Julie Chan has an average life working as a cashier at a grocery store. But she's constantly getting mistaken for a famous influencer, her estranged identical twin Chloe. One day, Julie receives a mysterious phone call that results in her decision to swap lives with her sister, adopting Chloe's followers and the glamorous lifestyle that comes with them. That's the setup of Liann Zhang's debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead. In today's episode, Zhang talks with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about the author's own experience as a teenage "skinfluencer" – and Zhang's views on influencer culture today.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Tech reporter Mike Isaac returns to the show for a round-up of the latest AI news. From collegiate cheating to funeral planning, Mike helps us make some sense of how this wonderful emerging technology is reshaping human society in so many delightful ways, and certainly is not a madness rune chipping away at what little sanity remains in our population’s fraying psyche.
We’re doing another call-in show with Matt for the midweek, so if you have any questions or comments, send an UNDER 30 SECOND voice recording to calls@chapotraphouse.com
We also have some new merch going up at chapotraphouse.store this Weds, May 14. So keep your eyes out for that!
Amanda Holmes reads Nikki Giovanni’s “That Day.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.
This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
Revolutionary Blackout Network co-founder Nick Cruse returns to Bad Faith to break down the liberal media meltdown over tepid efforts to push the party left. Not only are establishment politicians and commentators quick to decry the "message" of the AOC/Bernie rallies, David Hogg's efforts to primary old guard Democrats have been met with threats to oust him as DNC vice chair. Even James Carville is insisting that progressives leave the party. Broken clock-style, is Carville right? Also, Joe Biden joins The View and doubles down on his fitness to run while throwing Kamala under the bus, and Elizabeth Warren humiliates herself by refusing to admit that Biden hasn't been mentally fit since Rogue One was in theaters. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders repeats Zionist propaganda on the Senate floor. Is this a party that can be saved?
Today we talk about the U.S.-China tariff rollback, Trump's plan to reduce drug prices, the ongoing negotiations with Russia, Iran, and Hamas, and the appearance of daylight between the U.S. and Israel. And finally we get into Trump's desire for a Qatari airplane and the multiple emoluments-related disasters that may lie ahead for the administration. Give a listen.
Caleb O. Brown hosted the Cato Daily Podcast for nearly 18 years, producing well over 4000 episodes. He has gone on to head Kentucky’s Bluegrass Institute. This is one among the best episodes produced in his tenure, selected by the host and listeners.
In assessing the legacy of Mitch McConnell as a Republican leader in the U.S. Senate, it’s important to include his large role in radically reducing the regulation of Americans’ political speech. Cato’s John Samples explains.
In the latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Daniel J. Mahoney joins in to discuss his recent book, "The Persistence of the Ideological Lie: The Totalitarian Impulse Then and Now."
Intro music by Jack Bauerlein.
In the early 17th century, Japan was witness to a samurai who was arguably its greatest warrior ever.
He wasn’t just one of the greatest swordsmen in history; he was a philosopher, a writer, an artist, and, in contravention to the samurai code at the time, he was a vagabond.
Today, he is considered a saint of Japanese martial arts, and he has been portrayed in Japanese movies and books.
Learn more about Miyamoto Musashi, Japan’s greatest swordsman on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.