In theory, crowdfunding sites offer an opportunity for anyone to give to any cause, including, say, strangers facing huge medical... more

The 2021 subreddit-coordinated effort to raise the price of Gamestop stock was, in some ways, a proof of concept: the... more

The ability to choose the sex of your child through IVF is banned in most of the world. In America,... more

You might not know Brad Parscale by name, but you know his work: he was the digital campaign operative behind... more

The California Journalism Preservation Act would make companies like Google and Meta pay publishers for the news content appearing in... more

Bird flu isn’t new, you may even remember past outbreaks. But showing up in milk?  Is America ready if it leaps... more

There are regulations regarding how farm animals are transported, how they’re auctioned, how they’re slaughtered—but when they’re living on the... more

The TikTok ban that has been floating around Washington since the last administration has been signed into law. What does... more

From the Wayback Machine to the mass-digitization of the history of Aruba, the Internet Archive is a non-profit doing valuable... more

Tesla’s market cap has dropped. The company had its biggest round of layoffs ever. The Cybertruck doesn’t seem to be... more

How the semi-legalization of marijuana has drawn a road map for legalizing psychedelics—and also provided a list of pitfalls to... more

Why lately our search engines just don’t seem to deliver results.  Guest: Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media and co-host of... more

The demand for electricity is surging in the U.S. With increasing amounts of power going towards artificial intelligence, manufacturing and... more

Donald Trump got a huge financial boost when Truth Social went public last week—or did he? Guest: Nitish Pahwa, associate writer... more

From science fiction writers to American presidents to Elon Musk, everyone’s eager to send people to Mars. But, even if... more

How supply chains, the pandemic, and a steady stream of Wall Street money led to a crisis at Boeing. Guest: Jon... more

After organized-labor victories at Amazon, with automakers, and in Hollywood, big corporations are striking back by, among other things, suing... more

Despite the blackouts, moderator revolts, and long string of controversies, Reddit remains an active, healthy website. As the site goes... more

Private equity firms have been buying up doctors’ offices and hospitals around the country. But if profits are the primary... more

TikTok’s connection to the Chinese government has been a Washington talking point since the Trump administration, but earlier this month... more

As the debate around child safety online rages on, an investigation by The New York Times found a seedy world... more

Thousands of songs have disappeared from TikTok in recent months as music giant Universal Music Group, or UMG, has pulled... more

Why scam obituaries are edging out earnest ones, with the help of artificial intelligence and an adept Google game. Guest: Mia... more

Is it censorship for social media platforms to moderate their content, or is censorship when the state tells social media... more

Fertility doctors and their patients trying to conceive via in vitro fertilization (IVF) were stopped in their tracks this week,... more

Studies have found that, in tiny increments, America’s East Coast is sinking into the ground thanks to climate change. Can... more

Apple Vision Pro goggles might be a crime against fashion but with the amount of data they can collect—both on... more

The war in Ukraine reordered the priorities of the country’s growing tech sector, and has become a place for foreign... more

For a while, it seemed like the only place to meet potential partners was through an app—Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, etc.... more

The NFL's concussion settlement was meant to provide financial support and medical help for players who developed traumatic brain injuries... more

The number of TV streaming services is going up—and so is the cost and so are the number of ads.... more

For all the promise of the technology, one use-case for artificial intelligence reared its ugly head last week: non-consensual pornographic... more

Are we still paying off our pandemic-induced “immunity debt,” or is there another reason that it feels like we’re all... more

In the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary, voters received a robocall purportedly from Joe Biden. Authorities have... more

How much of our lives—our tastes, preferences and choices—have been fed to us through an interlocking, impersonal network of algorithms?  Guest:... more

When a cyberattack knocked the British Library out of commission in October of last year, a nation's researchers, scholars, students,... more

Covered in cameras, full of microphones, and always eager to use location data, our vehicles are “smartphones on wheels”—and privacy... more

Shortly after take off from Portland, OR, the plug exit on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet blew out –... more

