Today, being authentic has become an aspiration and an imperative. The notion of authenticity shapes the consumption habits of individuals in the most diverse contexts such as food and drinks, clothing, music, tourism and the digital sphere, even leading to the resurgence of apparently obsolescent modes of production such as craft. It also significantly transforms urban areas, their local economies and development. Alessandro Gerosa's The Hipster Economy: Taste and Authenticity in Late Modern Capitalism(UCL Press, 2024) analyses this complex set of related phenomena to argue that the quest for authenticity has been a driver of Western societies from the emersion of capitalism and industrial society to today.
From this premise, the book advances multiple original contributions. First, it explains why and how authenticity has become a fundamental value orienting consumers' taste in late modern capitalism; second, it proposes a novel conceptualisation of the aesthetic regime of consumption; third, the book constitutes the first detailed analysis of the resurgence of the neo-craft industries, their entrepreneurs, and the economic imaginary of consumption underpinning them, and fourth, it analyses how the hipster economy is impacting the urban space, favouring new logic of urban development with contrasting outcomes.
We're talking about the first major swing state to go to the polls this election season and what changes are expected within the Republican National Committee.
Also, we'll tell you when President Biden says a ceasefire may happen in Gaza and what big expansion is coming to NATO.
Plus, what the FAA is saying about Boeing's safety culture, why the federal government wants to stop a supermarket merger, and how one generous donation is making medical school free for thousands of students.
The Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments on a case that could upend the online world. At issue are laws championed and passed by Republicans in Florida and Texas which would prevent social media companies from banning users based on their viewpoints. Jason Koebler, co-founder of the tech publication 404 Media, believes that tech companies would leave both states if the Supreme Court allowed these laws to stand.
Michigan holds its primary elections on Tuesday. From the war in Gaza to the candidates’ ages, voters in Detroit told us what issues are the most important to them as they head to the polls.
And in headlines: President Biden says he expects a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas as early as next week, the FTC sues to block a massive grocery store merger, and Trump could get hit with another gag order.
Can states prohibit social media companies from censoring the speech of their platforms' users? That's a question now before the Supreme Court.
The justices heard oral arguments Monday in a pair of major First Amendment cases. The cases stem from laws passed in Texas and Florida in 2021 after a number of social media companies' deplatforming of then-President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Following social media companies' banning of Trump and a number of other conservative voices, both Texas and Florida passed laws preventing social media platforms, such as YouTube and Facebook, from censoring users’ constitutionally protected speech.
The trade groups argue that social media companies' decisions about what speech they censor is an editorial choice protected by the First Amendment.
Are social media platforms required to carry everyone's views? Or like newspapers, do these Big Tech companies have a First Amendment right to choose what speech is and is not allowed on their platforms?
The justices are expected to issue their decision on the case in June.
Texas state Sen. Bryan Hughes, who sponsored the Texas law; Adam Candeub, a Michigan State University law professor; and Jack Fitzhenry, a legal fellow with The Heritage Foundation (of which the Daily Signal is the news outlet), join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to offer their analyses on the arguments before the high court on Monday and what the justices' ruling could mean for Americans.
Ikea’s got its own malls now, and is adding a branded coworking space to them — Ikea just launched a rival to WeWork because coworking isn’t a product, it’s a feature.
The #3 coffee chain in America? It’s Dutch Bros — The Broistas at Dutch Bros are catching up to Starbucks by obsessing over the drive-thru.
And Warren Buffett just wrote his annual letter to shareholders — It reminded us of Warren’s legendary “20–Slot” mindset of patient investing.
Plus, Pitbull is opening a restaurant inside a Walmart (true story) — What celeb do you think should open a restaurant… and in what retail chain?
The situation for Ukraine is slipping from a stalemate to again losing territory to the Russian invasion. After two years of combat, will American and EU allies support the Ukrainian cause for as long as it takes?
Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s war stories correspondent.
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Nikki Haley loses the South Carolina primary by 20 points but vows to stay in the race. Donald Trump starts to make a play for her voters—and pivots to the general election with some great reminders of why he lost the last one. Nazis get a warm welcome at CPAC, and attendees throw their support behind VP hopefuls Kristi Noem and Vivek Ramaswamy. And later, Lovett talks with MSNBC’s Andrew Weissmann and Strict Scrutiny’s Melissa Murray about all the latest Trump legal news and their new book, The Trump Indictments.
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.
Phillip B. Williams' debut novel, Ours, is a sweeping story that takes place in the 19th century. It takes off with a conjuror named Saint who destroys plantations and enslavers, and creates a community of freed people, Ours, that grapples with mysticism, spirituality and liberation over the course of several decades. In today's episode, Williams speaks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about the different interpretations and experiences of freedom in the novel, and the importance of community in the story.
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