In the late 19th century, a railroad boom fueled by easy money, speculative investment, and new technology helped kick off one of the worst financial crises in American history. Sound kind of familiar?
In today’s episode, Derek talks with author Liaquat Ahamed about his new book, '1873,' and the similarities between the railroad mania of the 19th century an ... Show More
Yesterday
What’s the Point of College?
Trust in American higher education is near a historic low. Tuition has soared, and the payoff for a college degree is now in question as graduates face a weird and challenging job market. Simultaneously, AI is transforming everything around them, from academic fraud to job applic ... Show More
56m 50s
Sep 1
AI Slop Is Breaking the Internet. Can We Save It?
So many people seem to hate AI, and it’s not just because it might displace millions of jobs, destroy the world, or deepen distrust in big corporations and government. The reason might actually be simpler than we think: People don't like AI because it is so often used to make thi ... Show More
56m 8s
Aug 25
Why Everything Is Going to Keep Getting More Expensive
For much of the 21st century, the U.S. economy was built around cheap money. Today, though, interest rates are rising, and borrowing is getting much more expensive. At the same time, the federal government is running huge deficits while governments and companies around the world ... Show More
41m 54s
Jul 2021
July 4, 2021: Independence from the virus; partisan media in a Biden-induced slump; is Tucker Carlson the new Alex Jones?
Plus... Running out of words to describe the climate crisis; a reporter's notebook from Kabul; will Bill Cosby speak out, and will anyone listen? Dr. Jonathan Reiner, Oliver Darcy, Sara Fischer, David Sanger, Jennifer Epstein, Anna Coren, Emily Atkin and David Wallace-Wells join ... Show More
40m 58s
Sep 2021
September 19, 2021: 'Lie, rinse, and repeat' is GOP media's specialty; new revelations from 'Peril;' will Facebook Files revelations spur any real change?
Plus... why the phrase 'do your own research' is hurting America's Covid response; the rise of 'digital detectives' during missing persons cases; did the media overreact to 'Justice for J6' rally? Rep. Adam Smith, Mary Trump, Renee DiResta and Yael Eisenstat, Evan Osnos, and Davi ... Show More
44m 15s
Feb 2021
February 21, 2021: How fact-checking is changing in a post-Trump world; why hysterical headlines hurt the Covid vaccine rollout; will countries link arms and make Facebook pay for news?
Plus... Power and water disasters in Texas are shining a light on local news; out-of-context headlines are clouding Covid-19 vaccine news; how Ted Cruz's trip to Cancun was exposed by Twitter sleuths; and more. Emily Ramshaw, Bill Carter, Carol Leonnig, Daniel Dale, Angie Drobnic ... Show More
41m 45s