This Machine Kills - 398. The Treacherous Eunuch

We try to figure out what the fuck is happening in the US as we chat about the low rent car commercial at the White House, the human shields of cops protecting Tesla dealerships, how Musk has become (by his own actions) a scapegoat for the public’s hatred, and the ongoing disintegration of social bonds and moral solidarity under a fascist regime. Plus a new data analysis system called ShadowDragon that is supercharging the surveillance capabilities of ICE, DEA, DoS, and more. We endeavor to analyze the abyss, organize against the abyss, but not get caught staring into the abyss. ••• Stalled Audits and a Skeleton Staff: Inside Trump’s War on the I.R.S. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/us/politics/irs-taxes-trump-musk-federal-workers.html ••• The Abduction of Mahmoud Khalil https://www.unpopularfront.news/p/the-abduction-of-mahmoud-khalil ••• Yale Suspends Scholar After A.I.-Powered News Site Accuses Her of Terrorist Link https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/us/yale-suspends-scholar-terrorism.html ••• The 200+ Sites an ICE Surveillance Contractor is Monitoring https://www.404media.co/the-200-sites-an-ice-surveillance-contractor-is-monitoring/ Standing Plugs: ••• Order Jathan’s new book: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520398078/the-mechanic-and-the-luddite ••• Subscribe to Ed’s substack: https://substack.com/@thetechbubble ••• Subscribe to TMK on patreon for premium episodes: https://www.patreon.com/thismachinekills Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (bsky.app/profile/jathansadowski.com) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (www.x.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (bsky.app/profile/jebr.bsky.social)

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - Strange News: Love on the Train, Space Updates, AI as G-d, Pre-crime Targeting of Protestors, and More

Updates on space exploration. A seemingly-symbolic quarrel between an eagle and a goose. Large language models try out religion and pre-crime, all as a recent graduate gets deported for his political views. In other news, light becomes solid, prompting Ben and the gang to call for input from a physicist. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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Native America Calling - Monday, March 17, 2025 – Science excellence

Two Native students are among the recent winners of one of the most prestigious science research competitions for high school students. Logan Lee (Native Hawaiian) and Ava Grace Cummings (Lumbee and Coharie) placed in the top 10 among thousands of contestants in the Regeneron Science Talent Search. It’s the first time two Indigenous students were awarded prizes in the competition’s 83-year history. We’ll hear about their drive for science excellence. We’ll also check in with the author of Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa. It’s a children’s book by Leslie Stall Widener and illustrator Johnson Yazzie highlighting the enduring connection between the Choctaw Nation and Ireland.

It Could Happen Here - Understanding Rojava’s Tishrin Dam Resistance

In an episode recorded before the agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF, James talks with Jenni Keasden (@jkeasden) about the situation in Rojava and the resistance at Tishrin Dam. 

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Good Bad Billionaire - Martha Stewart: The original lifestyle influencer

Martha Stewart revolutionised home entertaining with her recipes, home decor and TV shows, becoming one of the world's most successful women in business. Known as the ultimate homemaker and the "original lifestyle influencer", she's also the USA’s first ever self-made female billionaire. But while the entrepreneur made her fortune as a domestic goddess, Martha Stewart is no trad wife. It took more than crafts and cookbooks to make her fortune. And then it all came crashing down.

BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng are back with a new season of Good Bad Billionaire. In this episode, they're exploring the life of Martha Stewart, charting the lifestyle mogul’s career, from her influence over millions of American homes, to her time in prison, and her ultimate comeback – as a star of social media and the subject of a Netflix documentary, all with Snoop Dogg at her side. Then they decide if they think she’s good, bad, or just another billionaire.

Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast exploring the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility before inviting you to make up your own mind: are they good, bad or just another billionaire?

It Could Happen Here - CZM Book Club: The Barrow Will Send What it May, Chapter Two

Margaret reads Robert Evans the second book in her Danielle Cain series

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Philosophers In Space - Listener Qs 39

As always, it has been an honor and a privilege screwing up your names and worldviews. Enjoy!

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Content Preview: Listener Q and As 40!

It Could Happen Here - It Could Happen Here Weekly 173

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file. 

  1. How the State Created Elon Musk

  2. Candace Owens' Hollywood Tabloid Pivot feat. Bridget Todd

  3. Mahmoud Khalil's Arrest and What Comes Next

  4. Nate Silver: The Smoothest Brain On The Internet
  5. Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #7

You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today!

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Sources/Links:

How the State Created Elon Musk

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0sg0782h

https://www.axios.com/2025/01/09/tesla-clean-credits-trump

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/tesla-racked-up-greenhouse-emissions-credits-2023-other-automakers-lagged-2024-11-25/

https://www.aol.com/report-says-elon-musks-businesses-170042735.html?

https://archive.is/QyXuK

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-28/wealthy-americans-fuel-half-of-us-economy-consumer-spending

Mahmoud Khalil's Arrest and What Comes Next

https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-mahmoud-khalil-ice-15014bcbb921f21a9f704d5acdcae7a8

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/additional-measures-to-combat-anti-semitism/

https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1388516/dl?inline

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-takes-forceful-and-unprecedented-steps-to-combat-anti-semitism/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-education-accessible-and-ending-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-in-schools/

https://forward.com/fast-forward/689866/biden-team-resolves-its-final-title-vi-antisemitism-and-anti-arab-cases/

https://theintercept.com/2025/02/15/columbia-alumni-israel-whatsapp-deport-gaza-protesters/

https://x.com/dhsgov/status/1898908955675357314?s=46&t=F-n6cTZFsKgvr1yQ7oHXRg

https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1897776709778211044

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114139222625284782

https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/03/can-trump-deport-a-green-card-holding-pro-hamas-columbia-grad/

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/10/11/cornell-international-grad-student-says-he-wont-be-deported

Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #7

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/trump-tariffs-steel-aluminum-levies-imports-europe-china-uk-japan-rcna195810

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/business/china-tariffs-us.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-beijing-trump-npc-xi-trade-growth-defense-nato-communist-tariffs-rcna195271

https://fortune.com/2025/03/11/goldman-sachs-chief-economist-downgrades-entire-us-economy-trump-tariffs-markets/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/trade-tensions-china-canada-retaliate-us-tariffs-rcna194645

https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/1067709/us-stocks-downgraded-by-investment-banks-amid-pause-on-us-exceptionalism-1067709.html

https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-stock-musk-business-8a5f28d9bb16e0b8a924d99ead0907fa

https://apnews.com/article/trump-eu-tariffs-countermeasures-806a3b9bcc9cd4e45817e672d95f0070

https://fortune.com/asia/2025/03/11/citi-downgrades-us-upgrades-china-trump-recession/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/us/politics/trump-tariffs-house-gop-vote.html

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - Astrology and the Government, Chapter Two: Fortune-telling in the White House

While astrology is often portrayed as a belief system of ancient empires and ages past, the popular assumption could not be further from the truth. In the second episode of this series, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the times U.S. Presidents looked for guidance from the stars.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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