Big Tech

Sam is live again from the Mass Torts Conference in Las Vegas! First, he runs through updates on Hurricane Milton’s devastating impact in Florida and the crisis capitalism that has followed, presidential polling, Israeli war crimes in Lebanon and Gaza, the US economy, Russian advances in Ukraine,...
It’s Hump Day! And Sam is live from the Mass Torts Conference in Las Vegas! First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the build of Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida, Harris’ campaign for the right, Biden’s commitment to Israel, DOJ vs. Google, Trump’s blocking of a Kavanaugh FBI investig...
Happy Monday! Emma speaks with Andrew Chow, technology correspondent at Time Magazine, to discuss his recent book Cryptomania: Hype, Hope, and the Fall of FTX’s Billion-Dollar Fintech Empire. First, Emma runs through updates on Israel stirring up conflict with Hezbollah, stalling ceasefire discus...
It’s Casual Friday! Sam and Emma speak with Mehdi Hasan, founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of the new media company Zeteo, to discuss the biggest stories of the week and the newest Zeteo documentary entitled “Israel’s Reel Extremism”. Then, Sam and Emma are joined by Matt Strackbein, better known...
It’s an EmMajority Report Thursday! She speaks with Zachary Foster, historian of Palestine and proprietor of the website Palestine Nexus, to discuss Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress yesterday. First, Emma runs through updates on Biden’s passing of the torc...
It’s Casual Friday! Sam and Emma speak with **Jeet Heer,](https://x.com/HeerJeet) national affairs correspondent for [The Nation**, to round up yet another crazy week in news. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the FLOP that was Night 3 of the RNC, Biden’s candidacy, the ICJ’s stunning ad...
It’s News Day Tuesday! Sam and Emma break down the biggest headlines of the day. First, they run through updates on Day 1 of the RNC, Trump’s VP pick, Elon’s $45m/month pledge to Trump, the background of Trump’s would-be assassin, Trump’s legal woes, Biden’s sinking polling, the US economy, immig...
Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Yanis Varoufakis, economics professor and former Finance Minister of Greece, to discuss his recent book Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on continuing US arms sales to Israel, infrastructure regulation, Florida’...
It’s News Day Tuesday! But first, Sam and Emma speak with Luke Goldstein, writing fellow at The American Prospect, to discuss his reporting on the Google antitrust trial. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the US’ concerns about Israel’s use of their war crime instruments for war crimes, ...
It’s an EmMajority Report Thursday! Emma speaks with author Cory Doctorow to discuss his recent book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation. Then, they speak with Raga Makawi, editor at African Arguments, to discuss the ongoing conflict in Sudan. First, Emma runs through updates ...
Happy Hump Day! Emma speaks with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), to discuss the recent victories pro-public education candidates have had over right wing candidates in the most recent school board races. Then, Emma speaks with AMQuickie co-writer Jacob Si...
It’s Casual Friday! Sam and Emma speak with Jacob Silverman, co-author of the book Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud with Ben McKenzie, and host of The Naked Emperor podcast on the CBC, to discuss FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent fraud and conspiracy con...
Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Brian Merchant, tech columnist at the Los Angeles Times, to discuss his recent book Blood in the Machine:The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech. First, Sam runs through updates on Israeli operations in Gaza as 2 million Palestinians remain stuck in a t...
It’s Hump Day! Sam and Emma speak with Ali Breland, writer at Mother Jones, to discuss his recent piece entitled “A Peter Thiel-Linked Startup Is Courting New York Scenesters and Plotting a Libertarian Paradise.” Then, they’re joined by Harry First, law professor at New York University, to discus...
It’s Hump Day! Sam speaks with attorney Matthew Butterick about a lawsuit he’s involved with representing artists against OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Then, he’s joined by political reporter Cameron Joseph to discuss the upcoming referendum in Ohio, entitled Issue 1, regarding ballot measu...
It’s News Day Tuesday! Sam and Emma speak to KJ Boyle, research assistant at the Revolving Door Project, to discuss FTC Chair Lina Khan’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee last week. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Donald Trump’s various ongoing (and approaching) trials, ...
