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Subscribe to my Patreon or newsletter to listen to the full episode!SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Over the past few months, Peter Thiel has become fully infatuated with Argentina. He bought a house there, enrolled his kids in school, has been attending local soccer matches, playing chess with locals, and the Argentine government is exploring offering the billionaire permanent residence and citizenship.But why Argentina? Why now? Ryan Mac is a reporter at the New York Times and he's been covering Peter Theil's increased fascination with the country. Today, he's joining me to unpack Thiel's new obsession, and why other billionaires also seem taken by Argentina lately.
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Mark Zuckerberg spent seven years and $80 billion attempting to build Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality "metaverse" that peaked at around 200,000 monthly users in October 2022. After years of decay, Horizon froze the creation of new worlds in VR this week, shifting the platform's focus back to mobile and marking the effective end of Meta's virtual reality ambitions. This week, the lads perform an autopsy on both Horizon Worlds and Mark Zuckerberg's dream of the metaverse more broadly, discovering how a platform built on the vision of a revolutionary gaming headset eventually gave way to a world solely inhabited by dozens of eight-year-olds screaming slurs in 360 degrees of immersive 3D. Media Referenced in this Episode: Meta Horizons Worlds for Oculus Quest, including the following worlds: “Horizon Central” “Bobber Bay Fishing” “NBA Arena” “Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour” “METDONALD'S” “Pizza Kitchen” “Bad Roommates UPDATED!” “I Spent A Week Alone In The Metaverse” by Jarvis Johnson (August 1, 2023) Kickstarter campaign for Oculus Rift Oculus VR profile on Crunchbase “Happy Go Luckey: Meet the 20-year-old creator of Oculus Rift” by Robert Purchase (Eurogamer, July 11, 2013) “John Carmack's former employer claims he stole tech for Oculus VR when he left” by Ben Gilbert (Engadget, May 1, 2014) “Palmer Luckey: The Facebook Near-Billionaire Secretly Funding Trump's Meme Machine” by Ben Collins and Gideon Resnick (The Daily Beast, September 22, 2016) Palmer Luckey's post about Nimble American on Facebook (September 23, 2016) “Palmer Luckey distances himself from Nimble America group” by Matt Kamen (Wired, September 26, 2016) “Facebook launches beta of Spaces, its goofy and fun social VR platform” by Lucas Matney (TechCrunch, April 18, 2017) The Mark Zuckerberg/Sweet Baby Ray's edit “Zuckerberg blasted for tone-deaf 'magical' VR tour of Puerto Rico” from CNET News (October 10, 2017) Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Flatiron Books, 2025) “Introducing Oculus Quest” from Meta Developers (February 13, 2019) “Oculus Quest Basics Tutorial” from Meta Quest (May 20, 2019) “Everything revealed at Facebook's Oculus Horizon presentation” from CNET Highlights (September 25, 2019) “Building the Tools to Power the Future of Work” press release from Facebook (May 21, 2020) “Growth At Any Cost: Top Facebook Executive Defended Data Collection In 2016 Memo — And Warned That Facebook Could Get People Killed” by Ryan Mac, Charlie Warzel, and Alex Kantrowitz (BuzzFeed News, March 29, 2018) “Zuckerberg Says He Strongly Disagrees With “The Ugly” Memo By Top Facebook Exec” by Jim Dalrymple II (BuzzFeed News, March 29, 2018) “Facebook Horizon | New Worlds in the Making” from Meta Quest (August 27, 2020) “Facebook launches ‘Horizon Workrooms.' Here's how it works” from CBS Mornings (August 19, 2021) “The Metaverse and How We'll Build It Together -- Connect 2021” from Meta (October 28, 2021) Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook post announcing Horizon Worlds launching in France and Spain Announcement that legs are coming soon Footage of Meta Connect 2024 in Horizon Worlds “What Went Wrong With Horizon Worlds? Former Meta Devs Share Surprising Insights -- And a Solution to Still Save It” by Wagner James Au (March 12, 2025; archived from the original on March 16, 2025) “Eli Roth Brings His Brand of Horror to Meta Horizon Worlds + Meta