The Doomscroll News Report

Mass trials, technofascist manifestos, and salmon on cocaine

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna tackle the mass trial for MS-13 members in El Salvador, Palantir’s sicko manifesto, and why the salmon are on cocaine.

Read along with us!

Mass trials:

Palantir's "manifesto":

Cocaine salmon:

One year of doomscrolling!

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:00:00 +0800

Hanna and Amanda reflect on some of their favorite stories from the last year of Doomscroll News Report episodes. They also have a chat(GPT) about the controversies surrounding OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Read along:

Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted?

Suspect in attack at Sam Altman’s house aimed to kill OpenAI CEO, warned of humanity’s extinction from AI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman denies sexual abuse allegations made by his sister in lawsuit

Nepal’s Gen Z electoral revolution

Pope Leo visits Cameroon with message of peace amid attacks from Trump

An uneasy ceasefire without Lebanon, and Hungary's big election

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are discussing the Iran ceasefire that came and almost went, why Lebanon doesn't seem to be included, and Viktor Orban’s tight election which could cost him his 16-year rule.

Read along with us!

Iran, ceasefires, and Lebanon: 1. What we know about the two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran (Kelly Ng, Khashayar Joneidi, and Daniel De Simone, BBC), 2. At least 182 killed across Lebanon in large wave of Israeli strikes (Hugo Bachega, BBC), 3. Lebanese fear war could get 'much worse' as Israel attacks amid fragile ceasefire (Allyson Horn, the ABC)

Hungary's 2026 elections: 1. Trump could soon lose his best friend in Europe (Christian Edwards, CNN), 2. JD Vance backs Orbán's re-election bid in Budapest visit and hits out at EU (Nick Thorpe and Paul Kirby, BBC), 3. Once inspired by Orban, Hungary's Peter Magyar now leads the charge to unseat him (Anita Komuves, Reuters), 4. Hungary's Tisza party seen winning two-thirds majority in parliament, Median projection shows (Reuters)

Iran war identity crisis, Cuba without power, and alpine divorce

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna tackle defections and ideology clashes in Trump’s party over the Iran war, what’s happening in Cuba, and a trend called the "alpine divorce".

Read along with us!

Iran War effects on domestic support : 1. The Republican Identity Crisis Over the Iran War (Natalie Kitroeff and Robert Draper, The Daily NYT podcast), 2. Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, urging Trump to 'reverse course' (Bernd Debusmann Jr, BBC), 3. Ossoff grills Gabbard on whether Iran posed ‘imminent nuclear threat’(Ryan Mancini , The Hill)

Cuba's power crisis: 1. Cuba is going dark under US pressure. How the crisis unfolded and why its troubles are far from over (Mauricio Torres and Michael Rios, CNN), 2. National blackout hits Cuba for second time in a week (Will Grant and Harry Sekulich, BBC), 3. Aid vessel arrives in Havana as Cuba’s economic and energy crises deepen ( Andrea Rodríguez, AP News)

Alpine divorce: 1. Women are being abandoned by their partners on hiking trails. What’s behind ‘alpine divorce’? (Alaina Demopoulos, The Guardian), 2. The concept of an “alpine divorce”... (Emma Choi, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR)

Scam industries and skinny shots

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, Hanna and Amanda discuss the dystopian cyber scam industry that seems to have made its home in remote parts of southeast Asia. We also discuss the highly effective T2 diabetes and weight loss management drug semaglutide, better known as Ozempic and Wegovy, and the implication of generic versions hitting the market.

Read along with us:

Police warn international pickpocket ring could be targeting Taipei MRT

‘Industrial-scale scams’ and a state allegedly ‘co-opted’: What the rise and fall of the Prince group means for Cambodia

Revealed: the huge growth of Myanmar scam centres that may hold 100,000 trafficked people

India's cheap weight-loss drugs could reshape global obesity fight

Anthropic sues the Pentagon, and Paramount buy Warner Brothers

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, we're discussing a DIFFERENT kind of AI lawsuit with Anthropic taking on the Pentagon, and the movie studio merger which may swing the news right, and a very slight detour to talk about CEOs tasting their own products.

Read along with us!

Anthropic sues the Pentagon: 1. Anthropic sues US government for calling it a risk (Kali Hays, BBC), 2. Anthropic was the Pentagon's choice for AI. Now it's banned and experts are worried (CNBC), 3. Anthropic vs the Pentagon: Inside the Battle over A.I. Warfare (The Daily by NYT), 4. Where things stand with the Department of War (Company statement by Dario Amodei)

Paramount buys Warner Brothers: 1. CBS News and CNN staffers fear ‘disaster’ as Paramount wins Warner Bros battle (Jeremy Barr , The Guardian), 2. Trump bought Netflix and Warner Bros bonds at height of bidding war with Paramount (CNBC), 3. Paramount to buy Warner Bros Discovery in $110 billion deal as Netflix bows out of race ( Karl Badohal, Harshita Mary Varghese and Jaspreet Singh, Reuters), 4. A New Media Empire (Rachel Abrams, Nicole Sperling, Lauren Hirsch and Jonathan Mahler, "The Daily" by NYT)

U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and other forms of monkey business

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0800

Hanna and Amanda talk about the only story that anyone could possibly talk about this week, plus a little bit of lighter news about primates.

Read along with us:

Pete Hegseth says Iranian regime is ‘toast’ as US expands military offensive

US says 'firepower over Iran to surge dramatically' as Israel bombards Beirut and Tehran

Where are Iran’s allies? Why Moscow, Beijing are keeping their distance

Scientists say bonobos can play make-believe

Mexico's El Mencho, Ukraine's fourth year of war, and Chinamaxxing versus the Olympics

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, we're talking about the death of Mexican cartel leader "El Mencho" and ensuing fallout, the fourth year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and finally we close by addressing the controversy over some winter Olympic athletes and how it does or doesn't intersect with the "Chinamaxxing" social media trend.

Read along with us!