It’s Hump Day! Emma hosts Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, associate professor of sociology at University College London (UCL), to discuss his recent book Speculative Communities: Living with Uncertainty in a Financialized World. Then, Emma is joined by economist Nathan Tankus, proprietor of the Notes...
Sam and Emma host Douglas Rushkoff, professor of Media Studies at Queens College, to discuss his recent book Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Trump’s arraignment, the Chinese Spy Balloon, opinions on Trump’s indictment,...
Sam and Emma host Alexandra Scaggs, reporter for the Financial Times, to discuss the recent turmoil surrounding the Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on inflation, the FDIC’s upcoming bank auctions, EPA water regulations, SCOTUS taking on a massive Sh...
Sam hosts Aaron Kleinman, director of research for the States Project at Future Now, to discuss the upcoming Wisconsin State Supreme Court election in April. Then they’re joined by Peter Shamshiri, or Law Boy on Twitter, co-host of the 5-4 Podcast, to discuss the recent oral arguments before the ...
Emma hosts writer Malcolm Harris to discuss his recent book Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World. First, Emma runs through updates on the EPA-enforced Norfolk Southern clean-up in East Palestine, updates on various special elections, Biden’s inhumane plans for Title 42’s ...
It’s Casual Friday! Sam and Emma host David Dayen, executive editor at the American Prospect to round up the week in news. Then, they’re joined by David Feldman of The David Feldman Show! First, Emma and Sam run through updates on the charging of five Memphis cops over the brutal murder of Tyre N...
Sam and Emma host Senior Policy Analyst Krista Brown and Senior Fellow Moe Tkacik with the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), to discuss their recent piece in the American Prospect, ”Ticketmaster’s Dark History”.
Sam hosts author Cory Doctorow to discuss his recent book Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We’ll Win Them Back, co-written with Rebecca Giblin. First, Sam runs through updates on Kevin McCarthy finally overcoming his Freedom Caucus brethr...
It’s Casual Friday! Sam and Emma host Heather Digby Parton, contributing writer at Salon.com and proprietor of the blog Hullabaloo, to round up the week in news. Then, they are joined by the legendary RM Brown! First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the quite-loud quitting occurring at Twitte...
Sam and Emma host writer Jacob Silverman to discuss his recent piece in the New Republic ”The Quiet Political Rise of David Sacks, Silicon Valley’s Prophet of Urban Doom”. Then they are joined by Lauren Ornelas, founder and president of the Food Empowerment Project, to discuss the recent union bu...
Sam and Emma host Raymond Craib, Professor of History of Cornell University, to discuss his recent book Adventure Capitalism: A History of Libertarian Exit, from the Era of Decolonization to the Digital Age. First, Sam and Emma dive into updates on early voting and the GOP’s abandonment of New Ha...
Emma hosts Dr. Nicholas Kardaras to discuss his recent book Digital Madness: How Social Media Is Driving Our Mental Health Crisis-and How to Restore Our Sanity. Then, Emma is joined by Eugene Puryear, co-host of the Breakthrough News show, to discuss the recent civil and social unrest in Haiti. E...
Sam is coming to us LIVE from the Mass Torts Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada! Sam is coming to us LIVE from the Mass Torts Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada! He and Emma quickly run through updates on the $1 Billion in damages for Sandy Hook parents suing Alex Jones and his recent appearance on Cro...
Emma hosts Destin Jenkins, assistant professor of history at Stanford University, to discuss his recent book The Bonds of Inequality: Debt and the Making of the American City. Emma starts off by re-capping the troubling election results out of Italy showing that Giorgia Meloni and Italy’s far-rig...
Sam hosts Jeremy Gilbert, Professor of Cultural and Political Theory at the University of East London, and Alex Williams, lecturer in digital media and society at the University of East Anglia, to discuss their recent book Hegemony Now: How Big Tech and Wall Street Won the World (And How We Win i...
Emma hosts Jillian York, Director of International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, to discuss her recent book Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism. First, Emma dives into Pelosi’s return from Taiwan as tensions between the US and Chi...
Emma hosts James Kilgore, Research Scholar at the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois, to discuss his recent book Understanding E-Carceration: Electronic Monitoring, the Surveillance State, and the Future of Mass Incarceration, on the technological advancements in the surveil...