Quest TV” Meta press release (October 14, 2022) “Why The Metaverse Was Doomed From The Start” by The Art of Storytelling (March 27, 2026) “Zuck Never Understood the Metaverse” by The Morbid Zoo (April 4, 2026) “How Did the Metaverse Fail So Badly?” by Patrick Boyle (April 12, 2026) “What does Meta actually do now?” by Good Work (May 8, 2026) “Meta burned $19 billion on VR last year, and 2026 won't be any better” by Lucas Ropek (TechCrunch, January 28, 2026) Announcement from Meta that Spark will be shutting down in January 2025 “Meta is closing down its VR meeting rooms as part of its wider cull” by Mariella Moon (Engadget, January 16, 2026) “Meta Lays Off 8,000 Employees, as A.I. Casualties Mount” by Eli Tan, Kalley Huang, and Mike Isaac (The New York Times, May 19, 2026) “Backrooms uses the bluntest of metaphors to capture a uniquely Gen Z fear” by Joshua Rivera (The A.V. Club, June 5th, 2026) TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Connect Keynote Address 2026” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Brian Alford as “Zucks”
My guest today is Ryan Mac, a technology reporter at The New York Times and co-author of the excellent book Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, which came out in 2024. I wanted to have Ryan on today because we're on the cusp of the SpaceX IPO, which promises to be one of the most consequential public offerings in history for a variety of reasons. Its biggest-ever size, of course, at nearly $2 trillion dollars. But also because all kinds of rules that keep our markets fair are being bent, if not outright broken, along the way. And, also because buried somewhere inside SpaceX is X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, which Musk purchased in 2022. Read the full interview transcript on The Verge. Links: Welcome to hell, Elon | The Verge The SpaceX IPO is great for Elon Musk and terrible for you | The Verge In SpaceX's IPO, Elon Musk is the risk factor | The Verge For Wall Street, the only thing worse than SpaceX flopping is missing out | NYT How SpaceX Is structured to favor Elon Musk | NYT As the SpaceX hype machine steamrolls ahead, Wall Street jumps aboard | NYT The SpaceX IPO Reveals What Really Happened to Twitter | NY Mag Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket and satellite maker, is set to go public and begin selling shares as soon as next week. Ryan Mac, who reports on business, explains the plan for the company's expected record-shattering debut on the stock market, and how it is changing the rules for investing. Guest: Ryan Mac, a New York Times reporter based in Los Angeles who covers corporate accountability across the global technology industry. Background reading: Why sky-high I.P.O. pricing isn't great for real people. From April: SpaceX filed to go public, setting the stage for a huge I.P.O. Photo: Steve Nesius/Reuters For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
From Apple News In Conversation: Twitter was created 20 years ago. Many saw the platform as an online public square — a place to connect with strangers, spark viral debates, and even launch careers and social movements. When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, he began reshaping it in his own image, eventually rebranding it as X, and redefining how it operates and what it’s used for. New York Times technology reporters Ryan Mac and Kate Conger, authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, join Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders to unpack that transformation, and what it reveals about the future of social media.
Twitter was created 20 years ago. Many saw the platform as an online public square — a place to connect with strangers, spark viral debates, and even launch careers and social movements. When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, he began reshaping it in his own image, eventually rebranding it as X, and redefining how it operates and what it’s used for. New York Times technology reporters Ryan Mac and Kate Conger, authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, join Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders to unpack that transformation, and what it reveals about the future of social media.