Mexico vs El Mencho: 1. Mexico's most wanted drug lord 'El Mencho' killed in military operation (Will Grant and Jack Burgess, BBC), 2. Mexico sends thousands of soldiers to stop violence after death of drug lord (Jack Burgess, BBC), 3. Romantic tryst led to Mexican cartel leader's capture, death (Raul Cortes, Aida Pelaez-fernandez and Sarah Morland, Reuters), 4. Cómo murió el Mencho: detalles del operativo, mensaje del Gobierno de México, testimonios, y más (CNN en Español)

Ukraine marks four years of war: 1 . Ukraine remembers its dead as war enters a fifth year (Paul Adams and Laura Gozzi, BBC), 2. Four years on, Russia’s war in Ukraine has transformed conflict and shattered global security (Nick Paton Walsh, CNN), 3. 4 years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a look at the war by the numbers (AP, PBS)

What is Chinamaxxing: 1. Why Everyone Is Suddenly in a ‘Very Chinese Time’ in Their Lives ( Zeyi Yang and Louise Matsaki, "Made in China" newsletter: WIRED)

South Korea's Yoon imprisoned for life and Uber's lax background checks

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, Hanna and Amanda talk about the life sentence South Korea just handed down to their disgraced former president for attempting a coup, some frighteningly lax standards for Uber drivers in the United States.

Read along with us!

Yoon suk-yeol's sentence: 1. South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol jailed for life for leading insurrection (Amy Hawkins and Raphael Rashid, the Guardian), 2. South Korea gripped by uncertainty as MPs defy president’s declaration of martial law (Amy Hawkins and Raphael Rashid, the Guardian)

Uber's poor background policy: 1. Uber Cleared Violent Felons to Drive. Passengers Accused Them of Rape. (Emily Steel, New York Times), 2. Uber Moves to Enact Stricter Background Checks for Drivers (Emily Steel, New York Times)

Japanese DLP snap election success, Ring doorbell camera surveillance

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0800

Hosts Hanna and Amanda discuss the Japanese snap election that may have just enabled Prime Minister Takaichi to get back her army, and how a superbowl commercial outed police access to private cameras. Heck, we may even just discuss the Superbowl itself, just a little bit.

Read along with us!

Japan's snap election: 1. Why Takaichi would call a snap election (Michael MacArthur Bosack, Japan Times), 2. Japan’s Takaichi secures historic supermajority in landslide election victory (Yumi Asada and Lex Harvey, CNN), 3. Japan’s snap election victory likely to encourage LDP party to bolder action: analyst (Rti)

Ring security cameras and surveillance: 1. The Most Effective Super Bowl Ads Of 2026 (Charles Taylor, Forbes), 2. Amazon Ring security cameras moving deeper into law enforcement with Flock Safety, Axon deals (Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC), 3. Ring Denies Rumors That Its Footage Is Used by ICE. Here’s What to Know. ( Jon Chase, NYT Wirecutter), 4. Ring Super Bowl commercial: Why 2026 ad is receiving backlash from fans over creepy concept (Morgan Moriarty, The Sporting News), 5. Crime rates fell across US cities in 2025 (Amanda Watford, Stateline)

The importance of resilient connectivity in a seemingly superconnected world

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0800

Hanna and Amanda talk to the coordinators of the Taiwan x Arctic Youth Connection project, Hsiang Hsiang Wang and Chiayo Kuo, to learn more about Taiwanese and Norwegian students' experiments with shortwave. On the subject of alternatives to typical internet connections, they also talk about SpaceX's Starlink, and the kinds of spaces these types of communication occupy in today's world.

Referenced articles: "Musk ordered shutdown of Starlink satellite service as Ukraine retook territory from Russia," Reuter's reporting from July 2025, and "Musk says steps to stop Russia from using Starlink seem to have worked," their story from February 1

Rti's reporting on the Taiwan x Arctic Youth Connection project can be found right here.

Legal action against Grok's new explicit image generation tools and how youth movements are taking on social media addiction

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, Hanna and Amanda finally address X users who've been using Grok AI to undress women and children and (THANK GOD) the legal action and scrutiny the app is now facing. Then, we’ll be taking a look at how youths (and governments) are striking back at social media companies with a lawsuit in the U.S. against socials for using addictive tactics, and how France is hopping on the Youth Social Media ban-bandwagon.

Read along with us!

Grok explicit images cases, and followup: 1. California launches investigation into xAI and Grok over sexualized AI images (Rebecca Cohen, NBC), 2.Musk's X investigated by EU over Grok sexualised images after public outcry ( Foo Yun Chee and Sam Tabahriti, Reuters), 3. EU investigates Elon Musk's X over Grok AI sexual deepfakes (Laura Cress, BBC), 4. Elon Musk's X makes major change to Grok after deepfake backlash, but will it make a difference? (Jade Biggs and Jennifer Savin, Cosmopolitan)

Social Media Lawsuit: 1. Social media firms face landmark trial in US | BBC News (BBC Youtube), 2. Social media firms face landmark trial in US (Lily Jamali, BBC News), 3. Tech giants head to landmark US trial over social media addiction claims (The Guardian), 4. What legal experts say about a major 'bellwether trial' over child social media addiction (PBS)

Social Media Bans for Teens: 1. French lawmakers vote to ban social media use by under-15s ( AFP, The Guardian), 2. ‘Already had a profound effect’: parents react to Australia’s social media ban (Josh Taylor, The Guardian)

What ICE is doing in Minnesota, and the continuing war on journalism

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Hanna and Amanda discuss the ongoing situation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the recent activities of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, with a focus on what journalists are doing to cover the goings on. Then a quick brain break to talk about the total drama with former senator, current alleged homewrecker, Kyrsten Sinema.

Protests in Iran continue, and South Korea and China meet to say very little

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0800

Tthis week hosts Amanda and Hanna discuss what’s going on in Iran, how likely it is to make change, and a sort of follow-up the North Korea and Russia talk with more about the recent China and South Korea meeting.

Correction: in this episode the polling in Iran is erroneously attributed to The Conversation, but was actually done by the group Gaaman, and referenced in the Conversation article

Read along with us!