Sam and Emma host Kate Crawford, Research Professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg, to discuss her recent book Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence, on our relationship with big tech, and the concept of the AI industry as a continuat...
Sam and Emma hosts Tim Higgins, Wall Street Journal reporter and CNBC contributor, to discuss his recent book Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century, on how Elon Musk sells the future, and how much of that vision can actually be guaranteed. They jump off from JB Straubel’s inven...
Sam hosts Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute, to discuss her recent book, “I Have Nothing To Hide: And 20 Other Myths About Surveillance and Privacy.” They explore the importance of taking action as individuals, fighting for the autonomy to reveal informa...
Sam and Emma host Henry Farrell, SNF Agora Professor of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins, to discuss his new paper “Rechanneling Beliefs: How Information Flows Hinder or Help American Democracy,” taking on the state of American democracy in historical context, and looking into how our curre...
Sam and Emma host journalist Cory Doctorow to discuss his new book “How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism” on the issue of tech monopolies, antitrust laws, and what we can do to reign in Facebook and Google. They explore big tech’s self-portrayal as mind manipulators, how their power comes from ...
Sam and Emma host Quincy Institute Middle East Research Fellow Dr. Annelle Sheline to discuss the Biden Administration’s Yemen policy and relationship with Saudi Arabia. Next, Jonathan Guyer, managing editor at the American Prospect, joins us to discuss the domestic incentives of Big Tech-consult...
Sam and Emma host MIT professor Justin Reich (@bjfr) on his latest book Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education on remote learning’s failures during the Covid crisis and how we can improve schooling in the event of future pandemics.
Sam and Emma host New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth to discuss her new both This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race on the new world of espionage and cyber-warfare and Washington’s failure to address cyber over the past several decades. Sam and Emma...
Sam hosts Alan Collinge (@alanslj), founder of Student Loan Justice, to discuss his organization’s efforts to lobby the Biden administration to cancel student loans. And then Senior Electronic Frontier Foundation Activist Elliot Harmon (@elliotharmon) joins Sam to discuss his recent piece “Don’t ...
Sam hosts Fordham Law Professor and Bernie Sanders delegate Zephyr Teachout (@ZephyrTeachout) to discuss her new book, Break ‘Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money. 
Sam hosts David Dayen (@ddayen), Executive Editor of The American Prospect, to discuss last week’s Big Tech antitrust hearings in the House and what a real investigation could do. Then Sam hosts Aaron Kleinman (@BobbyBigWheel) of the Future Now Fund to discuss yesterday’s primaries and his predic...
Michael Brooks hosts Rob Larson  (@IronicProfessor), professor of economics and author of Bit Tyrants: The Political Economy of Silicon Valley, to discuss his piece in Jacobin, “Bill Gates’s Philanthropic Giving Is a Racket” and why billionaire-fueled philanthropic endeavors amount to flashy publ...
On today’s show, Ramesh Srinivasan (@rameshmedia) joins us to discuss his book, ‘Beyond the Valley: How Innovators around the World are Overcoming Inequality and Creating the Technologies of Tomorrow.’
On today’s show, Andrew Marantz (@andrewmarantz), author of, Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, And the Hijacking of the American Conversation. We are live at 12:00.
Digby a.k.a. Heather Parton (@digby56) of Salon.com and David Roth, former Deadspin editor, join us.
Sam is en route to Las Vegas for the biannual Tort Law Conference. Michael Brooks hosts today’s Fun Half after an interview Sam recorded with Professor Virginia Eubanks on her book, Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor. Join us as Sam and Eubanks discuss...
Margaret O’Mara (@margaretomara), Professor of History at the University of Washington, joins us to discuss her book, The Code: Silicon Valley And the Remaking of America.
Today, Alex Rosenblat, researcher for Data & Society, joins us to discuss her new book “Uberland: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Rules of Work.” How Uber’s incentive structure inserts itself into drivers’ lives despite the initial promise of super-flexible hours. How conscious are drivers o...
It’s Casual Friday here on the Majority Report and joining Michael Brooks are friends of the show Ana Kasparian of the Young Turks and comedy writer David Feldman of the David Feldman Show. Michael and Ana break down the midterm results and evaluate what the new class of progressive Democrats can...