From September 19, 2024: On April 14, 2022, New York Times technology reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac woke up to a stunning four-word tweet from Elon Musk's Twitter account: “I made an offer.” Having long covered the technology and social media beat, they read Musk's terse post as the “unbelievable but inevitable culmination of two storylines we had pursued for a decade as journalists in Silicon Valley.”On today's episode, Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien spoke to Conger and Mac about the cloak-and-dagger corporate dealings that preceded the offer, as well as the drama that unfolded after the ink dried, which they reported in detail in their new book, “Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter.” They discussed Musk's predecessors—Jack Dorsey and Parag Agrawal—as well as the platform's troubled history of content moderation, and why the billionaire wanted it all for himself.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Majority Report’s Sam Seder examines Trump’s unhinged cabinet meeting.Then The New York Times’ Ryan Mac details David Sacks and his corrupt dealings inside the Trump White House.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Since President Trump appointed him as the White House artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency czar, Silicon Valley venture capitalist David Sacks has been in a position to drive policy in both emerging technologies. And according to recent reporting by the New York Times, Sacks has helped formulate policies that benefit him and his tech friends. Scott and Marisa are joined by New York Times reporter Ryan Mac, who was part of the team revealing Sacks' conflicts of interest. Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thank you to today's sponsors!- The Invasive Species Centre: Protecting Canada's land and water from invasive species- SAIL: The Ultimate Destination for your Outdoor Adventures- J&B Cycle and Marine: Your Home for all things powersports, boats, and equipment- Freedom Cruise Canada: Rent the boat, own the memories- Anglers Leaderboard: Real-time AI angling platform where everyone is welcome, and every catch counts!- Silverwax: Proudly Canadian since 1999The Outdoor Journal Radio crew hits the road again—this time to Air Dale Lodge near Hawk Junction, Ontario! Join Pete, Steve, and Dean as they swap stories over dessert, test out Angler's Leaderboard in a friendly tournament, and battle wild winds in search of walleye, smallmouth, and pike. Hear about the chaos of filming solo in a tin boat, a hilarious three-camera pike sequence, and the top-tier hospitality of Jenn and Martin's team at Air Dale. Plus, listener feedback on burbot fishing, a conservation chat about poaching, and a thoughtful fan question from Frontier Fishing with Ryan Mac. One of the funniest and most fish-filled road episodes yet.
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President Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics following a weak jobs report. On this week's On the Media, how the Trump administration is threatening government data. Plus, a viral YouTube channel raises questions about the meaning of political debate. [01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone situates President Trump's recent firing of the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics within a larger effort to discount facts that aren't politically convenient. Plus, Amy O'Hara, a professor at Georgetown's Massive Data Institute, on the importance of government data, and Andreas Georgiou, a scholar in statistics at Amherst College, on his years-long battle to defend accurate economics data in Greece.[12:34] Brooke speaks with Angelo Carusone, the president of Media Matters, a liberal watchdog group that follows and fact-checks right-wing outlets like Fox News, NewsMax, and the Tucker Carlson Network, about the group's fight for survival as it faces a deluge of lawsuits brought by Elon Musk's X. [28:22] Host Micah Loewinger delves into the meteoric rise of the YouTube channel Jubilee with technology and online culture journalist Taylor Lorenz, and the channel's mission of fostering “radical empathy” by hosting political debates between wildly opposing groups. He speaks with Mehdi Hasan, editor-in-chief of Zeteo, about his recent Jubilee debate with far right conservatives and how the channel is transforming the meaning of political debate. Plus, Stassia Underwood, a participant of one Jubilee debate, opens up about her experience on set. Further reading:“Under Siege From Trump and Musk, a Top Liberal Group Falls Into Crisis,” by By Kenneth P. Vogel, Kate Conger, and Ryan Mac“1 Conservative vs 25 LGBTQ+ Activists (feat. Michael Knowles)” (Jubilee)“1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives (ft. Mehdi Hasan)” (Jubilee) On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.
We speak to Ryan Mac, a reporter for the New York Times and the co-author of 'Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter.'. Also: polls close in the Hamilton by-election where Reform UK's candidate was trying to win votes - just as the party's chairman quit; Robert De Niro and the Tribeca film festival; planned moon landing fails; and a new BBC project to help parents get their children to sleep.
We've written a lot about how understanding the playbook Elon Musk used at Twitter is key to understanding his current playbook with DOGE. The people who literally wrote the book on said playbook are New York Times journalists Ryan Mac and Kate Conger (the latter of whom joined the podcast last year to discuss the book), and this week they both join us to dig deeper into the ways Musk is reusing his Twitter methods on the entire federal government.
