Blocked and Reported

They dive into how violent crime reporting handles transgender individuals and the rise of the 'trans shooter' narrative. They debate pronoun use and media language like 'woman in a dress' versus neutral phrasing. They explore statistical patterns about perpetrators and victims and how institutions respond to pressure around gender reporting.

They unpack a subreddit scandal around a beloved sphynx cat and the fallout when its authenticity is questioned. They explore how AI and deepfakes creep into online communities and change trust. Conversation ranges from moderator power and subreddit politics to real-world harms of fabricated media and how platforms shape culture.

Laura Delano, author and founder of the Inner Compass Initiative who supports people through psychiatric diagnoses and withdrawal. She recounts early psychiatric contact, a quick bipolar diagnosis at 14, and how labels can reshape identity. Conversations cover self-injury, medicalization of distress, limits of biomarkers, and complex causes of psychiatric struggles.

They unpack a major piece on how a huge foundation now steers humanities funding toward social justice priorities. They debate how grant incentives reshape academic research and fellowships. They mock conspiratorial fever around Epstein-related file dumps and warn how distrust fuels wild theories. They also riff on pest problems, angry sports mail, and media culture in quick, sharp turns.

Jana Herzog, Katie Herzog’s resourceful and hands-on wife, joins to co-read a wild batch of Valentine’s personals. They share funny dating anecdotes and domestic dynamics in short, lively segments. Expect playful matchmaking, Tinder origin stories, and quick, charming banter.

They dig into the renewed frenzy around Jeffrey Epstein’s leaked emails and how raw inbox dumps sparked mass moral panic. They unpack how mundane pizza orders became codeword theories and trace how fringe tips and conspiratorial sites funneled wild allegations into official files. They also touch on viral misinformation, dubious documentary claims, and how sensationalism overwhelms skepticism.

They trace dramatic swings in U.S. net neutrality policy, from viral public comment storms to legal reversals. They recount major activist tactics like mass slowdowns and banner campaigns. They examine industry pushback, political interventions, and evidence of throttling on mobile networks. They end by weighing how viral mobilization shaped policy but struggled to secure lasting rules.

Benjamin Ryan, an investigative reporter who covers transgender medicine and legal cases, joins for a live conversation. He outlines the first detransitioner malpractice lawsuit and how youth gender care has evolved. They discuss policy shifts, activist and agency roles, and the rapid transition and surgical timeline behind the plaintiff’s story.

They discuss Will Stancil’s evolving public persona and recent activism in Minneapolis. They dig into messy Epstein email releases and the media’s handling of them. They touch on the latest AI developments and cultural fallout. Travel anecdotes and cross-country driving tales add a humorous throughline.

A two-part revisit of net neutrality’s rise and collapse. They trace early regulatory roots from the 1934 Communications Act to the 1996 deregulatory shift. The conversation covers major fights like Comcast throttling, Verizon v. FCC, the 2010 Open Internet Order, and the role of online organizing. They unpack John Oliver’s viral intervention and why reclassifying broadband became a central battleground.