Close All Tabs

The H-1B Visa Process But Make It a Video Game

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0000

Life on an H-1B visa — a visa that lets U.S. companies hire foreign-born workers for specialized jobs — is difficult, unpredictable, and has gotten even harder under the Trump administration. A new gaming studio, Reality Reload, is trying to capture that experience in a mobile game. It’s called H1B.Life, and it simulates the difficult choices, competing priorities, and personal sacrifices visa holders face — complete with chaotic design elements, like all-powerful “gods” who control your fate.

KQED reporter Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman joins Morgan to break down the game’s surprising design choices, the mission behind it, and the stories he heard from people navigating the H1-B process.

Guest:
Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, reporter at KQED

Further Reading/Listening:

What Does It Take to Get a H-1B Visa? This Video Game Shows Just How Complicated It Is — Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED

Meta, Google, and Amazon slash H-1B petitions after Trump's visa crackdown — Geoff Weiss, Melia Russell, Andy Kiersz, and Alex Nicoll, Business Insider

Faculty Warn Against State Bans on H-1B Visas — Jessica Blake, Inside Higher Ed

H-1B Visa Restrictions Will Hurt America’s Research Potential, Experts Say — Shelby Bradford, PhD, The Scientist

US Tech Visa Applications Are Being Put Through the Wringer — Lauren Goode, Wired

A New Game Turns the H-1B Visa System Into a Surreal Simulation — Zeyi Yang, Wired

Read the Transcript here

Email us at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

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Credits: Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Save or Scroll: Looksmaxxing, AI Fruit Love Island, BTS Arirang, and Meta Lawsuits

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0000

In a spring installment of Save or Scroll, Morgan teams up with culture journalist Steffi Cao to dig into the stories they can’t stop thinking about. From looksmaxxing to AI Fruit Love Island, BTS’ new album, and Meta losing a landmark series of lawsuits, they’ve got a lot to discuss.

Save or Scroll is our series where we team up with guests for a rapid-fire roundup of internet trends that are filling our feeds right now. At the end of each segment, they’ll decide: is the post just for the group chat, or should we save it for a future episode?

Guest:

Steffi Cao, culture journalist

Further Reading/Listening:

The Secret Lives of Mormon Momfluencers

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0000

Only 2% of Americans identify as members of the Church of Latter-day Saints — and yet a striking number of American social media influencers are Mormon. Why? The answer lies in a mix of religious doctrine, early internet adoption, and some surprising financial incentives.

In this episode, author and journalist Fortesa Latifi returns to the show to unpack her research for her new book, Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online. She breaks down the hidden industry behind Mormon “momfluencers,” how these creators both uphold and push against a patriarchal system, and why the trad wife fantasy can be damaging far beyond their audience. Plus, she and Morgan tackle the question hanging over reality TV fans everywhere: “Will MomTok survive this?”

Guest:

Fortesa Latifi, journalist and author of Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online.

Further Reading/Listening:

Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online — Fortesa Latifi, Simon & Schuster

the Mormon Church pays its influencers — Fortesa Latifi, What’s The Vibe

A Refresher on the Mormon MomTok Drama — Danielle Cohen, Olivia Truffaut-Wong, and Julia Reinstein, The Cut

'The Bachelorette' Cast Taylor Frankie Paul For The Mess. They Got It. So, Who's To Blame? — Katherine Singh, Refinery 29

'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Shows the Trad Wife Reality — Quinci LeGardye, Marie Claire

Does the LDS Church pay influencers? Well, actually, yes. — Dylan Eubank, The Salt Lake Tribune

Meet the queen of the ‘trad wives’ (and her eight children) — Megan Agnew, The Times
Tradwife life isn't as good as it looks on TikTok — just ask former tradwives — Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR

Read the Transcript ⁠here⁠

Email us at ⁠CloseAllTabs@KQED.org⁠

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Bee Movie, "We Are Charlie Kirk," and the Enduring Bait-and-Switch Meme

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0000

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible.

In 2007, Bee Movie hit theaters with a strange plot and was considered a box office flop. Nearly two decades later, it’s somehow more relevant than ever, not because of the movie itself, but because of what happened next. The script became a meme, then a prank, then, eventually, a tool for protest.

In this episode, host Morgan Sung traces the evolution of bait-and-switch memes, from early internet shock images to the rise of the “Never Gonna Give You Up” rickroll, all the way to TikTok-era pranks that burn out as quickly as they go viral. Along the way, she talks to Bee Movie co-writer Spike Feresten about how the film became an unlikely internet icon, and to digital rhetoric expert Bret Strauch about what makes a meme actually stick.

