Plus: Taliban accused of cutting off internet in Afghanistan. And the U.S. to take equity stake in Lithium Americas and its Nevada mining project. Julie Chang hosts.
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Lost Debate - Why AI Kisses Your Ass
Ravi Gupta sits down with The Atlantic’s Matteo Wong to dig into why AI chatbots act like digital yes-men—and the risks that come with it. They explore how reinforcement learning fuels this sycophancy, why companies shape bot “personalities,” and what it means for safety. Along the way, they cover teen harms, Musk’s Grok pushing conspiracies, Google’s Gemini edge, and OpenAI’s massive reach. The episode asks the big question: can anyone break the OpenAI–Google–Anthropic monopoly, or is the future of AI already locked in?
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1A - Checking In On The Federal Workforce As The Government Shuts Down
The White House is continuing its mission to hollow out the federal workforce.
The Trump administration has signaled that it will use the government shutdown to prompt and encourage mass resignations and layoffs.
More than 150,000 federal employees plan to leave the U.S. government payroll this week. It’s the largest single-year exodus of federal workers since World War II.
For workers who opted into the deferred exit program, those resignations began on Tuesday. Workers who didn’t take the buyouts were recently threatened with dismissal.
We check in on the state of the federal workforce.
What happens now that tens of thousands of these employees are leaving? And what’s life like for those who remain?
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The Trump administration has signaled that it will use the government shutdown to prompt and encourage mass resignations and layoffs.
More than 150,000 federal employees plan to leave the U.S. government payroll this week. It’s the largest single-year exodus of federal workers since World War II.
For workers who opted into the deferred exit program, those resignations began on Tuesday. Workers who didn’t take the buyouts were recently threatened with dismissal.
We check in on the state of the federal workforce.
What happens now that tens of thousands of these employees are leaving? And what’s life like for those who remain?
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Time To Say Goodbye - Why are Hobbies So Damn Expensive Now?
Hello!
Today we take a break from politics and talk about hobbies and a thing that Tyler coined “hobby inflation” where everything from clay pigeons to green fees to surfboards to knitting tools have all skyrocketed in price since the pandemic. What does this mean to the future of “doing fun s**t” and how does it dovetail with the never-ending rise in the amount of time we spend on our phones?
Enjoy!
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe
The Bulwark Podcast - Ken Burns: You Have To Be A Bulwark
A government shutdown begins, as a standoff over spending enters what could be a painful phase. And President Trump kicks off the week warning his military leaders about facing an invasion from within. Ken Burns joins Tim Miller to talk about his new documentary, “The American Revolution,” what lessons from history he tries to apply our current politics and how the country has navigated unrest in the past.
Show Notes:
Show Notes:
- Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) and NYC (10/11) with Sarah, Tim and JVL are on sale now at TheBulwark.com/events.
The Bulwark Podcast - Ken Burns: You Have To Be A Bulwark
A government shutdown begins, as a standoff over spending enters what could be a painful phase. And President Trump kicks off the week warning his military leaders about facing an invasion from within. Ken Burns joins Tim Miller to talk about his new documentary, “The American Revolution,” what lessons from history he tries to apply our current politics and how the country has navigated unrest in the past.
Show Notes:
Show Notes:
- Bulwark Live in DC (10/8) and NYC (10/11) with Sarah, Tim and JVL are on sale now at TheBulwark.com/events.
Headlines From The Times - DACA Proposal, Robotaxi Loopholes, Military Shakeup, AI Coding, Fire Relief, and TikTok Plan
The federal government moves to reopen DACA for first-time applicants as legal challenges loom. In California, police confront gaps in the law after stopping a driverless Waymo car. President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announce sweeping changes to military standards and policies. In Silicon Valley, AI “vibe-coding” reshapes software development. In business, California fire survivors gain mortgage relief under a new law and Trump’s revived TikTok security plan draws criticism for leaving national security risks unresolved.
Audio Poem of the Day - Breakfast with Thom Gunn
By Randall Mann
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Federalist Radio Hour - ‘You’re Wrong’ With Mollie Hemingway And David Harsanyi, Ep. 169: Shutdown
Join Washington Examiner Senior Writer David Harsanyi and Federalist Editor-In-Chief Mollie Hemingway as they discuss what the latest government shutdown means for Republicans and Democrats, analyze the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, and share their thoughts on President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan. Mollie and David also review the NFL's pick for the Super Bowl halftime show, House of Guinness, and Slow Horses.
If you care about combating the corrupt media that continue to inflict devastating damage, please give a gift to help The Federalist do the real journalism America needs.
If you care about combating the corrupt media that continue to inflict devastating damage, please give a gift to help The Federalist do the real journalism America needs.
WSJ Minute Briefing - U.S. Unexpectedly Lost 32,000 Jobs Last Month, ADP Data Show
Plus: The U.S. Supreme Court allows Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to keep her job for now, scheduling arguments in January. And Meta says it will begin using chatbot data to target ads on its platforms. Alex Ossola hosts.
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An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor.
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