Bryan and Adam have been gushing for months over Character Limit, the fantastic book by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac about Elon Musk's haphazard and disastrous takeover of Twitter. They're joined by the authors themselves to discuss the book, Musk, DOGE, and some of the Character Limit unreleased B-sides.In addition to Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal, our guests were Ryan Mac and Kate Conger.If we got something wrong or missed something, please file a PR! Our next show will likely be on Monday at 5p Pacific Time on our Discord server; stay tuned to our Mastodon feeds for details, or subscribe to this calendar. We'd love to have you join us, as we always love to hear from new speakers!
Leah, Kate, and Melissa are joined this week by Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation, whose new book is Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America. They talk about what rotten laws should be done away with while touching on the latest news, including the detention of Mahmoud Khalil and the dismantling of the Department of Education. Hosts' favorite things this week:Melissa: The Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir by Martha Jones; Paradise (Hulu) Leah: Bad Law by Elie Mystal; The Bee Sting by Paul Murray; Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar; Corruption & the Maximalist Theory of Presidential Power by Bob Bauer (Executive Functions); Five Questions about The Khalil Case by Steve Vladeck (One First)Kate: Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac; Interview with Lindsay Nash on Mahmoud Khalil by Isaac Chotiner (New Yorker) Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 5/31 – Washington DC6/12 – NYC10/4 – ChicagoLearn more: http://crooked.com/eventsPre-order your copy of Leah's forthcoming book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes (out May 13th)Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
Elon Musk and a band of young DOGE engineers are taking control of key government infrastructure. The scale and speed with which they're hijacking control of the federal government is shocking, and even President Donald Trump appears not to know all that Musk is doing. In order to analyze what's actually happening and understand how and why other tech billionaires are also cozying up to Trump, we're joined by Anne Applebaum, Eoin Higgins & Ryan Mac. Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, and author of the recently released Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run The World. Higgins is a reporter for the IT Brew and author of Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left. And Mac covers corporate accountability across the global technology industry for the New York Times, and he is the co-author of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. This episode was recorded on Monday February 3rd. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Instagram and TikTok @onwithkaraswisher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello!Today we're talking all things Elon with Ryan Mac, a reporter at the NYT and the co-author along with Kate Conger of CHARACTER LIMITS: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. Ryan's probably reported more on Elon than pretty much anyone in the press and he gives us his perspective on what's happened, what moves Elon has made that he also made during his career in business, and what we might expect in the upcoming weeks. Thanks! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe
We've never had a situation where the world's richest man has essentially joined the White House as a co-president of sorts. What might this mean, especially when we consider Elon Musk's history of unchecked power? Kate Conger is a New York Times reporter based in San Francisco, covering X and other technology companies. She's also a co-author, along with Ryan Mac, of “Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter” Conger joins WITHpod to discuss what has happened to X under Musk's stewardship, Musk's growing political influence, the SEC suing him, why his role is so peculiar and more. We should note that Conger and Mac requested to interview Musk for their book, but mentioned that no response was received.
The Atlantics George Conway Eamines Bidens final days and what he should do with pardons The New York Times Ryan Mac Details the tech bros rebellion against being wokeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Minecraft-miljardären som skapade världens största spel för att sedan försvinna. Nya avsnitt från P3 ID hittar du först i Sveriges Radio Play. På mindre än fyra år gick Markus ”Notch” Persson från att vara helt okänd till att dyrkas av miljontals fans och tjäna miljarder. När han 2009 la upp Minecraft i en forumtråd på nätet blev det början på ett fenomen som skulle utvecklas till det mest sålda spelet i världshistorien. Några år senare lämnade Markus allt det bakom sig när han sålde sin skapelse till Microsoft. Många miljarder rikare inledde han då ett nytt liv fyllt av extravaganta fester, rekorddyra bostäder men även kontroversiella utspel och konspirationsteorier.Vad hände egentligen med Notch? Hur gick det till när han erövrade spelvärlden? Och hur skapar man något nytt när det förflutna kastar en oundviklig skugga?I avsnittet medverkar techjournalisten Ryan Mac, speljournalisten Angelica Norgren, spelhistorikern Martin Lindell och författaren Linus Larsson.Programledare och producent: Vendela LundbergAvsnittsmakare och reporter: Tobias NorströmLjudmix: Fredrik Nilsson