Guests:

Spike Feresten, screenwriter and comedian

Bret Strauch, assistant professor of digital media, University of Colorado Boulder

Further Reading/Listening:

Behind the scenes content on the making of this episode!

MEMES, Part 3: Gotta make you understand — Endless Thread

A Complete History of Bee Movie’s Many, Many Memes — Paris Martineau, Intelligencer

Why Did Bee Movie Become A Meme? — Joshua Kristian McCoy, GameRant

The Josh Hutcherson ‘Whistle’ edit meme, explained — Ana Diaz, Polygon

‘His courage our own’: This Charlie Kirk tribute song is blowing up on Spotify. Was it made by a human—or AI? — Braden Bjella, The Mary Sue

Read the Transcript here

Email us at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

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To Hack a Tractor: How Farmers Won the Right to Repair

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0000

What do pissed off farmers and broken McFlurry machines have to do with each other? More than you’d think. Both are part of the story behind the modern right-to-repair movement. In this episode, Jason Koebler, tech journalist and co-founder at 404 Media, explains how an unlikely alliance between Midwestern farmers and electronics repair technicians helped win right-to repair protections across multiple states — and why the farmers’ fight to fix their own tractors is far from over.

Guest:

Jason Koebler, tech journalist and co-founder of 404 Media

Further Reading/Listening:

It Is Now Legal to Hack McFlurry Machines (and Medical Devices) to Fix Them — Jason Koebler, 404 Media

The Walls Are Closing in on John Deere’s Tractor Repair Monopoly — Jason Koebler, 404 Media

EPA Affirms Farmers’ Right to Repair — Lisa Held, Civil Eats

The Latest Repair Battlefield Is the Iowa Farmlands—Again — Boone Ashworth, Wired

How John Deere hijacked copyright law to keep you from tinkering with your tractor — Luke Hogg, Reason Magazine

Tractor-Hacking Farmers Are Leading a Revolt Against Big Tech's Repair Monopolies — Jason Koebler, Vice

Why American Farmers Are Hacking Their Tractors With Ukrainian Firmware — Jason Koebler, Vice

Read the Transcript here

Email us at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠

Credits: Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional producing support by Gabriela Glueck. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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The Fight for Your Right to Repair

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0000

Today’s culture of overconsumption urges us to simply throw broken items away and buy new ones. But there’s a growing shift to treat non-working devices differently. In this episode, we dig into the “right to repair” movement with Louis Rossmann, a repair technician, YouTuber and consumer rights advocate. Rossmann has spent years pushing back against the companies that make our devices harder, or even impossible, to fix. From parts pairing to “authorized repair” loopholes, we unpack how tech companies maintain control over the products you’ve already paid for. As devices like phones and even cars move toward subscription-based use models, we examine the question ‘do you truly own something if you can’t repair it?’

Guest:

Louis Rossmann, repair technician and advocate at Rossman Repair Group

Further Reading/Listening:

The Gloves Are Off in the Fight for Your Right to Repair — Boone Ashworth, WIRED

Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement — BBC

Clippy is back—this time as a mascot for Big Tech protests — Eve Upton-Clark, Fast Company

Wheelchair Users Are Finally Winning the Right to Repair — Julia Métraux, Mother Jones

A Growing ‘Right to Repair’ Culture in California — Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED’s The Bay

Read the Transcript here

Email us at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠

Credits: Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional producing support by Gabriela Glueck. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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'Twitter on a Vape' and The Great E-Waste Crisis

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0000

A legal loophole has led to a surge in single-use vapes packed with a surprising amount of electronic components. It’s also a glimpse into how our disposable tech habits are fueling a growing e-waste problem. In this episode, tech reporter Samatha Cole shares what happened when she tried to “vape the internet” after seeing a viral post about a disposable touchscreen vape with built-in social media. We also hear from environmental philosopher and public health researcher Yogi Hale Hendlin, who explains how flavored vape bans have led to the flood of high-tech disposables — and how tackling the e-waste crisis will take a radical rethink of our relationship with the products we consume.