Iran protests: 1. Why Iran’s clerical establishment still holds as protests rage (Samia Nakhoul, Reuters), 2. Iran protests 2026: our surveys show Iranians agree more on regime change than what might come next (Ammar Maleki and Pooyan Tamimi Arab, The Conversation), 3. Why are there protests in Iran and what has Trump said about US action? (Raffi BergandDavid Gritten, BBC), 4. US military strikes Islamic State group targets in Syria, officials say (Grace Eliza Goodwin, BBC)

China and South Korea: 1. Selfies and smiles: South Korea seeks 'new phase' in ties with China (Jake Kwon and Koh Ewe, BBC), 2. China and South Korea pledge to bolster ties as regional tensions rise (Simina Mistreanu, AP)

What the US military mission in Venezuela means for global power balance

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0800

This week, Hanna Bilinski and Amanda Stephens weigh in on what they feared would happen, what did happen, and what could happen following the United States' "decaptiation mission" in Venezuela at the beginning of the year.

Read along with us!

The U.S. action in Venezuela: 1. Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro ‘captured’ after huge US military strikes (Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencies, Al Jazeera), 2. Trump plans to use Venezuela’s huge crude reserves ‘to cut US oil price to $50 a barrel’ (Jillian Ambrose, The Guardian)

A Multi-Polar world: 1. An American Strategy for a Multipolar World (Zack Cooper, Emma Ashford, and Nevada Joan Lee, The Stimson Center)

North Korea cozying up to Russia, China's symbolic tax on contraceptives, and billionaire yacht parties

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0800

Hanna and Amanda ignore the PLA elephant surrounding the island in favor of some other newsworthy topics, including North Korea's involvement in Russia's war in Ukraine, the new tax China is levying on condoms and other contraceptives, and the obnoxious way the super-rich rang in the new year.

How to balance staying informed with staying grounded: Leslie Liao, Eric Gao, and Iris Hsu

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna (mostly) take a break from current news to reflect on how we manage to stay high-information, low stress by talking to some other professionals in the news world about how they achieve work-life balance when their job literally is the news (especially in these crazy times)!

We'll be hearing from Eric Gao, a copy-editior and anchor at Taiwan Plus, Iris Hsu host of Rti's own The Divide and current breaking news writer, and anchor and reporter Leslie Liao, also from Taiwan Plus.

Read along with us:

The 12/19 Taipei metro attack: 1. Suspect in Taipei attacks that left 2 dead, 7 injured jumps to death (Focus Taiwan), 2. Taipei mass stabbing likely 'lone wolf' attack: Police (Focus Taiwan), 3. Local governments move to honor man killed trying to stop Taipei attacks (Focus Taiwan)

2025 Year-end retrospective: Part 2

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Hanna and Amanda reflect on the news story that most impacted Amanda in the year 2025: the on-going saga of U.S. "Secreatary of War" Pete Hegseth. They also briefly discuss events from the past week, including the Bondi Beach terror attack, Jimmy Lai's verdict, and the Vanity Fair whitehouse article.

Read along with us:

Weekly event recap: 1. What we know about the Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting (Tom McArthur, Emily Atkinson, and Malu Cursino, BBC), 2. Former Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai convicted in landmark national security trial (Kanis Leung, AP News), 3. Vanity Fair Goes to the White House: Trump 2.0 Edition (Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair)

Hegseth's appointment: 1. The New Yorker: Pete Hegseth forced out of veterans’ advocacy groups over misconduct allegations (Eric Bradner, CNN), 2. Pete Hegseth sworn in as US defence secretary after tie-breaking vote (Ana Faguy and Ben Hatton, BBC), 3. Hegseth confirmed as Trump’s defense secretary in tie-breaking vote despite turmoil over his conduct (Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Farnoush Amiri, AP News)

Hegseth and Signalgate: 1. Pentagon report finds Hegseth's Signal chat could have endangered U.S. service members, sources say (James LaPorta, CBS News/ Face the Nation), 2. Hegseth's Signal chat put U.S. personnel at risk, Pentagon watchdog finds (PBS NewsHour ), 3. Pentagon chief Hegseth shared sensitive Yemen war plans in second Signal chat, source says (Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, Reuters)

Boats and Warcrimes: 1. Pentagon won’t release full video of Caribbean strike that killed two people, Hegseth says (Chris Stein, The Guardian), 2. US military carried out second strike killing survivors on a suspected drug boat that had already been attacked, sources say (Natasha Bertrand, CNN)

Firing top military lawyers: 1. In Pursuit of a ‘Warrior Ethos,’ Hegseth Targets Military’s Top Lawyers (Greg Jaffe, New York Times), 2. Hegseth says he fired the top military lawyers because they weren’t well suited for the jobs (Lolita C. Baldor, AP News)

2025 year-end retrospective: Part 1

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0800

The hosts reflect on the news story that most impacted Hanna in the year 2025: the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Pardoning "narco-terrorists", Nano Banana's threats to visual journalism, and rage bait

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0800

This week, Amanda and Hanna are tackling: Trump raging against South American druglords while pardoning one, Google’s release of Nano Banana PRO and what it means for the future of visual journalism, and Oxford’s entry to the “word-of-the-year” arena.

Read along with us!

Trump pardons former Honduran President: 1. Trump formally pardons former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández (Kaitlan Collins and Maria Santana, CNN), 2. What was Honduras ex-president convicted of and why has Trump pardoned him? (Nadine Yousif, BBC), 3. Hegeseth under fire as ‘war crimes’ allegations mount (ABC7)

Nano Banana Pro's release: 1. Google’s Nano Banana Pro is raising concerns over realistic AI image generation (NBC news), 2. Nano Banana Pro Is Here: All the Changes in Google's Popular AI Image Tool (Katelyn, CNET), 3. Hands On With Google’s Nano Banana Pro Image Generator (Reese Rogers , WIRED), 4. Google’s Nano Banana Bro makes ultrarealistic AI images. It scares the hell out of me. (Katelyn Chedraoui, CNET)

Oxford's "word of the year": 1. Don't get angry, but the 2025 Oxford Word of the Year is 'rage bait' (Ivy Buck, NPR), 2. 'Rage bait' named Oxford word of the year 2025 (Noor Nanji, BBC)

A Russian-authored Ukraine "peace plan", Bolsonaro goes to prison, and free birthing

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Hanna and Amanda are going over the latest updates on the war in Ukraine, the seemingly never-ending escandalo surrounding former president of Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, and finally, a bit about "free birthing": a dangerous trend promoting pregnancy without any prenatal care and birth without any medical assistance.