What the Cybertruck says about safety, regulation, and the degree to which Tesla is beholden to the whims of Elon... more

If A.I. and chatbots are the next wave of innovation, then the New York Times and other media organizations are... more

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s... more

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s... more

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s... more

Without infrastructure to support all-electric vehicles, consumers have increasingly embraced the hybrid. The lower emissions are good—but are they slowing... more

Going through airport security is a legal requirement. Is it fair for a private company to interject itself in that... more

Fast-fashion titan Shein is preparing for its initial public offering, even as questions of sustainability and labor practices linger.  Guest: Jordyn... more

Elon Musk is suing Media Matters for reporting that advertisers’ content was showing up right next to posts from newly... more

Is Spotify’s 2023—ending with layoffs and cancelling critically acclaimed original podcasts—a sign of trouble at the streaming giant, or an... more

Though navigating the internet involves spraying your data pretty indiscriminately, you actually have more control over it than you think—it’s... more

Artificial intelligence seems predestined to become a bigger part of our lives. To what extent is the A.I. push being... more

The first steps on the moon were in the name of “all mankind.” But with more countries—and the private sector—competing... more

An app for open money laundering, a corridor of massive casinos in the middle of nowhere, and the global scamdemic.  Guest:... more

OpenAI was the hottest startup in Silicon Valley off the success of ChatGPT. Then, the board fired Sam Altman.  Guest: Mike... more

The bedbug break-out during Paris fashion week this fall was obviously horrifying, but the bad news doesn’t stop there. Bedbugs... more

Girls at a New Jersey high school were early victims of a novel and growing problem: their images were taken... more

A review website became suddenly flush with new bylines, right as the newsroom was negotiating with management. But information on... more

In late October, Tesla mechanics in Sweden began to strike after the company refused to sign a collective agreement. This... more

Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty on seven charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering and is facing a 110-year... more

Biden’s executive order on A.I. indicates his administration is taking it seriously. Does it go far enough?  Guest: Cecilia Kang, covering... more

The man at the center of it all takes the stand in his own defense—but what’s left to say? Guest: Nitish... more

In August, California regulators voted to allow self-driving car companies like Cruise and Waymo to expand their operations and start... more

Since Microsoft announced its bid to buy Activision Blizzard last year, regulators around the world sounded the alarm that the... more

Since war broke out, Hamas has been efficient in getting its message out on social media - both in providing... more

Zelle has exploded in popularity as a fast, convenient way to send and receive money. But the story of a... more

When the Arab Spring was unfolding, Twitter was hailed as a way for on-the-ground reporting to reach the public. But... more

Hank Asher was a lot of things: a Florida condo maven, a drug runner, a DEA informant—and a tech visionary... more

As the trial begins, SBF is making the case that what he did is typical in the world of crypto.... more

The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried marks the end of an era where crypto rose to dizzying, Super-Bowl-commercial heights. Where does... more

After years of being a rare spot of universal, American-government-funded health care, this fall’s new COVID-19 vaccine is hitting the... more

Amazon evolved from a place to get cheap used books to the “everything store”—one encompassing warehouses, logistics and shipping.  But with... more

As other tech companies that rode the pandemic to success started sinking, Instacart managed to stay above water—they turned a... more

The sword of regulation, which has been swinging over New York AirBnBs for over a decade, is falling at last.... more

The bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act has noble-sounding intentions, but has been called one of the most dangerous bills in... more

A trial a decade in the making has started, as the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google and its... more

COVID’s still here but the public’s appetite for masking, social distancing, or remote learning is long gone. One palatable way... more

When Howard County signed a $27 million contract with the start-up Zum, the company promised to modernize the way schools... more

It wasn’t long ago when social media was a place to go for up-to-the-minute updates in an emergency. But even... more

As Twitt—sorry, X—continues to go through tumult, an unlikely, long-time player is emerging as the last acceptable place to post. Guest:... more

Most pet food is made from the byproducts of the meat that we, humans, eat. Recently, there’s been a rise... more

