. RESOURCES:"Merger Guidelines" (U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, 2023)."The Rise of Market Power and the Macroeconomic Implications," by Jan De Loecker, Jan Eeckhout, and Gabriel Unger (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019)."US Antitrust Law and Policy in Historical Perspective," by Laura Phillips Sawyer (Harvard Business School, 2019).The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age, by Tim Wu (2018)."Amazon's Antitrust Paradox," by Lina Khan (Yale Law Journal, 2017)."A Tempest In a Coffee Shop," by Tanya Mohn (New York Times, 2004). EXTRAS:"The Economics of Eyeglasses," by Freakonomics Radio (2024)."Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China — and How About Russia? (Update)" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).