This episode first aired on April 16th, 2025

Guests:

Samantha Cole, reporter and co-founder of 404 Media

Yogi Hale Hendlin, environmental philosopher and assistant professor at Erasmus University

Further Reading:

I Tried to Vape the Internet – Samantha Cole, 404 Media

Communities can't recycle or trash disposable e-cigarettes. So what happens to them? – Matthew Perrone, Associated Press

How ‘Sour Raspberry Gummy Bear’ — and Other Chinese Vapes — Made Fools of American Lawmakers – Marc Novicoff, Politico

The right to repair electronics is now law in 3 states. Is Big Tech complying? – Maddie Stone, Grist

Disposable vapes thrown away quadruples to 5 M per week – Material Focus

Read the transcript here

Email us at ⁠CloseAllTabs@KQED.org⁠

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Sex Workers Tried to Warn Us About Age Verification Laws

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:00:00 -0000

Requiring internet users to verify their ages before accessing mature content may sound reasonable. Shouldn’t we be doing a better job protecting kids from online vulgarities? But free speech advocates say the push for age verification isn’t really about protecting children — and that bills like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) would open the door to greater surveillance, censorship and control of what people can do online. Those same free speech advocates say the evidence lies in what happened to sex workers after the passage of the bills known as Allow States and Victims To Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) in 2018.

In this episode, Morgan is joined by writer, researcher and dominatrix Dr. Olivia Snow and Mashable associate editor Anna Iovine to explore the connections between porn, sex work and surveillance — and what age verification laws could mean for the future of the internet.

Guests:

Dr. Olivia Snow, research fellow at UCLA’s Center on Resilience & Digital Justice

Anna Iovine, associate editor of features at Mashable

Further Reading/Listening:

Age verification is going to destroy the entire internet — Anna Iovine, Mashable

Are You Ready to Be Surveilled Like A Sex Worker? — Dr. Olivia Snow, WIRED

Sex Workers Have Been Banned From Airbnb for Years. Will You Be Next? — Dr. Olivia Snow, The Nation

Discord delays age verification measures as it admits what it got 'wrong' — Austin Manchester, Polygon

FOSTA-SESTA was supposed to thwart sex trafficking. Instead, it’s sparked a movement — Liz Tung, WHYY

The Internet Loves Sex. Why Does it Hate Sex Workers? — Luna, The Swaddle

When social media censorship gets it wrong: The struggle of breast cancer content creators — Savannah Kuchar, USA Today

What would ethical age verification look like online? — Anna Iovine, Mashable

Project 2025 Co-Author Caught Admitting Secret Conservative Plan to Ban Porn — Shawn Musgrave, The Intercept

Going Viral vs. Going Dark: Why Extremism Trends and Abortion Content Gets Censored — Kenyatta Thomas, Electronic Frontier Foundation: Stop Censoring Abortion Campaign

FCC finds no violations in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show at Levi’s Stadium — Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle

Read the Transcript here

Email us at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

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Send Pics? Roblox Wants to Know Your Age

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:24:00 -0000

Roblox is one of the most popular gaming platforms for kids, with millions of young gamers playing user-created games. It’s also been heavily criticized for its track record on child safety, and is now facing more than 80 lawsuits alleging child abuse and grooming. In response, the company recently rolled out a new safety measure: AI-powered facial age verification that restricts who players can talk with. The reception from players has been anything but warm.

In this episode, host Morgan Sung is joined by youth mental health reporter Rachel Hale, who explains how predators operate on the platform, why everyone seems to hate Roblox’s new AI age verification feature, and the incredible lengths some users are willing to go to get around it. And while Roblox says age verification is about improving safety, questions have emerged about its accuracy, digital privacy and how this move impacts the broader push for age verification across the internet.

Guest: Rachel Hale, youth mental health reporter at USA Today

Further Reading/Listening:

I got an up-close look at Roblox's new safety feature. Here's what I found. — Rachel Hale, USA Today

She just wanted to play Roblox with friends. Then the messages from a predator began. — Rachel Hale, USA Today

Can social media age verification really protect kids? — Rina Chandran, Rest Of World

Roblox's age verification system is reportedly a trainwreck — Will Shanklin, Engadget

Read the Transcript here

Credits: Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional producing support by Gabriela Glueck. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Director of Content Operations. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lessons for U.S. Netizens from Behind China’s Great Firewall

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0000

Are you going through “a very Chinese time in your life”? If so, maybe you’re one of the many American social media users who’ve jumped on the Chinamaxxing trend (or…you’re Chinese). But it’s more than just slippers in the house and hot water at breakfast — as Western netizens experience increased surveillance and censorship across internet platforms, they are ironically turning to one of the most repressive regimes in the world for respite. On today’s episode, Morgan talks to Yi-Ling Liu, author of The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet, about the Chinese government’s history of internet censorship, how online creativity has still flourished inside China’s “walled garden,” and what Americans have to learn from our neighbors in the East.

