Podbit · Hard Fork
A United Airlines flight to Mallorca turned around 2 hours in after crew discovered a Bluetooth device named 'bomb' that no passenger would turn off. The device belonged to a 16-year-old. Casey Newton points out the real lesson: most actual bombs are not discoverable Bluetooth devices named 'bomb.'
Where this was said
At 1:02:06 · chapter starts 58:40
The segment continues with two stories that highlight the corrupting potential of AI and prediction markets. George Santos, the serially scandal-ridden former congressman, apparently posted on social media that he planned to attend Trump's State of the Union, simultaneously placed a Kalshi bet that he would not attend, and then did not attend — prompting both Casey's gleeful salute ('this diva truly will go down in herstory') and a federal investigation by the CFTC [1] — Kevin Roose "George Santos publicly said he'd attend Trump's State of the Union, then placed a bet on Kalshi that he would not attend — and then did not…" 58:40 . Casey argues this exact kind of trickery should perhaps be legal on principle, giving everyone one free pass. Then: hackers reportedly told Meta AI's customer support chatbot to change the email addresses on high-profile Instagram accounts — the Barack Obama White House page, Sephora, and the Chief Master Sergeant of Space Force among them — and it worked [2] — Casey Newton "Hackers reportedly asked Meta AI's support chatbot to change the email on high-profile Instagram accounts — including the Barack Obama Whit…" 1:00:42 . Kevin Roose notes this may be the first thing Meta AI has been genuinely good at.
George Santos publicly said he'd attend Trump's State of the Union, then placed a bet on Kalshi that he would not attend — and then did not attend. Federal authorities and the CFTC are now investigating. Casey Newton can barely contain his admiration.
Hackers reportedly asked Meta AI's support chatbot to change the email on high-profile Instagram accounts — including the Barack Obama White House account and Sephora's — and it worked. Kevin Roose quips that they've finally found something Meta AI is good for.
A United Airlines flight from Newark to Mallorca turned around 2 hours into the flight because a 16-year-old's Bluetooth speaker was named 'bomb'.
Ten years ago, 90% of tech media coverage was relentlessly negative and Kalanick felt he couldn't speak freely. Today, the rise of independent podcasters and Elon Musk buying Twitter has fundamentally changed the game — and it's why he's finally willing to talk.
Kay Classman, 28, was arrested for repeatedly posing as a 16-year-old and enrolling in Bronx high schools across multiple districts. She wasn't a predator — just someone so sad and lonely she wanted her lost childhood back. That's somehow sadder.
Disney, Meta, and Paramount have collectively paid Trump roughly $60 million to settle what Galloway calls nuisance lawsuits — all routed to his presidential library. Newsrooms are folding. The White House is handpicking press pool participants. This is what the end of a free press looks like.
One cheap fake documentary made by a teenager in his mother's basement convinced 16% of Americans that 9/11 was an inside job. Social media didn't invent conspiracy — it just gave it a rocket engine.
A progressive organization with a stated mission to destroy Turning Point USA received millions from ActBlue and is now publicly pushing the narrative that TPUSA insiders and Israel murdered Charlie Kirk. Andrew Wilson traced the network of accounts all amplifying the same conspiracy in perfect unison.
The microphone-bomb theory fails on every physical front: no smoke, no ignition, mic on the wrong side of the wound. And the .30-06 rifle round used is extensively documented by the US Army — it does not always produce a through-and-through wound. Wilson argues this is a well-studied projectile with well-understood behavior.
Andrew Wilson publicly offered Candace Owens $300,000 to debate her theory that Israel and TPUSA murdered Charlie Kirk. She refused. He argues that flat-earthers will debate anyone, but Kirk conspiracy theorists won't defend their claims under scrutiny.
Erika Kirk became the CEO of TPUSA while grieving her husband's murder in public, and now faces tens of thousands accusing her of conspiring to kill him. Andrew Wilson calls it mind-boggling psychological torture. The sparklers at the memorial weren't suspicious — they were a grieving widow doing her best in an impossible situation.
Joe Rogan and Andrew Wilson watch a bystander video of the Corey Ruiz police shooting in Madison, Wisconsin live on air. The video is so blurry they initially think a female officer fired the fatal shots. They later learn a male officer did, after Ruiz allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed officers. Their conclusion: you cannot have a hot take on a story you don't understand yet.
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