Most Americans now get at least some of their news from social media. But these days, the internet can seem less a place for humans to connect and more a playground for AI-powered bots.
One estimate found around 20 percent of accounts on social media are automated, while another study found that, for controversial topics, nearly half of the posts could be bot–generated.
Experts are sounding the alarm. Large-scale automated social media campaigns could threaten our democracy and the next presidential election.
We know conversations we have online can influence how we experience this political moment, but what happens when bad actors fan the flames with AI-generated photos, bot campaigns, and misinformation?
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Bad Faith - Episode 550 Promo – Epstein, Chomsky, & The Politics of Betrayal (w/ Chris Hedges)
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Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, author, & theologian Chris Hedges returns to Bad Faith to engage in a spirited debate about how to act now that liberal incrementalism has led to incremental fascism. Why does it feel like so much left discourse is explaining why we aren't ready to act: "Insufficient union density, insufficient political consciousness, insufficient organization"? If it only takes 3% of the population to spark revolutionary change, what can we do with the tens of millions who mobilized for George Floyd or Palestine? How do we sustain civil disobedience as the state increasingly criminalizes free speech and ratchets up penalties as they did for Jessica Reznicek? Also, Hedges discusses his viral commentary on Epstein's relationship with Noam Chomsky, why he's not a Marxist, and more. Can't skip this one.
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Produced by Armand Aviram.
Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).
The Daily - When A.I. Comes to Town: The Backlash Over Data Centers
Tech companies are racing to build thousands of huge data centers to power the artificial intelligence revolution. To find the land they need, they are barreling into rural communities across the United States with the promise of good jobs. But not everyone is buying that pitch.
Karen Weise, a technology correspondent for The New York Times, tells the story of one county pushing back against Big Tech.
Guest: Karen Weise, a technology correspondent for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- What exactly are artificial intelligence companies trying to build? Here’s a guide.
- How large tech companies are offloading the risks of the A.I. boom.
- At this big Amazon data center in Indiana, everything is supersized for A.I.
Photo: AJ Mast for The New York Times
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Start the Week - Breakage and repair
When society, financial systems and human beings fall short, how can we repair the damage? Tom Sutcliffe hosts Radio 4's discussion programme which starts the week, exploring the social, moral and political contradictions of the world we face today, with US novelist George Saunders, Turkish writer Ece Temulkuran and investigative journalist Oliver Bullough,
The Booker Prize winning novelist, George Saunders new book Vigil deals with the moral ambivalence of a greedy oil executive; the death bed reckoning of a man who resists facing his life and legacy. The Turkish writer, Ece Temulkuran's new book Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding a Home in the 21st Century explores the rising global displacement of people who will need to forge stronger connections amid political and social upheaval.
In an investigation of money laundering, Oliver Bullough's Everybody Loves Our Dollars sets out the scale of the problem and why we are failing to tackle the global systems that allow illicit money to move freely using sites as varied as Bicester Shopping Village in Oxfordshire and a casino in Vancouver, Canada.
Producer: Ruth Watts
The Source - Why Trump is trying to rewrite American history
Recently the slavery exhibit was removed at Independence National Historical Park, The Pride flag was removed at Stonewall National Monument and at the Smithsonian references to President Trumps impeachments were taken down. We hear from Jason Stanley, the author of “Erasing History – How Fascists rewrite the Past to Control the Future.”array(3) {
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The Daily - Boos, Rivalries and Records: Inside the 2026 Olympics
In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” the host Rachel Abrams is joined by her New York Times colleagues Motoko Rich, Shawna Richer and Juliet Macur, who are all covering this year’s Olympic Games. They discuss how the geopolitical climate may or may not be influencing the competition, and talk about some of the extraordinary athletes who are pushing the limits of physical achievements.
On Today’s Episode
Motoko Rich is the Rome bureau chief for The New York Times.
Juliet Macur is a national reporter covering sports for The New York Times.
Shawna Richer is an editor at The New York Times, working on coverage of sports in America.
Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Images: Sarah Stier/Getty Images
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.
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Pod Save America - 1121: How To Survive a Dictatorship (feat. Wagner Moura)
What can we learn from other countries that have lived through dictatorships? How can artists fight authoritarianism? How should an Oscar nominee react to an encounter with ICE on the way to the Academy Awards? Alex Wagner is joined by actor and filmmaker Wagner Moura, star of the Oscar-nominated The Secret Agent — a thrilling, beautiful film set during Brazil’s military dictatorship. You may also remember Moura as Pablo Escobar from Narcos. Wagner and Wagner discuss the political parallels between Brazil and the United States, what Alex Pretti’s killing teaches us about masculinity, and the Trump administration’s distorted response to violence in the streets. They also talk about the importance of cultural memory, what the Epstein Files say about power, Trump’s reaction to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, and the gutting of The Washington Post. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett will be back in your feeds this week.
The Gist - The Scalpel And The Chainsaw
On this Saturday edition of The Gist, we present "One From The Future." Mike joins Ruy Teixeira on the Liberal Patriot podcast to discuss a brewing theory regarding the mechanics of political change. They debate the utility of the "Scalpel" (technocratic, targeted cuts) versus the "Chainsaw" (the Elon Musk/DOGE approach of massive disruption). Plus, a look at why Democrats are better at mobilizing than organizing, the trap of "The Omnicause," and the re-branding of objectivity in modern journalism.
Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
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The Daily - ‘The Interview’: The Woman at the Center of the French Rape Trial That Shocked the World
Gisèle Pelicot opens up about surviving years of secret abuse and her life today.
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The Gist - Ben Terris: “Visiting A Parallel Universe”
Today on The Gist, Mike breaks down Judge Richard Leon's ruling that Pete Hegseth's attempt to strip Senator Mark Kelly of his rank was absolute "horse feathers." Then, Ben Terris of New York Magazine joins to discuss his feature on the health of the President in 2026. They discuss the "talking points" held by Walter Reed doctors, the vanity behind the hand bruises, and the difficulty of assessing Trump's mental acuity when his inner circle has committed to the bit.
Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/
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