There was a time before Elon Musk was tweeting 60 times a day about trans people and the woke mind virus — and it wasn't that long ago. As recently as 2018, Elon was boasting about Tesla scoring a 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's corporate equality index and telling anyone who was bothered by that to “not buy our car.” So what happened? Today, Ryan Mac and Kate Conger, authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, unpack Elon's personal and political midlife crisis — and the price we pay for it. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes: www.factormeals.com/fruity50 Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity. Me on Instagram. A Bit Fruity on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textIn this episode of Friday Night Beers, Tom & Vince try Drive Thru Red, one of the private label beers from Trader Joe's Josephsbrau Brewing Company in San Jose, CA. They're joined by longtime guest and superfan Ryan Mac, the founder of Mac Brewing, to review the beer. They drink it and somehow compare it to things like Trader Joe's, grocery store stans, trends in the beer industry, fast food chains and more. At the end, they rate this beer on a unique 1-5 scale. VINCE: 3 / 5 VincesTOM: 3.25 / 5 TomsRYAN: 3 / 5 RyansInstagram: @friday.night.beersTwitter: @fnb_pod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@friday.night.beersEmail: friday.night.beerspodcast@gmail.com Theme music by Billy Hansa. Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts!
Air Date 12/3/2024 At a time when there are very legitimate concerns about men's place in society, the Manosphere has stepped in to fill the gap in the cultural discussion to give an answer, not a good answer but an answer, to young men about modern masculinity which included a strong push to vote Trump. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The Role of the Press in This Moment with Matt Pearce - Why Is This Happening - Air Date 11-19-24 KP 2: The #MenToo Election Catholics, Latinos, and the Manosphere - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 11-11-24 KP 3: Inside Elon's Twitter Takeover with Ryan Mac and Kate Conger - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 11-13-24 KP 4: The #MenToo Election Catholics, Latinos, and the Manosphere Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 11-11-24 KP 5: Make America Male Again Fifteen years of aggrieved men - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 11-19-24 KP 6: Misinformation, Disinformation, Malinformation ( Feat Esosa Osa)- Gettin' Grown - Air Date 11-12-24 KP 7: How the Fediverse can make social fun again - WordPress - Air Date 8-12-24 (56:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the slow process of fixing our broken internet DEEPER DIVES (1:02:00) SECTION A - MEDIA LANDSCAPE (1:22:06) SECTION B - MEN ARE NOT OKAY (1:52:03) SECTION C - WHAT WE CAN DO SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of the back of a young man standing on a subway platform putting headphones on as a silver train whizzes past. Credit: “People guy man sound music” by StockSnap, Pixabay | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X
Ryan Mac is a tech reporter at The New York Times. His new book, Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, is out now. We chat about Drake vs. UMG, a dinner at Stissing House, being from Orange County, Honda Accords, we've both interviewed hip hop's Riff Raff, documenting billionaires for Forbes, Threads, Bluesky, Linkedin, BeReal, and Facebook, X Merch, what Elon's endgame is with Trump, why he won't leave Mar-A-Lago, people vote with their feet, hitting vegas with Calvin Harris, the future of Las Vegas, and how much money it would take for Ryan to join Elon's cabinet. twitter.com/RMac18 twitter.com/donetodeath twitter.com/themjeans howlonggone.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rising star New York Times technology reporters, Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, tell for the first time what they say is the full and shocking inside story of Elon Musk's unprecedented takeover of Twitter and the $44 billion deal's seismic political, social and financial fallout The billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become inextricable from X. the social media platform that until 2023 was known as Twitter. Started in the mid-2000s as a playful microblogging platform, Twitter quickly became a popular nexus of global politics, culture and media—where the retweet button could instantly catapult any idea to hundreds of millions of screens around the world, unleashing raw collective emotion like nothing else before. While its founder had idealistically dreamed of building a "digital town square," he detested Wall Street and never focused on building a profitable business. Musk joined the platform in 2010 and, by 2022, had become one of the site's most influential users, attracting more than 80 million followers with a mix of provocations, promotion