The Vergecast: Ad-Free Edition Elon Musk's computer coup
Nilay, David, and Richard Lawler take on a big week in confusing news stories. First, they talk through the latest from Elon Musk's DOGE, which is running rampant through government computer systems with little pushback. Then they explain the latest on the US government's tariff strategy, and the mass confusion it's causing across tech. Then they pivot away from politics and talk about streaming: the Super Bowl coming to Tubi, the deeply confusing forthcoming Fox streaming service, whatever Comcast is doing this year, and more. Finally, in the lightning round, they talk about Sonos's streaming box, Brendan Carr's latest assaults on free speech, OpenAI's "new" logo, and more.
Further reading:
- DC is just waking up to Elon Musk’s takeover
- Elon Musk is staging a takeover of the federal budget
- Workers are reeling from chaos at federal agencies
- Can anyone stop President Musk?
- “For all practical purposes, I’d call that a coup.”
- Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
- Canada will retaliate against Trump with tariffs on US goods
- Trump agrees to a one-month pause on Mexico, Canada tariffs
- Qwertykeys halts keyboard shipments to US over tariff costs and confusion
- Shein and Temu depend on a 100-year-old tariff loophole that Trump wants to close
- Your packages are about to get slower and more expensive
- USPS backtracks, will accept parcels from China after all
- China tariffs may already be hiking up import fees
- China opens Google antitrust probe in retaliation to tariffs
- Fox plans to launch a streaming service by the end of 2025
- Super Bowl LIX will stream for free on Tubi
- Comcast is adding Dolby Atmos to its ‘4K’ Super Bowl broadcast this year
- Warner Bros. is streaming full movies for free on YouTube
- Disney teases ESPN’s expansive sports streaming future
- Disney’s streaming business posts another profit.
- CBS is preparing to give Harris interview materials to the FCC.
- FCC launches probe into Soros-backed radio station that revealed live locations of undercover ICE agents
- After a bruising year, Sonos readies its next big thing: a streaming box
- Sonos lays off 200 employees as its struggles continue
- Google has ‘very good ideas’ for native ads in Gemini
- ChatGPT’s agent can now do deep research for you
- Here’s OpenAI’s new logo
- Chairs Are Like Facebook
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