In 1483, a 10-year-old peasant named John Collan is visited by a stranger who shares a life-changing piece of information. John isn't the son of a farmer, but the Duke of Clarence – and it's time for him to reclaim his destiny as king of England. Jo Harkin's novel The Pretender expands on this footnote of history from the Tudor period. In today's episode, she joins NPR's Scott Simon for a conversation that touches on her approach to historical fiction, which includes filling in gaps left by patchy records from the 15th century.
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Tech Won't Save Us - Chatbots Are Repeating Social Media’s Harms w/ Nitasha Tiku
Paris Marx is joined by Nitasha Tiku to discuss how AI companies are preying on users to drive engagement and how that’s repeating many of the problems we’re belatedly trying to address with social media companies at an accelerated pace.
Nitasha Tiku is a technology reporter at the Washington Post.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Nitasha wrote about how chatbots are messing with people’s minds.
- Paris wrote about Mark Zuckerberg’s comments about people needing AI friends.
- AI companies are facing ongoing lawsuits over harmful content.
What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Zohran Mamdani’s Former Boss Weighs In
How Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani upset the better-connected, better-funded, better-known candidate in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary—and how he might actually govern if he makes it into office.
Guest: Ross Barkan, contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine columnist, and Editor-in-Chief of The Metropolitan Review.
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Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.
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Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2480: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar
Episode: 2480 Stephanie Kwolek: Inventor of Kevlar. Today, not-so-shining armor.
ATXplained - What’s the deal with Austin’s “Rain Dome”?
Inconsistent rain forecasts have led to conspiracies about a rain-blocking dome that covers the city. The truth lies in an age-old fault.
The post What’s the deal with Austin’s “Rain Dome”? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Amarica's Constitution - Imbalance of Power
The US enters a violent part of the world once again, as Iran’s nuclear facilities are bombed. The President orders this without consulting Congress; indeed without asking for, much less receiving a declaration of war. Does the Constitution require this? What has past practice been? What was true at the founding? Has it changed over the centuries? Many twists and turns to the reasoning emerge as we explore this largely indefinite area of Constitutional Law. Meanwhile, Akhil gives a speech on the Revolution and the Constitution which sounds surprisingly relevant at this time. CLE credit is available for lawyers and judges from
Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova - Iran: Don’t Rush To Judge A Dangerous Moment
This week, Nate and Maria discuss Trump’s strikes on Iran. How can we understand this developing situation, without falling prey to our own biases? And when nuclear weapons are involved, how do risk calculations change?
Plus, Nate and Maria recap another week at the World Series of Poker, which wouldn’t be complete without some controversy.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
“The Leap” (https://mariakonnikova.substack.com/) from Maria Konnikova
“Silver Bulletin” (https://www.natesilver.net/) from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
array(3) { [0]=> string(184) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/951120d9-cf6e-4224-93d7-b15c014dcea5/b744a86b-0102-411e-83bf-b302011c22f6/image.jpg?t=1750887309&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }It Could Happen Here - Zohran Mamdani Wins NYC Dem. Primary
Gare and Mia discuss the New York City mayoral primary and what it means for the Big Apple and the future of the Democratic Party.
Sources/Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxyXXVoi514
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/24/nyregion/nyc-democratic-primary-election-mayor
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKvdChiOFLv/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
array(3) { [0]=> string(150) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/programs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/78d30acb-8463-4c40-a5ae-ae2d0145c9ff/image.jpg?t=1749835422&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }The World in Brief from The Economist - NATO bows to America on defence; Britain’s Labour MPs join rebellion against a welfare-reform bill, and more
NATO’s members pledged to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
The Source - Predicting unpredictable policymaking from Donald Trump
Whether it's a strength or vulnerability, Donald Trump's erratic nature and unpredictable policy making is something the entire world must deal with. Philip Luck, an economist and former Biden trade official, discusses how Trump's waxing policies are costing America.