of his companies, and attacks on his enemies. To Musk, Twitter—once known for its almost absolute commitment to free speech—had badly lost its way. He blamed it for the proliferation of what he called the “woke mind virus” and claimed that the survival of democracy and the human race itself depended on the future of the site. By April 2022, he was its largest shareholder, and soon made an unsolicited offer to purchase the company for the unimaginable sum of $44 billion dollars. Backed into a corner, Twitter's board accepted his offer—but Musk quickly changed his mind, forcing Twitter to sue him to close the deal in October. The richest man on earth controlled one of the most powerful media platforms in the world—but at what price? Before long Twitter would be gone for good, replaced by something radically different, as Musk remade the company in his own image from the ground up. Join us in-person or online as Conger and Mac follow the inner workings of the company as Musk lays siege to it, first from the outside as one of its most vocal users, and then finally from within as a contentious and mercurial leader. Musk has shared some of his version of events, but Conger and Mac have uncovered the full story through exclusive interviews, unreported documents, and internal recordings at Twitter following the billionaire's takeover. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. This program contains explicit language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter was an unmitigated catastrophe on multiple fronts, but it's hard to ignore how it ultimately became a powerful tool in helping Donald Trump get elected. Was this Musk's plan all along back in 2022, or just another example of his infantile, buffoonish behavior with no real consequences? In this episode, recorded before the election, Adam sits down with New York Times technology reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, to explore Musk's disastrous acquisition and its unexpected role in shaping American politics. Find Ryan and Kate's book at factuallypod.com/booksSUPPORT 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.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2024 is: defenestration dee-fen-uh-STRAY-shun noun Defenestration is most often used to refer to a usually swift dismissal or expulsion, as from a political party or office. It is also used to refer to a throwing of a person or thing out of a window. // Once fancying itself something of a big tent, the group now seeks the defenestration of any local leader who isn't aligned with the current mayor's administration. // Ingrid's annoyance at the alarm clock's persistent drone led to the clock's sudden defenestration from her eighth-floor bedroom. See the entry > Examples: "Since his defenestration, Michael had dabbled in investing, but he was open to returning to the cutthroat world of Silicon Valley start-ups." — Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, 2024 Did you know? These days, defenestration—from the Latin fenestra, meaning "window"—is often used to describe the forceful removal of someone from public office or from some other advantageous position. History's most famous defenestration, however, was one in which the tossing out the window was quite literal. On May 23, 1618, two imperial regents were found guilty of violating certain guarantees of religious freedom and were thrown out the window of Prague Castle. The men survived the 50-foot tumble into the moat, but the incident marked the beginning of the Bohemian resistance to Hapsburg rule that eventually led to the Thirty Years' War and came to be known as the Defenestration of Prague. It was, in fact, the third such historical defenestration in Prague, but it was the first to be referred to as such by English speakers.
In the wake of his disappointing “robotaxi” launch and Wall Street's punishing response, Elon Musk had at least one reason to celebrate this past week: the successful deployment of a complicated rocket retrieval system. But that doesn't mean we are done picking through the Robotaxi unveiling and how the Optimus robots weren't really “robots.” To unpack these events, we have reporters Loren Grush and Dana Hull as well as Bloomberg Television correspondent Ed Ludlow. Then we feature reporter Kurt Wagner interviewing Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, co-authors of the recently published book, Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Olá, pessoas. Hoje quero contar para vocês algumas histórias sobre um dos seres humanos mais desprezíveis do mundo, atualmente. Elon Musk. Vocês devem ter visto que recentemente foi lançado o livro “Character Limit” de Kate Conger e Ryan Mac. Então, eu li o livro e separei algumas partes para compartilhar com vocês. Livro em português: https://amzn.to/3TV6vpO Loja do Vira: umapenca.com/viracasacas Apoie o Vira: apoia.se/viracasacas
We explore the implications of Sonoma County's Measure J on local farmers, residents, and the environment. We'll also hear from Stanford climate scientist Rob Jackson about his new book "Into the Clear Blue Sky: The Path to Restoring Our Atmosphere." Finally, we'll learn about the impact of Elon Musk's Twitter takeover with authors and New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac.
