Episodes

  • The Maintenance Emergency

    The Maintenance Emergency
    May 6 2026
    While we obsess over shiny new infrastructure projects, America's existing systems are quietly falling apart—and the political incentives that created this crisis run deeper than you think. From water mains to software updates, we'll explore why maintenance never makes headlines until it's too late, and what this reveals about how democracies handle unsexy but critical problems. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    17 mins
  • The Credibility Machine

    The Credibility Machine
    May 5 2026
    While everyone debates misinformation on social media, a quieter revolution is reshaping how we decide what's true: AI-generated academic papers, purchased journal citations, and algorithmic peer review systems. We examine how the infrastructure of institutional credibility is being gamed—and why the real threat isn't fake news, but fake expertise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    20 mins
  • The Subscription Wars

    The Subscription Wars
    May 4 2026
    While everyone debates streaming prices, a quieter battle is reshaping how we access everything from news to software to car features. We examine how the subscription economy is fragmenting public discourse, creating new forms of digital inequality, and fundamentally changing what it means to 'own' information and tools in the 21st century. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    16 mins
  • The Vanishing Middle

    The Vanishing Middle
    May 3 2026
    Local newspapers are disappearing at twice the rate of coal plants, creating 'news deserts' where misinformation flourishes and corruption goes unchecked. We examine how the collapse of local journalism is reshaping American democracy in ways that national headlines miss entirely. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    18 mins
  • The Consent Manufacturing

    The Consent Manufacturing
    May 2 2026
    Why do certain policy ideas suddenly feel inevitable, appearing across think tanks, op-eds, and politician speeches within weeks of each other? We trace how coordinated messaging campaigns create the illusion of organic consensus, and examine a recent case where this machinery left visible fingerprints. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    23 mins
  • The Audit Trail

    The Audit Trail
    May 1 2026
    While headlines scream about government waste and corruption, the real story lies in what we're not measuring at all. This week we examine how the absence of basic data collection and accountability systems creates invisible policy disasters that dwarf the scandals that make front pages. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    22 mins
  • The Invisible Infrastructure

    The Invisible Infrastructure
    Apr 30 2026
    While we debate culture wars and political theater, America's physical backbone is quietly crumbling—and the media's episodic crisis coverage is missing the real story. We examine how infrastructure decay connects to everything from supply chain fragility to democratic governance, and why this slow-motion catastrophe stays hidden in plain sight. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    17 mins
  • The Attention Merchants

    The Attention Merchants
    Apr 29 2026
    While everyone debates what's in the news, few question who decides what becomes news in the first place. We examine how the fundamental economics of attention have quietly reshaped not just media, but democracy itself—and why the stories dominating your feed might be the least important ones happening. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    15 mins