What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Bonus: When the Internet Stopped Being Fun

Is anyone having fun on the internet anymore? Let’s all go touch grass.

Guest: Scaachi Koul, Slate senior writer and author of “It’s Time to Log Off.”

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.


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Marketplace All-in-One - From “Million Bazillion”: What are tariffs?

Since President Trump began imposing on-and-off tariffs earlier this year, “tariff” has become a buzzword. And you might have a kid in your life who’s asked what the deal with tariffs is all about. So today, we’re sharing an episode from the latest season of Million Bazillion that breaks down how they work. Hosts Bridget and Ryan help out a local fifth-grader whose slime business is facing competition from a rival school. Could a tariff solve her problem?

Big Technology Podcast - $100 Million AI Engineers, Vending Machine Claude, Legend Of Soham

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Meta's reported $100 million offers to AI engineers 2) If those reports are false, who planted the rumor? 3) Why talent might be all that matters in AI right now 4) Will Meta's bet work? 5) Anthropic's project vend 6) If AI can't stock a fridge, will it take your job? 7) Claudius' identity crisis 8) ChatGPT's hilarious Wealthfront hallucination 9) The Legend of Soham 10) Happy July 4th!

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Newshour - Russia bombs Kyiv

Ukraine says Russia carried out its biggest drone and missile attack on the capital yet, just two days after the US announced it was suspending the supply of some critical weapons to Kyiv, and hours after Presidents Trump and Putin spoke on the phone. We report from Kyiv.

Also in the programme: President Trump’s huge tax and spending bill squeaks through Congress – but will it be a vote-winner or loser at next year's midterm elections? We hear from a Republican pollster; and a security contractor for the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation tells the BBC they were instructed to shoot first and ask questions later.

(IMAGE: Smoke is seen from outskirts of the city, after a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 4, 2025 / CREDIT: Alina Smutko / Reuters)

Focus on Africa - Nigeria’s new opposition alliance to challenge Tinubu

Starting pistol fired ahead of Nigeria's 2027 elections. Two main opposition leaders form alliance in bid to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party.

We meet a Kenyan breastmilk champion -who is donating litres of breast milk to families in need.

Plus, what are natural assets and why do we need to value them in Africa?

Presenter : Charles Gitonga Producers: Blessing Aderogba in Lagos, Sunita Nahar in London, and Richard Kagoe in Nairobi. Technical Producer: Philip Bull Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Audio Mises Wire - The American Revolution Was a Free-Trade Revolution

The British complained of unfair competition from goods supplied by the American colonists. So the state intervened to manage trade and make it “fair.” But the American revolutionaries saw protectionism for the scam it was, and still is.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/american-revolution-was-free-trade-revolution

Marketplace All-in-One - What’s behind company layoffs

Layoffs have been in the headlines a fair amount recently, with some companies cutting jobs in stages. Microsoft, Amazon and BlackRock are among the employers that have reportedly had repeated rounds of layoffs in recent months. Plus, it's been 10 years since Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote. A decade later, these couples are contributing significantly to the wedding business in Ireland at a time when overall marriage numbers are falling. Our BBC colleague Leanna Byrne visited her hometown of Dublin to speak to couples and vendors about how the wedding industry has changed.