Guest: Yi-Ling Liu, writer and editor

Further Reading/Listening:

The Wall Dancers Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet — Yi-Ling Liu

How a Dating App Helped a Generation of Chinese Come Out of the Closet — Yi-Ling Liu, The New York Times Magazine

Why Everyone Is Suddenly in a ‘Very Chinese Time’ in Their Lives — Zeyi Yang and Louise Matsakis, Wired

TikTok censorship claims spark California probe of app's handling of anti-Trump content — Kevin Collier and Bruna Horvath, NBC News

Why TikTok’s first week of American ownership was a disaster — Blake Montgomery, The Guardian

China’s biggest gay dating app wants to beat Grindr — Viola Zhou and Andrew Deck, Rest of World

Two of China’s most popular gay dating apps have disappeared from app stores — Chris Lau and Steven Jiang, CNN

Read the Transcript here

Credits: Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional producing support by Gabriela Glueck. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Director of Content Operations. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love In The Time Of Doom Scrolling

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 -0000

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re bringing you an episode about love. We start with TikTok creator Jojo Manzo, who turned his late-night doomscrolling into a matchmaking experiment when he invited thousands of strangers to flirt in his comment section. Then we talk to Maria Avgitidis, a third-generation matchmaker, about why friction, community, and a little discomfort might actually be the point of dating. And finally, we get to the physical … or, at least, geographical. When you find someone you care about, do you share your location with them? Is it intimacy, convenience, surveillance or all three? We explore what it looks like to find human connection in a deeply digital world.

Guests:

Maria Avgitidis Pyrgiotakis, matchmaker and CEO of Agapematch

Jojo Manzo, musician and content creator

Friends of Close All Tabs: Mandy Seiner and Jackson Maxwell, Anna Iovine, Tanya Chen, Amanda Silberling, Harriet Weber, and Taj Weaver

Further Reading/Listening:

You Don’t Need to Swipe Right. A.I. Is Transforming Dating Apps — Eli Tan, The New York Times

To Share or Not to Share? How Location Sharing Is Changing Our Relationships — Modern Love Podcast

‘Perfection without the connection’: How AI is becoming a digital wingman — Hani Richter, Reuters

The Doomed Dream of an AI Matchmaker — Faith Hill, The Atlantic

Ask A Matchmaker: Matchmaker Maria’s No Nonsense Guide to Finding Love — Maria Avgitidis, Matchmaker Maria

Is U-Hauling Real? Here's What's Behind The Lesbian Stereotype — Lea Rose Emery, Bustle

What's The Deal With U-Haul Lesbians? — Kira Deshler, Paging Dr. Lesbian

Read the transcript here.

Credits:

Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional producing support by Gabriela Glueck. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Director of Content Operations. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the AI Data Center Boom Impacts Black Communities

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0000

Picture this… You move to a cozy home in an idyllic neighborhood: fresh air and birdsong in the morning and gorgeous sunsets at night. One day, you wake up to find an AI data center is being built right across the street. Your view of trees turns into piles of dirt, the songbird’s trill replaced by the hum of machinery. That’s the reality for many Atlanta metro area residents right now, facing an explosion of AI data center construction.

In this episode, Morgan is joined by reporters DorMiya Vance and Marlon Hyde from WABE in Atlanta. Vance and Hyde recently looked into why so many companies are targeting the Atlanta suburbs for their builds. They’ll break down what this means for the infrastructure of local energy companies, how to contextualize this trend within the historical strain placed on predominately Black communities, and what can be done to prepare for “stranded assets” if the bubble bursts.

Guests:

DorMiya Vance, Southside reporter at WABE

Marlon Hyde, business reporter at WABE

Further Reading/Listening:

Data centers power our online lives. The business is growing faster in metro Atlanta than anywhere else in the US — Marlon Hyde, WABE

South Atlanta residents brace for major data center development — DorMiya Vance, WABE

Microsoft vows to cover full power costs for energy-hungry AI data centers — Benj Edwards, Ars Technica

After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area — Adam Mahoney, Capital B

A Historic Black Community Takes On the World's Richest Man Over Environmental Racism — Adam Mahoney, Capital B

The People Say No: Resisting Data Centers in the South — Media Justice

Data centers spark a ‘fight for the soul’ of this mostly Black Maryland county — Lateshia Beachum, The Washington Post

Georgia leads push to ban datacenters used to power America’s AI boom — Timothy Pratt, The Guardian

Read the transcript here.