Former President Obama will launch a 27-day series of campaign events for Vice President Harris next week, starting in Pennsylvania. The Thursday rally in Pittsburgh will be the first in a string of events Obama plans to hold across electoral battlegrounds in the weeks ahead of Election Day, according to a senior Harris campaign official. This election, in Obama's view, is an “all hands on deck” moment, aides have said. Randi Kaye looks at Harris and Obama's shared journey through political history. Plus, The New York Times' Ryan Mac and national columnist for The Washington Post Philip Bump give their take on the alliance between former President Trump and Elon Musk. The Tesla CEO will be joining Trump at his return to Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, according to a campaign official. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
New York Times reporter, Sheera Frenkel, joins Niki remotely to talk about the AI 2024 campaign season that wasn't. She shares insights from her reporting on tech, shedding light on the reluctance to use AI by US campaigns compared to other countries, the rush by foreign adversaries to capitalize on AI's capability to enhance disinformation campaigns, and lays out what has led Facebook to step back from political coverage. “While our candidates are not excited about using AI…There are nation-states all over the world who are super excited about the possibilities of AI and how it lets them reach Americans in unprecedented ways.” -Sheera FrenkelRead Sheera's articles in the New York TimesCheck out 2021's “An Ugly Truth” by Cecilia Kang and Sheera FrenkelRead Kate Conger & Ryan Mac's new book “Character Limit” Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn
He's the richest person in the world, but also one of the most controversial and increasingly engaged in polarizing political debates. A new book details the tumultuous leadership of Elon Musk and his approach to owning X. Ali Rogin spoke with Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, authors of "Character Limit." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Alex and Evelyn sit down with New York Times technology reporters Ryan Mac and Kate Conger to talk about their new book on Elon Musk's acquisition (and destruction) of Twitter, Character Limit, and where they think Musk goes from here.
Today we are talking about philosopher Harry Frankfurt's famous essay "On Bullshit," and how it applies to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and J.D. Vance. We also discuss the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, aid links here. Check out the new book by Ryan Mac and Kate Conger as well. Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter.
New York Times tech reporter Kate Conger joins Offline to discuss Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, a new book she coauthored with Ryan Mac. It's the best coverage out there of Elon's takeover and the subsequent deterioration of the platform, with behind-the-scenes reporting on how and why he bought the company, and the decisions he's made since. But first! Jon and Max discuss whether the danger of Donald Trump has become more abstract since his forced migration to Truth Social. Then they unpack Chappell Roan's decision to support but not endorse Kamala Harris, and John Mulaney's hilarious takedown of Salesforce at the company's own conference. 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.
Hello, media consumers! Bryan sits with not one, not two, but three guests this week. First he speaks with The Wall Street Journal's Jason Gay and they they discuss the following: Zach Lowe getting laid off by ESPN (1:47) How everyone has been covering Travis Kelce's bad play (20:45) A possible Kamala Harris podcast tour (30:30) Then he speaks with Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, the authors of ‘Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter,' and they get into the following: Elon changing the block feature (35:20) Turning Twitter headquarters into a long-stay hotel (44:23) Elon removing journalists' verified check (49:00) Twitter/X losing it's value (59:59) Plus, David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis Guests: Jason Gay, Kate Conger, and Ryan Mac Producer: Brian H. Waters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ryan Mac and Kate Conger are reporters at The New York Times and the authors of a new book, Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. Zach Coelius is managing partner at Coelius Capital — and a VC who thinks Elon is doing a pretty good job with the social media company. In this episode, our guests debate whether Musk's Twitter takeover is going to plan, with respectful back and forth about one of the most controversial projects from one of the world's most controversial business leaders. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. For weekly updates on the show, sign up for the pod newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901970121829801984/ Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com