Read along with us!

Ukraine and the proposed "peace plan": 1. Russia-Ukraine ‘peace plan’: What’s the latest version after US-Kyiv talks? (Al Jazeera Staff and AP, Al Jazeera), 2. Putin doubles down on demands for Ukrainian territory ahead of talks with US in Moscow (Laura Gozzi, BBC)

Bolsonaro's conviction: 1. Ex-President Bolsonaro starts serving 27-year sentence for Brazil coup plot (Ricardo Brito and Luciana Novaes Magalhaes, Reuters)

Free birthing: 1. Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world (Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne, The Guardian)

Another internet downer, women ruining workplaces, and parasocial relationships

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, Amanda and Hanna are tackling: the Cloudflare outage and what (if anything) it means, a New York Times opinion debate that blamed women for “ruining the workplace”, and finally what it says about 2025 that Cambridge's “word of the year” is PARASOCIAL.

Read along with us:

Cloudflare outage: 1. Cloudflare Outage Disrupts X, ChatGPT and Thousands of Sites (Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly, Observer), 2. Why It Feels Like Your Favorite Websites Keep Going Down (Lisa Eadicicco, CNN)

Did women ruin workplaces?: 1. Opinion | Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace? (Ross Douthat and Victoria Chamberlin, The New York Times) , 2. Women of Vanity Fair Consider Ross Douthat’s Question: Did Women Ruin the Workplace? (Vanity Fair)

Word of the year: 1. Parasocial - that one-sided feeling you really know a celebrity - is Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year (Sky News), 2. Cambridge Dictionary’s 2025 Word of the Year: ‘Parasocial’ - an ‘unhealthy’ modern phenomenon (David Mouriquand, EuroNews)

The AI bubble, Argentina's economic crisis and bailout, and mushroom computing

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Hanna and Amanda are talking about the AI bubble (whether such a bubble exists, and if it does, whether it'll burst?), the political and economic situation in Argentina right now, and finally, the future of mushrooms as the computer hardware of the future.

Read along with us:

Chekov's AI bubble:

Argentina's economic situation:

Mushroom computing:

The Sudanese civil war seen from space, the longest-ever U.S. government shutdown, and plastic-eating bacteria

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are discussing the lack of discussion on the Sudanese civil war and the upsetting satellite footage of the carnage, missing food assistance as the U.S. government shutdown becomes the longest in history, and one last bit of good news about plastics in the ocean.

Read along with us:

The Sudanese civil war: 1. A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan (Natasha Booty & Farouk Chothia, BBC), 2. Sudan civil war spiralling out of control, UN secretary general says (Patrick Wintour, The Guardian), 3. Blood spilled in Sudan can be seen from space. Nobody can feign ignorance about what’s going on (Nesrine Malik, The Guardian opinion column)

The U.S. Government Shutdown: 1.Why the U.S. government has shut down and what happens now (Anthony Zurcher and Natalie Sherman, BBC), 2. Government Shutdown Becomes Longest Ever, Breaks First Trump Term Record (Jenna Sundel, Newsweek), 3. Trump’s gold sign outside Oval Office prompts backlash (Dani Anguiano, The Guardian)

Plastic-eating bacteria in the seas: 1. A race to develop plastic-eating bacteria (Scott Carpenter, Forbes, March 2021), 2. Plastic-eating bacteria discovered in the ocean (Science Daily, compiled from KAUST research paper)

Missing the mark on climate change, and what's the deal with those drug boats, anyway?

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 22:00:00 +0800

Hanna and Amanda finally get around to talking about all the drug boat operations the Trump administration has been carrying out since early September. Also on the docket is the world's failure to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre‑industrial levels, and what that means for the future.

A completely different ceasefire, thieves in the Louvre, and internet blackouts

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are looking at the many news stories that both dominated and seemed to fly under the radar in the last week, despite being... pretty big news? They'll discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan's latest ceasefire, what happened at the Louvre on the same day, and what Amazon Web Services are and why the blackout made Amanda so nervous. (No, it's not just about her Duolingo streak)

Read along with us!

Afghanistan-Pakistan ceasefire: 1. Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to immediate ceasefire after peace talks in Doha (Asif Shahzad, Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Mushtaq Ali, Reuters), 2. Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to new ceasefire after more than a week of deadly clashes (Lex Harvey and Masoud Popalzai, CNN)

The Louvre theft: 1. Stolen Louvre Jewelry Worth Over $100 Million, Paris Prosecutor Says (Ségolène Le Stradic, NYT), 2. The Louvre’s new must-see? The broken window smashed by thieves in €88m jewel heist (Jon Henley, The Guardian), 3. BBC Live coverage of Louvre director’s legislative interview (BBC team)

AWS blackout and consequences: 1. You thought Monday’s internet outage was bad? Just wait (Claire Duffy, CNN), 2. AWS outage: Are we relying too much on US big tech? (Liv McMahon, BBC), 3. What we know about Amazon's AWS outage and why it was such a big deal (Dannielle Maguire, ABC)

Japan's Iron Lady and Taiwan's aviation industry

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 22:00:00 +0800

This week Hanna and Amanda discuss Japan, where Sanae Takaichi just won the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership election and is on track to become their first female prime minister, as well as what’s been going on with EVA Airlines here in Taiwan.

Read along with us:
Japan’s new PM: 1. Sanae Takaichi set to become Japan's first female prime minister (Shaimaa Khalil, BBC), 2. Global Gender Gap Report 2024 (Kusum Kali Pal, Kim Piaget, Saadia Zahidi, and Silja Baller, World Economic Forum), 3. Takaichi’s ascent and Taiwan (Huynh Tam Sang and Truong Tuan Kiet, Taipei Times), 4. What Takaichi means for Taiwan (Rath Wang 王健智, Taipei Times)

EVA’s potential overwork case: 1. EVA investigating flight attendant’s death after sickness on board ( Hollie Younger, Taipei Times & CNA), 2. EVA investigating death of flight crew who fell ill on duty (Staff writer, Taipei Times and CNA), 3. Taiwan Labor Minister Hung vows tougher penalties after EVA Air crew death
(Filip Leskovsky, Rti English)

Madagascar Protests and a new proposal in Israel's war on Gaza

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:00:00 +0800

First, Amanda and Hanna take a look at yet another youth protest that has broken out in Madagascar, and how it both reflects and differs from similar situations covered on Doomscroll this year. Then, looking at changes in the Israel-Palestine situation now that the war has passed the two-year mark, including brand new news, fresh off the presses about the new ceasefire deal, and which parts have been accepted.