Credits:

Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Real Cost of AI Slop

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0000

How much does your own AI use matter? With all the warnings about AI’s adverse impact on the environment, it can be tough to understand what that means at the individual level. In this episode, Morgan breaks down the hidden costs of generative AI into something more relatable: microwave time. She’s joined by MIT Technology Review reporters Casey Crownhart and James O’Donnell, who spent months investigating how much energy and water AI systems actually use.

Together, they unpack how AI models are trained and which ones are more resource-intensive, what effect the expansion of AI data centers has on local energy grids and just how much electricity it takes when we ask AI to generate text, images and videos.

Guests:

Casey Crownhart, senior climate reporter at MIT Technology Review

James O'Donnell, senior AI reporter at MIT Technology Review

Further Reading:

We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard. — Casey Crownhart and James O’Donnell, MIT Technology Review

AI Energy Score v2: Refreshed Leaderboard, now with Reasoning 🧠 —

Sasha Luccioni and Boris Gamazaychikov, Hugging Face

Stop worrying about your AI footprint. Look at the big picture instead. — Casey Crownhart, MIT Technology Review

Google says a typical AI text prompt only uses 5 drops of water — experts say that’s misleading — Justine Calma, The Verge

Read the Transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the show? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

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Your Digital Footprint Reveals More Than You Think

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0000

How easy is it to find someone from a single video posted online? To find out, Morgan put her own privacy to the test. She asked TikTok creator JoseMonkey, who’s famous for geolocating people who send him videos asking to be found, to track her down. JoseMonkey started as a geolocation hobbyist who turned to creating videos to bring attention to common mistakes people make when posting online.

In this episode, Morgan breaks down why personal operational security matters and what digital hygiene actually looks like in practice. JoseMonkey walks through how he finds people using the smallest scraps of information, and the steps you can take to make sure you aren’t exposing too much in your posts. And Eva Galperin, cybersecurity director of Electronic Frontier Foundation, explains how to use a process called “threat modeling” to protect your online privacy in a way that’s practical rather than paranoid.

Guests:

Jose Monkey, content creator and online privacy advocate

Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Further Reading/Listening:

We partnered with KQED’s audience news team on a companion guide that breaks down online privacy in a clear, shareable format. You can find it, along with other explainers and guides, on KQED’s explainers page.

⁠Have LLMs Finally Mastered Geolocation? — Foeke Postma and Nathan Patin, Bellingcat
Surveillance Self-Defense — The Electronic Frontier Foundation

How micro-online posting can be a macro privacy risk — JoseMonkey, TedX Talks

Read the transcript ⁠here⁠

Want to give us feedback on the show? Shoot us an email at ⁠CloseAllTabs@KQED.org⁠

Credits:

Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are You Allowed to Record ICE?

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0000

When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, it became an instant flashpoint in the ongoing escalation of federal law enforcement violence. It also put a spotlight on the U.S. government’s efforts to prevent people from documenting federal agents in public.

In this episode, we dig into a simple but important question: do you have the right to record ICE? Criminal justice reporter C.J. Ciaramella explains how the Trump administration is working to create a chilling effect around filming law enforcement, why legal challenges are intensifying, and how courts are increasingly pushing back.

Guests:

C.J. Ciaramella, Criminal Justice Reporter at Reason

Further Reading/Listening:

ICE officer fatally shoots driver through car window in Minneapolis — Max Nesterak, Madison McVan and Alyssa Chen, The Minnesota Reformer

The Trump administration says it's illegal to record videos of ICE. Here's what the law says. — C.J. Ciaramella, Reason

DHS says recording or following law enforcement 'sure sounds like obstruction of justice' — C.J. Ciaramella, Reason

Recording the Police: Tips for Safety and Awareness — Carly Severn and Mina Kim, KQED

DHS Claims Videotaping ICE Raids Is ‘Violence’ — Matthew Cunningham-Cook, The American Prospect

ICE detains U.S. citizen for 7 hours after she photographed agents in Oregon — Yesenia Amaro, The Oregonian

