Underthrow Podcast, 03/26/25
Source: Underthrow
“The Two Most Important Sentences.” (03/26/26)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/the-two-most-important-sentences
Does neoliberalism exist?
Source: Cobden Centre
by Anthony J Evans
“Over the last decade or so there has been a notable attempt to ‘reclaim’ neoliberalism, pushed by thinktanks and journalists. Strategically, it might make sense to jump on the bandwagon, because part of the battle of ideas is contributing to how terms are understood. Neoliberalism thus becomes a contested brand. You have your museum, we have our bright and optimistic Reddit thread. But there has also been consideration to the term from academics. The common attitude amongst pro-capitalist scholars is to dispute the validity of the concept and ignore most of the literature as being flawed and ill-intentioned.” (03/26/26)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/03/does-neoliberalism-exist/
Weakest case against social media succeeds, and lawyers are now circling
Source: New York Post
by Jonathan Turley
“Google once had a motto: ‘Don’t be evil’. In its reorganization in 2015, the motto was changed to ‘Do the right thing’. According to a California jury this week, neither motto stuck. In a historic verdict against both Google and Meta, a jury found that the companies maliciously designed their social media products to addict children, including the plaintiff, who was known only as Kaley or KGM. The jury heard testimony of efforts to ‘target’ young users and feed an addiction to social media and YouTube. The jury awarded Kaley $3 million in compensatory damages divided between Meta (70%) and Google (30%). It then awarded another $3 million in punitive damages. Those damages are nothing to companies worth billions. However, the verdict was like a dinner gong for plaintiffs lawyers.” (03/25/26)
EU targets Snapchat over child safety
Source: SFGate
“European Union regulators are investigating Snapchat over concerns the platform isn’t doing enough to protect kids and exposing them to risks such as increased vulnerability to child predators or recruitment by criminals. The 27-nation EU’s executive Commission said Thursday it was opening a formal investigation into Snapchat under the bloc’s sweeping rule book known as the Digital Services Act that’s designed to [censor the Internet]. The European Commission said that Snapchat requires users to be at least 13 to use the platform but it suspected that the company’s ‘age assurance’ system is ‘insufficient’ at keeping them off. Regulators said the platform is also exposing teens to inappropriate content because it’s not properly checking whether a user is under 17. And they worried that age checking systems aren’t preventing adults from posing as minors.” (03/26/26)
Black Sea: Turkey-operated tanker carrying Russian oil struck by naval drone
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“A water-borne drone struck a Turkish-operated crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul’s Bosphorus strait on Thursday, Turkey’s transportation minister said. The incident, one of several in recent months involving Western-sanctioned vessels heading to or from Russian ports, occurred in the early hours, minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told broadcaster Kanal 24. … Other commercial tankers carrying crude oil from Russian ports have been targeted over the past year by what some experts suggest is a state-sponsored sabotage campaign using limpet mines and other explosives. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for these attacks. ” (03/26/26)
Radio Atlantic, 03/26/26
Source: The Atlantic
“Meet the New ICE … Same as the old ICE?” 903/26/26)
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/2026/03/ice-dhs-shutdown-markwayne-mullin/686537
The Permanent Problem, episode 13
Source: Niskanen Center
“The future of innovation, with Andrew McAfee.” (03/26/26)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-future-of-innovation-with-andrew-mcafee
The McCarthy Report, episode 335
Source: National Review
“Toss Out the Time Frame.” (03/26/26)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/the-mccarthy-report/toss-out-the-time-frame/
Criminal Research
Source: Quillette
by Rosalind Arden
“European jurists should not seek to arbitrate controversial matters best settled by science.” (03/26/26)
https://quillette.com/2026/03/26/criminal-research-nathan-cofnas-ghent-intelligence/
Measuring Poverty Correctly Reveals a Hard Truth About the Welfare State
Source: The Daily Economy
by Tyler Turman
“When taxes and transfers are included, poverty is much rarer than commonly reported. But what actually reduces it?” (03/26/26)