On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus discuss the outrage at the largest television station owner in the country—Sinclair Broadcasting—after the media conglomerate forced its local news anchors read a script that echoes Trumpian talking points. They also unpack Trump’s beef about Jeff Bezos owning what he calls #AmazonWashingtonPost. Meanwhile, music streaming site Spotify went public this week in a totally new kind of way. The hosts take a look at its unorthodox move, and what it means for the company’s future.
Will is joined by Al Lindsay, vice president of Alexa Engine Software at Amazon to talk about how exactly Alexa works, what privacy concerns it raises, and why it started scaring the bejesus out of people a few weeks ago by emitting peals of creepy laughter for no apparent reason.
You can get updates about what’s coming up next by following us on Twitter @ifthenpod. You can follow Will @WillOremus and April @Aprilaser. If you have a question or comment, you can email us at ifthen@slate.com.
50 years ago today, the American Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His legacy lives on in recorded speeches, memorials across the country, photographs by legendary photojournalist Ernest C. Withers and more. Withers remains a hero in his hometown of Memphis, and his career is inextricably intertwined with the Civil Rights era. However, there may be much more to the story of Withers than the public originally believed. Join the guys as they sit down with veteran investigative journalist Marc Perrusquia to learn about his explosive discoveries regarding Withers, revelations that would take him all the way to Federal Court in his quest to finally answer the question: Was Ernest Withers a mole for the FBI?
In this episode, the Goods from the Woods Boys are eulogizing the vortex of madness that was the comedy open mic at the Unurban Coffee House in Santa Monica which suddenly stopped last week after running continuously since c.1993. We also go over the beats of the rest of our AMAZING trip to the Yukon Comedy Festival. This episode is as bizarre as it is hilarious. Give us a listen today.
Follow the show @TheGoodsPod Rivers is @RiversLangley Dr. Pat is @PM_Reilly Mr. Goodnight is @SepulvedaCowboy Pick up a Goods from the Woods t-shirt at: http://prowrestlingtees.com/TheGoodsPod
All the news you need to know for Wednesday, April 4th, 2018!
Today, we're talking about the shooting at YouTube's headquarters, the 50 year anniversary of MLK Jr.'s death and what President Trump is saying about sending the military to the border. Plus, Spotify goes public, Toys 'R' Us gift card rules and the 'Hilarity for Charity' special.
All that and much more in less than 10 minutes!
Award-winning broadcast journalist and former TV news reporter Erica Mandy breaks it all down for you.
The Supreme Court has told a woman that despite being shot by police eight times under questionable circumstances, no civil jury should ever hear her case. Clark Neily comments.
On Tuesday’s Gist, an ode to the end of March Madness.
Plus, Maria Konnikova returns to play our favorite game. Are parabens really bad for you? Konnikova is a contributing writer to the New Yorker and author of The Confidence Game.
In which a Scottish policeman, a Tokyo professor, and Mary Queen of Scots have very loyal dogs, but a young John Roderick does not. Certificate #24139.