Dozens of felony cases crumble in DOJ push to punish protesters — Michael Biesecker, Jamie Ding, Christine Fernando, Claire Rush, and Ryan J. Foley, The Associated Press

What Happens When Federal Officers Use Force — Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME

California is banning masks for federal agents. Here’s why it could lose in court — Nigel Duara, CalMatters

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the show? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

Credits:

Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa, who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Save or Scroll: OpenAI’s Head of Preparedness, Global RAM Shortage, AI Artists, and a Manosphere Antidote

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0000

In a holiday installment of Save or Scroll, Morgan and the Close All Tabs team get together to talk over the stories they can’t stop thinking about. From OpenAI’s concerning new job posting, to a major RAM shortage, AI artists on the come up, and an antidote to the Manosphere, they’ve got a lot to chew on.

Guests:

Morgan Sung, Host of Close All Tabs

Chris Egusa, Senior Editor of Close All Tabs

Maya Cueva, Producer of Close All Tabs

Chris Hambrick, Editor of Close All Tabs

Further Reading/Listening:

Sam Altman is hiring someone to worry about the dangers of AI — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge

Why OpenAI's $555,000 Head of Preparedness Role May Be Hard to Fill — Sarah E. Needleman, Business Insider

Memory loss: As AI gobbles up chips, prices for devices may rise — John Ruwitch, NPR

Why is RAM so expensive right now? It's way more complicated than you think — Wayne Williams, TechRadar

AI Singer Xania Monet Just Charted On Billboard, Signed $3 Million Deal. Is This The Future Of Music? — Doug Melville, Forbes

How Many AI Artists Have Debuted on Billboard’s Charts? — Xander Zellner, Billboard

The ‘Manosphere’? It’s Planet Earth. — Joseph Bernstein, The New York Times

“2024 self interviewing my 2025 self” — @seanjaye1988, Instagram Reel

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the show? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

Credits:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Death, Robotaxis, and a Cat Named KitKat

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:00:00 -0000

When KitKat, a beloved bodega cat, was killed by a Waymo in San Francisco in late October of this year, the incident quickly went viral. It ignited grief and outrage. It also renewed scrutiny of autonomous vehicles. But in a city where hundreds of animals are hit by vehicles each year, why did this incident — and this particular cat — hit such a nerve?

We hear from Oscar Palma, the first reporter on the scene, about what unfolded the night KitKat was killed. Then, Mission Local managing editor Joe Eskenazi and KQED reporter Sydney Johnson explore the limits of autonomous vehicles and why one cat’s death resonated so deeply in a rapidly gentrifying San Francisco.

Guests:

Sydney Johnson, reporter at KQED

Oscar Palma, reporter at Mission Local

Joe Eskenazi, managing editor at Mission Local

Further Reading/ Listening:

KitKat, liquor store mascot and ‘16th St. ambassador,’ killed — allegedly by Waymo — Oscar Palma, Mission Local

San Francisco Supervisor Calls for Robotaxi Reform After Waymo Kills Neighborhood Cat — Sydney Johnson, KQED

How Kit Kat Was Killed: Video Shows What a Waymo Couldn’t See — Heather Knight, The New York Times

Driverless car startup Cruise's no good, terrible year — Dara Kerr, NPR

Cruise admits lying to feds about dragging woman in San Francisco — Kevin Truong, The San Francisco Standard

Waymo hits dog in S.F. weeks after killing Mission bodega cat — Kelly Waldron, Mission Local

Dog hit by Waymo in SF put down by family after suffering 'severe pelvic trauma' — Alex Baker, KRON4

The self-driving taxi revolution begins at last — The Economist

Read the transcript here

Email: ⁠CloseAllTabs@KQED.org⁠

Credits:

Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. This episode was produced by Maya Cueva and edited by Chris Egusa. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa, who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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One Year Later, The Internet’s Still Talking About Luigi Mangione

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:00:00 -0000

On December 4, 2024, United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a Midtown New York hotel. The subsequent arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione set off a frenzy far beyond a typical breaking news story. Almost immediately, supporters emerged, detractors pushed back and then something stranger took hold: a devoted fandom that treated Mangione not just as a suspect, but as a symbol.

One year later, we look at how a single crime became a cultural flashpoint and how narratives built around Magione are shaping public perception. Investigative journalist Melkorka Licea unpacks the different factions of Mangione’s online supporters. Then, legal expert Daniel Medwed helps Morgan understand the challenges of selecting a fair jury in an era when high-profile cases unfold in real time across millions of screens.