In the spring, it looked like TikTok was on the verge of being banned in America. Since then, it’s continued... more

Sorting through a loved one’s things after they’ve died can be an emotional, difficult chore. But now, added to that,... more

At first, cryptocurrency seemed like the solution to the problems sex workers have had with traditional banks. But as the... more

When conservative writer Richard Hanania’s old posts, originally published under a pseudonym, came to light, people were shocked at just... more

A “smart gun” is designed to only work in the hands of the gun’s proper owner. With the first smart... more

After a quiet spring, COVID is surging back for the fourth consecutive summer. So, is this just life now?  Guest: Katherine... more

Tesla sold a vision of how electric vehicles would work: just like gas-powered cars, but cleaner, better. But as a... more

It’s 2023 – and less than half of all Americans have returned to the office full time. That means U.S.... more

At a White House summit late last week, some of the biggest names in tech - including Meta, Google and... more

When the tech industry started rounds of layoffs this year, almost half of the people let go were women—even though... more

To keep places like Phoenix habitable, we need to have air-conditioning. But to have air-conditioning, we need a functional, modern... more

Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the... more

Contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS broke down last week and now a strike looms. With time running out,... more

Andrew Tate’s gross mix of self-help, toxic masculinity and misogyny captured the minds of young boys on the internet. It... more

It seems like with each new Musk innovation, a new Twitter replacement appears in response. But Threads is backed by... more

Even if you like the convenience of your phone unlocking after it reads your face, there are reasons to be... more

A shortage of basic chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer is jeopardizing the care of hundreds of thousands of patients. The... more

Semaglutide, better known by its brand name Ozempic, has been making headlines as a weight loss drug – despite only... more

On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon, accusing the online giant of “tricking and trapping people into recurring subscriptions.”... more

One son was preparing to take over George Soros’s multi-billion-dollar empire. Then, there was a falling out, and a new... more

Across Reddit, thousands of forums have gone “private” and effectively disappeared. Users are protesting the site’s plan to capitalize on... more

As “deep fakes” have demonstrated, it’s getting easier and easier to swap an actor for a digital likeness—something that contributed... more

This week, the SEC sued Binance, the largest crypto exchange in the world, and Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in... more

Until recently, Nvidia was a company known for graphics cards—a brand name among gamers but not necessarily the general public.... more

When someone posts a photo of you online without your consent, it should be easy to have it taken down... more

How the music streaming business opened the door to billions of dollars in fraud. Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg News reporter covering... more

How Twitter’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino finds herself on the edge of “the glass cliff”: when a woman is sent... more

From the coffee shop to the salon to the grocery store, Americans feel like they’re being prompted and prodded for... more

Out of the smoky backrooms, Vegas and clandestine dens, and straight to your phone—how did gambling on sports go from... more

Space might seem to be heading from the domain of big government programs to a playground for billionaires. But just... more

Artificial intelligence—as it already exists today—is drawing from huge troves of surveillance data and is rife with the biases built... more

Meta’s reached a sort of mid-life crisis. Between the layoffs, the stagnant metaverse and Facebook’s dwindling profile, does Zuckerberg have... more

When television and screenwriters went on strike in 2007, Netflix had just started offering the option to stream content. This... more

Two gig workers standing side-by-side can be offered the very same job and get offered two different wages. Set by... more

Twitter’s “blue check” verification went from something you applied for, to something you could pay for, to something you had... more

Weather apps can be frustrating. And with how much we rely on them to know if we should wear pants... more

Reddit announced it will start charging companies to use its huge, ever-growing trove of text to train A.I. chatbots. It’s... more

A new law in Utah that goes into effect next year states that anyone under 18 needs parental permission to... more

Discord is a place to share a community online. Most often, it's for gaming. So why did classified intelligence from... more

U.S. air travel is being strained on all sides—travel demand is back to 2019 levels, but the number of pilots... more

While TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, is fighting to keep its flagship app from being banned in the United States, it’s... more