Read along with us!

Madagascar Protests: 1. Madagascar’s president dismisses cabinet as blackout protests turn deadly (rfI staff, Radio France Internationale), 2. Madagascar president who took power in coup accuses protesters of trying to trigger another one (Rachael Savage, The Guardian), 3. Madagascar president plans ‘national dialogue’ as protesters declare ultimatum (Lovasoa Rabery, Reuters)

Israel-Palestine two-year review: 1. Two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza: By the numbers (Marium Ali, Alia Chughtai, and Muhammet Okur, Al Jazeera), 2. Gaza war in maps and satellite images (The Visual Journalism Team, BBC)

Ceasefire plans and concessions: 1. Gaza live: Israeli security cabinet to meet on Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal (Reuters), 2. Hamas says it agrees to release Israeli hostages but seeks changes to US Gaza peace plan (Kathryn Armstrong, BBC), 3. Israel and Hamas launch indirect talks in Egypt on eve of Gaza war anniversary (Samy Magdy, Melanie Lidman, and Wafaa Shurafa, AP)

US government shuts down and Taiwan's FPCC is revealed to be sourcing naphtha from Russia

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 22:00:00 +0800

Hanna and Amanda talk about the United States government shutdown and what's at stake, plus Russia's recent activities not just in Ukraine but also in other nearby countries.

Freedom of speech and media as a means to informing a more engaged public with Michael Geier

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 22:00:00 +0800

This week, Amanda and Hanna touch on the freedom of speech meltdown that happened in the U.S. following in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination. Then Amanda sits down with Michael Geier, the cinematographer for one of Taiwan's most successful documentaries to-date, "Invisible Nation" (or 看不見國家), to discuss the role of entertainment, and especially film, in informing a more engaged public.

Read along with us:

The Kimmel Show ups and downs: 1. Jimmy Kimmel to return after suspension over Charlie Kirk comments (Nardine Saad, BBC), 2. Missed Kimmel’s return? Here’s a transcript of the monologue (Luciana Lopez, CNN), 3. Kimmel pulls no punches as he sends defiant message to Trump (Ian Youngs, BBC), 4. Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension is an alarming new low for the US culture wars (Jesse Hssengar, The Guardian)

Dreams of revolution in Nepal and Indonesia

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 22:00:00 +0800

Hanna and Amanda talk about the youth uprisings in Nepal and Indonesia and ways in which Gen Z protesters have and haven't succeeded in changing the world.

Read along with us:

Nepal: 1. Nepal prime minister quits after deaths at protests sparked by social media ban (Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi, and Gaurav Pokharel in Kathmandu, The Guardian), 2. Nepal appoints its first female PM after historic week of deadly protests (Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi, and Gaurav Pokharel in Kathmandu, The Guardian), 3. Sushila Karki: How Gen Z protestors chose Nepal’s first woman prime minister on Discord (Vishwam Sankaran, Independent)

Indonesia: 1. How the death of a delivery driver ignited Indonesia (Gavin Butler, BBC), 2. How Gen Z-led protests are rattling governments across Asia (NBC News)

Google survives its first anti-trust lawsuit and Israel bombs Qatar

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, Amanda is back in the driver's seat and covering a topic she and co-host Hanna have been looking forward to for a long time-- The results of the first anti-trust lawsuit against Google (even if they're disappointed by the results). Then they update on a topic they are both much less excited about, updates of Israel's attack in Qatar and the invasion of Palestine in-general.

Read along with us:

Google lawsuit: 1. A let-off or tougher than it looks? What the Google monopoly ruling means (Lily Jamali, BBC), 2. The landmark Google antitrust ruling ( Rachael Abrams and David McCabe, The NYT “The Daily” Podcast)

Updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict: 1. UN experts call for immediate dismantling of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (UN press release), 2. Israel attacks Sanaa, al-Jawf in latest strikes on Houthis (Reuters), 3. Israel orders full evacuation of Gaza City, as Netanyahu warns 'this is only the beginning (CNN)

Israel bombs Qatar: 1. Israel Bombs Hamas leaders in Qatar (Tommy Vietor, Ben Rhodes, “Pod Save the World” podcast), 2. What do we know about the Israeli strike in Qatar ( Fiona Nimoni, BBC), 3.Trump says strike in Doha ‘does not advance Israel or America’s goals’ ( Nadine Yousif, BBC), 4. Maps: Israel has attacked 6 countries in the last 72 hours (Marium Ali and Alia Chughtai, Al Jazeera)

About the state of journalism in Palestine: 1. Anas Al-Sharif became the face of the war in Gaza for millions. Then Israel killed him (Mostafa Salem , CNN), 2. Anas al-Sharif among four Al Jazeera journalists killed by Israel in Gaza (Al Jazeera staff, Al Jazeera)

The Axis of Upheveal and Chinese foreign exchange students allowed back in the USA

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:00:00 +0800

Hosts Hanna Bilinski and Amanda Stephens are finally in the same room together again and are discussing reunions and first-time unions of another sort. They discuss how India cozying up to China may or may not be the beginning of a "new world order" and what reasons U.S. President Donald Trump may have for reversing course (haha) and allowing Chinese foreign excange students back into the country.

Read along with us!

Nuclear power, nuclear disarmament, and Taiwan's cabinet reshuffle

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, Hanna has invited boss lady Iris back into the studio to discuss the other side of the argument when it comes to nuclear power in Taiwan, plus the tricky matter of nuclear disarmament among the world's three biggest nuclear powers. Iris also shares a piece of her mind regarding gender representation in the newly reshuffled Cabinet.

Taiwan's AI dreams and the US's recent attempts at Russia-Ukraine diplomacy

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 20:00:00 +0800

Hanna invites former Rti host turned TaiwanPlus reporter Chris Gorin back to the studio to talk about Taiwan's future in AI and what the outlook is for the Ukraine war.