Guests:

Melkorka Licea, investigative journalist

Daniel Medwed, professor of law at Northeastern University

Further Reading/Listening:

Inside the Contentious World of Luigi Mangione Supporters —

Melkorka Licea, WIRED

Luigi Mangione Hearing Hits on 3D Gun, Never-Before-Heard 911 Call, Comparisons to the Unabomber — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone

Slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's tenure was marked by rocketing profits—and accusations of insider trading and coverage denial — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune

Luigi is Currently Reading: What Can We Really Learn About the UHC CEO’s Alleged Killer Based on the Books He’s Read? — James Folta, Literary Hub

Luigi Mangione’s ‘Loafers,’ ‘Outfit’ and ‘Ankles’ Go Viral as His Unexpected Fashion Influence Persists After Latest Court Appearance — Renan Botelho, WWD

Meet the ‘Cougars for Luigi Mangione’ — and new fans of the alleged killer — Josie Ensor, The Times

What is jury nullification and what does it mean for Luigi Mangione’s defense? — Eric Levenson, CNN

Grand jury declines to indict the 88-year-old white woman whose false accusations led to Emmett Till's death in 1955 — Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, Business Insider

Read the transcript here

Email: CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

Credits:

Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. This episode was produced by Chris Egusa and edited by Jen Chien. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa who also composed our theme song and credits music. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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What Happened to Purple Moon Games for Girls?

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Editor’s note: We updated one line to add context about a character in one of the Purple Moon games, which may affect how the character is understood.

Thirty years ago, video games were predominantly marketed to boys. Nintendo and Sega ran TV ads featuring boys proclaiming how “awesome” and “powerful” the latest system was. And the biggest computer games tended to revolve around male-coded activities like shooting or combat. But in the late ‘90s, a small indie game studio called Purple Moon set out to change that — creating story-rich, emotionally complex games designed to welcome girls into the world of computers.

In this episode, Close All Tabs producer Maya Cueva looks back on her own childhood experience with Purple Moon and talks with founder Brenda Laurel about the company’s legacy, its impact on girls in tech, and how it all came to an abrupt end.

Guest:

Brenda Laurel, interactive games designer, creator and founder of Purple Moon

Further Reading:

The ‘Girl Games’ of the ’90s Were Fun and Feminist — Drew Dakessian, WIRED

Conscious UX: Leading Human-Centered Design in the Age of AI: Designing the Future of Artificial Intelligence with Compassion, Inclusion, and Openness — Rikki Teeters, Don Norman, Brenda Laurel

Brenda Laurel — Christopher Weaver, Smithsonian Institution, Lemelson Center for The Study of Invention and Innovation

Trailblazing Women in Video Gaming: Meet the Pioneers Who Shaped Design History — D.S. Cohen, Lifewire

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. This episode was reported and produced by Maya Cueva and edited by Chris Hambrick and Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0000

The Ukraine-Russia war has been called the most technologically advanced war in history. Ukrainian citizens receive notifications about incoming missile and drone attacks through apps on their phones; remote-controlled drones swarm the front lines; and volunteer cyberwarfare units target Russian digital infrastructure. It’s all part of what some have dubbed Ukraine’s “Geeks of War.”

In this episode, investigative reporter Erica Hellerstein takes us to the digital front line. On a recent trip to Ukraine, she met a husband-and-wife duo running a DIY nonprofit that supplies tech to defense forces, toured the recently-bombed headquarters of one of the country’s biggest tech companies, and explored how a swarm of online accounts with Shiba Inu avatars is countering Russian propaganda.

Throughout, she looks at how Ukraine’s culture of tech innovation — and its surprising ties to Silicon Valley — are fueling the country’s resistance through an army of engineers, coders, hackers, and tinkerers.

Guest:

Erica Hellerstein, investigative journalist and feature writer

Further Reading/Listening:

Dexter Filkins on Drones and the Future of Warfare⁠ — Adam Howard, WNYC

⁠Lessons From the World’s First Full-Scale Cyberwar⁠ — David Kirichenko, Kyiv Post

⁠Russia Takes Its Ukraine Information War Into Video Games⁠ — Steven Lee Myers and Kellen Browning, The New York Times

⁠Why Ukraine remains the world's most innovative war machine⁠ — Ibrahim Naber, Politico

⁠A Thousand Snipers in the Sky: The New War in Ukraine⁠ — Marc Santora, Lara Jakes, Andrew E. Kramer, Marco Hernandez and Liubov Sholudko, The New York Times

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

Close All Tabs is hosted by Morgan Sung. This episode was reported by Erica Hellerstein. It was produced by Maya Cueva and edited by Chris Egusa and Jen Chien. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Jen Chien is our Director of Podcasts. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Where Do Games Go When They Die?