Kara and Scott discuss Microsoft's plan to reopen Three Mile Island to power its data centers, and Qualcomm's potential takeover of Intel. Then, Nike gets a new CEO, but will the corporate shake-up get Nike back in the game? Plus, Trump's bizarre messaging around abortion, and Kamala Harris's attempt to get another debate on the calendar. Our Friends of Pivot are New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, who are out with a new book, "Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter." Kate and Ryan share behind-the-scenes stories from Elon's Twitter takeover, and weigh in on the latest chaos in Elon-land. Follow Kate at @KateConger and Ryan at @RMac18. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us on TikTok at @pivotpodcast. Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at nymag.com/pivot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When Elon Musk bid to buy Twitter for $44 billion, he made headlines for the mess that followed — including flip flopping on the deal and immediately firing most of the site's employees. In this special episode of Scamfluencers, Scaachi Koul talks with New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac about their new book Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. They explain how Musk leveraged his Silicon Valley clout to take over, and tank, everyone's favorite hellsite and we're left wondering: is Elon Musk the ultimate Scamfluencer?Listen to Scamfluencers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/scamfluencers/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On April 14, 2022, New York Times technology reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac woke up to a stunning four-word tweet from Elon Musk's Twitter account: “I made an offer.” Having long covered the technology and social media beat, they read Musk's terse post as the “unbelievable but inevitable culmination of two storylines we had pursued for a decade as journalists in Silicon Valley.”On today's episode, Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien spoke to Conger and Mac about the cloak-and-dagger corporate dealings that preceded the offer, as well as the drama that unfolded after the ink dried, which they reported in detail in their new book, “Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter.” They discussed Musk's predecessors—Jack Dorsey and Parag Agrawal—as well as the platform's troubled history of content moderation, and why the billionaire wanted it all for himself. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/c/trumptrials.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How did the leader of Tesla and SpaceX turn into a late-night Twitter addict? A onetime tech optimist, Elon, father of 12 children and all around angsty guy, has a darker cast of mind today. Natalie talks to Ryan Mac, who co-authored Character Limit, a book about Elon and Twitter. Click ‘Subscribe' at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices A Campside Media & Sony Music Entertainment production. To connect with Infamous's creative team, plus access behind the scenes content, join the community at Campsidemedia.com/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The FBI investigates another apparent attempt on Donald Trump's life. Plus, the Ohio State Police head to Springfield in wake of viral conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants in the town. Then, Trump's relationship with Elon Musk and how the tech CEO is using "X" to promote his political agenda. Also, music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs is under arrest. Frank Figliuzzi, Sam Stein, Jeff Mason, Tim Miller, Tim O'Brien, Ryan Mac and Charles Coleman join The 11th Hour this Monday.
If you're a Techdirt reader (or any tech news reader) you've already heard a lot of stories about the chaos of Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, but no matter how much you know, there's a lot to learn in a new book that hits the shelves today. Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, by New York Times reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, is the definitive retelling of the saga-so-far, and it's full of fascinating details that make it a gripping read. Today, Kate joins us on the podcast to talk all about the book and the stories therein. Get the book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737290/character-limit-by-kate-conger-and-ryan-mac/
The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson skewers Trump for cozying up to Laura Loomer. Kate Conger and Ryan Mac detail their book Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. The 19th's Amanda Becker examines her new book You Must Stand Up: The Fight for Abortion Rights in Post-Dobbs America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on The New Abnormal, hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy reflecton Trump's disaster of a debate performance. Plus! Founder and author of The Present Agenewsletter Parker Molloy joins us to talk about the media's efforts to “sanewash” Donald Trumpand why people might not be falling for it. Then, we talk to The New York Times tech reportersKate Conger and Ryan Mac about their upcoming book, “Character Limit: How Elon MuskDestroyed Twitter.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After buying Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk instituted sweeping changes. He laid off or fired about 75% of the staff –including about half the data scientists. He also ended rules banning hate speech and misinformation. Authors Kate Conger and Ryan Mac recount the takeover in Character Limit.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Guests: Jamelle Bouie, Tim Miller, Mary McCord, Ryan Mac, Gov. Jared PolisShock and outrage after another deadly mass shooting at a school in Georgia. Plus, the Republicans who want their own candidate to lose in order for their party to win. Then, are Russian shell companies paying American conservative pundits to support Donald Trump? The stunning new indictment from the Department of Justice. And what we're learning about a tidal wave of disinformation from Elon Musk. Want more of Chris? Download and subscribe to his podcast, “Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes podcast” wherever you get your podcasts.