More tariff talk, Jensen's baller move, and Canadian wildfires

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 20:00:00 +0800

Hanna brings Joey Chou back on to get his opinion on the ongoing tariff drama, the way Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is manuevering in the midst of it, and what's to be done about wildfires.

The EU's international relations conundrum, Slovakian politics, and Russian quakes and volcanoes

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 20:00:00 +0800

With Amanda away on a much needed vacation, Hanna brings Fil onto the show to talk Europe and his home country of Slovakia and to muse about whether the historic natural disasters that hit Russia recently feels like foreshadowing.

Read along with us:

Taiwan and the EU: 1)

Slovakian elections: 1)

Russian earthquake: 1)

What happened to the Great Recall?

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, Hanna's back to host a roundtable discussion with fellow Rti hosts and reporters, Iris Hsu and Tristan Hilderbrand, to talk about what happened with Taiwan's mass electroal recall movement, otherwise known as the Great Recall.

Read along with us: 1) Taiwan is paralyzed by political gridlock. A mass recall of ‘pro-China’ lawmakers could break that (Wayne Chang, CNN), 2) How a vote targeting 'pro-China' lawmakers has split Taiwan (Tessa Wong, BBC), 3) Taiwan’s ‘Great Recall’ Fizzles Out (Brian Hioe, The Diplomat)

Some final Epstein Files updates, and Grok meets the Department of Defense

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, Amanda is joined again by guest co-host Joey Chou to sew up loose ends from last week's episode into conspiracy theories and the Epstein Files case happening in the United States. Then, Amanda and Joey bond over shared shock and concern at the news that xAI, the parent company for X's infamous chatbot Grok, has recieved a heafty contract with the U.S. military just a week after that chatbot went on multiple hateful antisemetic rants on the platform.

Read along with us:

The U.S. House adjourning: 1. Epstein Saga hangs over Congress’s race to summer recess (Mychael Schnell, the Hill), 2. Republicans shut down house floor to avoid Epstein vote (Martha McHardy, Newsweek), 3. Mike Johnson under pressure over shutting down House to stop Epstein vote (Kate Plummer, Newsweek)

xAi's deal with the DOD and Grok: 1. Musk's Grok signs $200m deal with Pentagon days after antisemitism row (Lily Jamali and Nadine Yousif, BBC), 2. Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, started calling itself 'MechaHitler' (Lisa Hagen, Huo Jingnan, and Audrey Nguyen, NPR), 3. Pentagon will start using Musk’s Grok (Cheyanne M. Daniels, Politico), 4. xAI announces $200m US military deal after Grok chatbot had Nazi meltdown (Nick Robins-Early, The Guardian), 5. Exclusive: Musk’s DOGE expanding his Grok AI in US government, raising conflict concerns (Marisa Taylor and Alexandra Ulmer, Reuters)

How belief in conspiracy theories affects interpersonal relationships: Feat. Lauren Mastroni

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week we have a special guest, Lauren Mastroni the leading author of the thesis, “I one-hundred thousand percent blame it on QAnon”: The impact of QAnon belief on interpersonal relationships from the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. We discuss how belief in the “big tent” conspiracy QAnon changed the political landscape, and paved the way for the Epstein Files scandal taking over the news this week, how the QAnon community affected their own relationships, and finally what the current situation may mean for the tight-knit Trump administration going forward.

Read along with us:
Background reading: 1. QAnon shows the staying power of Epstein theories. Trump should know they won’t go away (Donie O’Sullivan, CNN), 2. Risky strategy for Trump as he escalates Epstein row with loyal supporters (Anthony Zurcher, BBC), 3. What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories (Devlin Barrett, The New York Times)

I one-hundred thousand percent blame it on QAnon”: The impact of QAnon belief on interpersonal relationships (Lauren Mastroni and Robyn Mooney, The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships)

Clean water, human rights, and good news!

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week host Amanda is doing a GOOD-NEWS ONLY special apology episode. We can't help it that we doomscroll, which can make it increasingly feel like there's only badnews, but in the last week there's been a lot happening, especially in the climate and human-intrest world. Amanda calls up some of her friends to apoliguze for bad-news-dumping, and try to make it up with postive stories about drinking water in Flint Michigan, a landmark ruling from the International Court of Human Rights, and about the Seine open to public swimming again!~

Read along with us:

The completion of Flint's water pipes: 1. Flint replaces most lead pipes 10 years after the Michigan water crisis (Matt Lavietes, NBC), 2. Flint's still-unfinished lead pipe replacement serves as a cautionary tale to other cities (Michael Phillis and Tammy Webber, AP)

A stable climate is a human right: 1. Countries must protect human right to a stable climate, court rules (Isabella Kaminski, The Guardian)

The Seine opens for public swimming: 1. River Seine reopens to swimmers in Paris after century-long ban (Thomas Mackintosh, BBC), 2. You Can Swim in the Seine Again. Trust Me. I Just Did. (Catherine Porter, The New York Times)

AI versus IP, and Budapest's incredible Pride

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week we're tackling the ongoing legal battles between AI and copyright laws, and Budapest's incredible (and illegal) Pride parade with guest co-host, Joey Chou! Joey takes a break from hosting his own current events show "Beyond the Reefs" to rehash one of our favorite in-office disagreements (AI) on air, and we both wax about the courage it takes to show up against government threats.

Read along with us:
On AI vs copyright: 1. Judge dismisses authors’ copyright lawsuit against Meta over AI training (Matt O’Brien and Barbara Ortutay, AP), 2. Disney and Universal team up to sue AI image generator Midjourney, claiming copyright infringement (Clare Duffy, CNN), 3. BBC Threatens to Sue Perplexity, Alleging 'Verbatim' Reproduction of Its Content (Imad Khan, CNET), 4. Getty drops copyright allegations in UK lawsuit against Stability AI (Kelvin Chan, AP)

Budapest's incredible Pride turnout: 1. Police ban Budapest Pride march, but mayor vows it will go ahead (Nick Thorpe, BBC), 2. Budapest Pride draws huge crowds in defiance of Orban legal threats (Nick Thorpe and Stuart Lau, BBC), 3. Tens of thousands defy Hungary's ban on Pride in protest against Orbán (Lili Rutai and Ashifa Kussan, The Guardian)

US joining the Israel-Iran conflict, a tenuous ceasefire, and a potential sale of American public lands

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna continue to talk about the Iran-Israel conflict, and how the United States decided to jump in over the weekend, causing Iranian couterstrikes, and then a sudden ceasefire agreement a littler over a week after Israel's first strikes into the country. Then Amanda gets to an issue on american soil near-and-dear to her heart, about how Senate members are suggesting a sale of public lands in the U.S. to help fund Trump's domestic pocliy bill, or the "Big Beautiful Bill".

Read along with us:

Israel-Iran conflict: 1. The U.S. Bombed Iran. Now What? (Rachael Abrams and David Sanger, the New York Times podcast “The Daily”), 2. What we know about Iran's attack on US base in Qatar (Sean Seddon & Gabriela Pomeroy, BBC), 3. Fragile ceasefire appears to hold between Israel and Iran. Trump vents frustration with both sides (The Associated Press, CTV News), 4. Supreme Leader, in first appearance since ceasefire, says Iran would strike back if attacked (Jana Choukeir and Nayera Abdallah, Reuters)

Public land sales to fund the policy bill: 1. Proposed sale of millions of acres of public land under GOP budget bill prompts backlash (Jeremy Tanner, the Hill), 2. Trump's federal land sell-off proposal includes 5M acres in Washington (Sebastian Robertson, King5 News), 3. Idaho is on the verge of losing massive access to hunting and fishing (Chris Wood, The Idaho Statesman), 4. What to know as the senate tries to pass Trump’s agenda bill next week (Lauren Fox and Sarah Ferris, CNN)

The MMR vaccine in the US and a new Israel-Iran conflict

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, Hanna and Amanda discuss the state of vaccines in the United States, especially the MMR (Measels, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine and current Health and Human Services secretary Robert F Kennedy's flip-flopping on them. Then we discussing the new Israel-Iran conflict and where we think it's headed.

Read along with us:

On RFK jr and Vaccines in the U.S.: 1. Six babies with unvaccinated mothers born with measles in Canada (Leyland Cecco, The Guardian), 2.How RFK Jr. is quickly changing U.S. health agencies (Julie Tsirkin and Olympia Sonnier, NBC News), 3. RFK Jr tells Congress ‘people shouldn’t take medical advice from me’ (Jessica Glanza, the Guardian)

On the Israel-Iran conflict: 1. Iranian state broadcaster hit as Iran urges Trump to make Israel halt war (Alexander Cornwell and Parisa Hafezi, Reuters), 2. In Iran, grief for civilian casualties but little pity for commanders (Baran Abbasi, BBC Persian), 3. Israel says Iran was racing towards a nuclear weapon. US intel says it was years away ( Katie Bo Lillis and Zachary Cohen, CNN)

The Elon Musk-Trump breakup, updates on the Madleen activists, and the LA ICE Protests

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, we're covering allegations of Elon Musk's drug use and his public break up with Donald Trump, what happened to the crew of the Madleen, and what's going on (at least at time of recording) in LA. What a week!

Read along with us:

All about Elon Musk: 1. On the Campaign Trail, Elon Musk Juggled Drugs and Family Drama // (Kirsten Grind, and Megan Twohey, New York Times), 2. How Bitter Trump-Musk feud escalated– and what happens next (Anthony Zurcher, BBC), 3. Trump: Reconciliation with Musk a possibility, not a priority (Alex Gangitano, The Hill)

The Madleen Activist ship and following reception: 1. Israeli forces seize Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg (Crispian Balmer and Rami Amichay, Reuters), 2. Gaza: Aid trucks still waiting for Israeli green light inside enclave (Daniel Johnson, UN News), 3. Four Deported, Eight Detained – Israel Holds 'Madleen' Group Illegally (FFC Media Team, Freedom Flotilla Coalition)

The escalating situation in Los Angeles: 1. TRUMP authorizes sending another 2000 National Guard soldiers to LA (Dan Mangan, CNBC), 2. Gavin Newsom on the LA Protests, Trump's Response and Why It's a Defining Moment for Democracy (Michael Barbaro, Gavin Newsom for the NYT podcast "The Daily")

Updates on the War in Ukraine, and problematic AI personalities and behaviors

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 20:00:00 +0800

Talking about the developments on the Ukraine War, and also how AI doesn't yet have free speech, but IS probably willing to doxx you.

Read along with us:
Ukraine War: 2. Russia and Ukraine complete largest prisoner swap (Reuters) 2. Hectic two weeks leaves Russia confident - and peace in Ukraine feeling no closer (Steve Rosenberg, BBC) 3. Germany's Merz: No more range limits for weapons to Ukraine (Dmytro Hubenko, Deutsche Welle)

AI relationships, rights, and personalities: 1. In lawsuit over teen’s death, judge rejects arguments that AI chatbots have free speech rights (Kate Payne, AP) 2. AI system resorts to blackmail if told it will be removed (Liv McMahon, BBC) 3. She Is In Love with ChatGPT (Kashmir Hill, NYT) 4. ‘She helps cheer me up’: The people forming relationships with AI Chatbots (David Batty, the Guardian)

All about borders: birthright citizenship, deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, and little Chinese boats

Mon, 26 May 2025 22:00:00 +0800

The gals talk about birthright citizenship in the United States, Trump’s attempt to invoke the Alien Enemies Act to expedite the deportation of immigrant detainees, and the latest in a long string of instances involving Chinese nationals sailing over to Taiwan on rubber dinghies. All under the broad heading of borders - what it means to be born within them, to cross them, and to get kicked out over them.

On birthright citizenship: 1. Three paths the Supreme Court could take on birthright citizenship (The Economist) 2. Three paths the Supreme Court could take on birthright citizenship (Podcast "Strict Scrutiny" with hosts Leah Litman, Kate Shaw, and Melissa Murray)

On the Alien Enemies Act: 1. Supreme Court rules against Trump administration in Alien Enemies Act case (Kevin Breuninger for CNBC) 2. Pennsylvania judge is first to rule Trump's use of Alien Enemies Act is justified. Here's what that means. (Joe Walsh for CBS News)

On Chinese citizens landing little boats and rafts on Taiwan's shores: 1. Chinese father and son arrested after sailing to Taiwan illegally, 2 Chinese men on makeshift rafts off Taiwan's Erdan Island detained, CGA probes videos suggesting illegal landing by Chinese man (Focus Taiwan), Chinese small boats landings on Taiwan are a new source of concern (ABC News)

Covering conflict in Israel and Palestine, India and Pakistan, and there's a new pope

Mon, 19 May 2025 20:00:00 +0800

It feels like the whole world caught fire, or threatened to, while we were on our special topic last week. So this week we're covering some of the most important news stories from our feeds. Listen and commiserate with us as we grapple with how difficult it can be to stay (accurately) informed!
Read along with us:
Israeli plan to "capture" Gaza: 1. Israel security cabinet approves plan to ‘capture’ Gaza, official says ( David Gritten, BBC); 2. Gaza is starving as Israel's aid blockade continues, aid official says (Erika Ryan, Juana Summers, Christopher Intagliata for NPR); 3. One in five people in Gaza face starvation, report warns, as Israel’s months-long blockade continues ( Lex Harvey, Abeer Salman for CNN); 4. Trump’s middle east trip: 5 things to watch ( Brett Samuels and Alex Gangitano, The Hill); 5. [live]Trump Middle East trip and presidency news (Betsy Klein, Deva Lee, Antoinette Radford, Shania Shelton and Aditi Sangal, for CNN)

India and Pakistan conflict: 1. Why are India and Pakistan fighting? (ABC/wires) 2. A timeline of tensions between India and Pakistan (Lars Dolder, Mujib Mashal, Salman Masood and John Yoon, for the NYT); 3. Will the ceasefire in the Kashmir conflict hold? (Thomas Latschan, DW)

Pope Leo XIV: "An American Pope" (Michael Barbaro, Jason Horowitz for the NYT podcast "The Daily")

Investigating birth rate declines, with PeiChieh Hsu

Mon, 12 May 2025 19:00:00 +0800

This week, we're tackling just one subject-- but it's one that seems to plague our feeds every other week: Birth rates! In a world where birth rates globally are on the downturn, we wanted to know what effect that really has on us on the daily and what factors make it so difficult to tackle?

To help us answer those questions and amore, Hanna invited PhD student PeiChieh Hsu. She's a researcher and student at Cambridge whose work has focused on issues of marriage equality, as well as women’s rights campaigns and policies of gender equality in Taiwan.

Read along with us:

"So you want to increase your country’s birth rate? Experts say it’s tough" (Vivian Hoang, Hannah Grabenstein, PBS), "The Hidden Roots of America’s Baby Bust" (Erin Ryan and Max Fisher, Crooked Media's "The Daily: How We Got Here" podcast)

Canadian election results and tariff take-backsies

Mon, 05 May 2025 22:00:00 +0800

This week, we go over the latest news out of Canada, particularly the results of their elections and how squabbles with their neighbor swayed those results, in addition to the 145% tariff that very neighbor has slapped on China.

On the Canadian elections: 1. Carney revives Liberal fortunes as party secures historic fourth consecutive election victory (Neil Moss, Irem Koca, and Eleanor Wang from the Hill Times) 2. Triumph for Carney: what happened in Canada’s election, and what will it mean? (Archie Bland and Leyland Cecco for The Guardian)

On the 145% Trump tax on China: 1. ‘No way’ US can recoup lost China container imports: Analyst (Stuart Chirls for FreightWaves), 2. ‘Did I Miss Something?’: Online Shoppers Shocked as Trump Tariffs Jack Up Prices 145% (Matt Novak for Gizmodo), 3. Amazon says displaying tariff cost ‘not going to happen’ after White House blowback (Annie Palmer for CNBC)

Salvadoran prisons, big tech breakups, and a fond farewell to Pope Francis

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week, we tackle a wide range of topics, starting with the consequences of the WhiteHouse welcoming the self-proclaimed "world's coolest dictator", then the effects of several antitrust suits looking to breakup META and Google, while also taking aim at other tech giants. We wrap up with a short discussion on the passing of Pope Francis, as well as our thoughts on the lists of possible successors. You can read along with us, by looking at the articles we cited for this discussion:

On the White House and Nayib Bukele: "The 'world's coolest dictator' heads to the White House" (Alfie Pannell, NPR), "White House and Bukele make clear Abrego Garcia won’t be returned to US" (Kaitlan Collins and Kevin Liptak, CNN), "US senator says 'traumatised' man deported to El Salvador moved to new prison" (Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu, BBC)

On Tech antitrust suits: "Google faces off against U.S. government attempt to break up company in search monopoly case" ( Michael Liedtke, PBS), "Tech C.E.O.s Spent Millions Courting Trump. It Has Yet to Pay Off." (Cecilia Kang, New York Times), "The Trial Mark Zuckerberg Couldn't Prevent" (Rachel Abrams, Cecilia Kang, for NYT Podcast "The Daily")

On Pope Francis' passing, and possible successors: "Who will be the next pope? Some potential candidates to succeed Francis" (Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian)

The ripple effects following the defunding of USGAM

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 20:00:00 +0800

This week on the first-ever episode of the Doomscroll News Report, we’re tackling how the cuts to the United States Agency for Global Media (USGAM) stand to impact the state of journalism now and in the near future, and close with a pulse-check on where things stand now. You can read along with us, by looking at the articles we cited for this discussion:

On the dissolution of the USGAM: 1. 'Bloody Saturday' at Voice of America and other U.S.-funded networks (David Folkenflik, at NPR), and 2. ‘Massive gift to America’s enemies’: Activists decry cuts to government-funded networks (Brian Stelter, CNN)

On the Chinese State media's response to USGAM cuts: 1. Chinese state media celebrates Trump’s cuts to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia (Kate Lamb, The Guardian) and 2. USAGM, Senior Advisor Kari Lake cancels obscenely expensive 15-year-lease that burdened the taxpayers and enforces Trump’s Executive Order to drastically downsize agency (USGAM statement)