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0000

When Ubisoft, publisher of the sprawling open-world racing game The Crew shut down the game’s servers, cutting off access to even its single-player mode, fans were outraged. The moment tapped into their decades of frustration with the gaming industry’s push toward online-only content — and what some now call the growing epidemic of “game death.” In this episode, host Morgan Sung is joined by Ross Scott, a filmmaker and YouTube creator who launched the “Stop Killing Games” campaign. They’ll cover the push for new regulations requiring publishers to plan for the end of their games’ lifespans. Then, Morgan talks with gaming journalist Nicole Carpenter about the passionate community that formed around the mobile game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, and how gamers grieve the loss of their favorite virtual worlds.

Guests:

Ross Scott, filmmaker, creator, and founder of the Stop Killing Games movement

Nicole Carpenter, freelance reporter

Further reading/listening:

With Anthem’s Impending Server Shutdown, I’m Trying It For The First Time — Nicole Carpenter, Aftermath

Kim Kardashian: Hollywood has an unlikely, lasting place in gaming history — Nicole Carpenter, Polygon

'Stop Killing Games' Campaign Closes in on Getting EU Regulators to Intervene — Jon Martindale, PC Mag

‘Stop Killing Games’: Demands for game ownership must also include workers’ rights — Louis-Etienne Dubois and Miikka J. Lehtonen, The Conversation

The largest campaign ever to stop publishers destroying games — Ross Scott, Accursed Farms (YouTube)

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung and produced by Francesca Fenzi. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Alice Bucknell on How Virtual Spaces Help Us Cope With Reality

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0000

When wildfire engulfed much of Los Angeles earlier this year, artist and game designer Alice Bucknell found themselves stuck inside, replaying “Firewatch,” a quiet game about exploring the wilderness in anticipation of an impending wildfire. It helped them process emotions that felt too overwhelming in real life. “Firewatch,” and other games like it that focus on exploration rather than fighting or competing, are known as walking simulators. Throughout their career, Alice has used this approach to craft exploratory games that invite players to stretch their imagination and emotional capacity.

In this episode, Morgan talks with Alice about how walking simulators and other virtual worlds can reframe our understanding of failure, climate grief, and our connection to one another. From simulating life as a moth to wandering through abandoned metaverses like Second Life, they explore how digital spaces can become sites of mourning, reflection, and hope.

Guests:

Alice Bucknell, artist, writer, and game designer

Further reading/listening:

The video game that makes the climate apocalypse look good — Erin X. Wong, High Country News

Second Life’s loyal users embrace its decaying software and no-fun imperfections — Alice Bucknell, Document Journal

Playing with Feelings: Video Games and Affect — Aubrey Anable, University of Minnesota Press

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

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A Political Reckoning for Twitch?

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0000

TwitchCon, Twitch’s annual convention in San Diego for all things streaming and gaming, is facing heightened scrutiny after streamer Emiru was assaulted there during a meet-and-greet. The incident occurred after a series of streamers pulled out of the event over safety concerns and the growing specter of political violence. All of this has highlighted questions about the role of political commentary on Twitch — a genre that's exploded in the last few years, transforming the platform into much more than a gaming site.

In this episode, Morgan is joined by author and reporter Nathan Grayson and political streamer Denims to explore Twitch’s rise as a hub for political speech, the company’s inconsistent handling of backlash against political creators, and whether any real alternatives exist for this new wave of commentators.

Guests:

Nathan Grayson, co-founder and reporter at Aftermath

Denims, political streamer on Twitch

Further reading/listening:

Beefed Up TwitchCon Security Couldn't Stop The Internet's Issues From Spilling Over Into Real Life — Nathan Grayson, Aftermath

Can Twitch Survive? CEO Dan Clancy at Twitchcon — Taylor Lorenz, User Mag

Stream Big: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Twitch and the Stars Behind the Screen — Nathan Grayson

Why is TwitchCon so uniquely unsafe for streamers? — Christianna Silva, Mashable

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Chris Hambrick is our Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Satanic Panic in the Age of the Internet

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0000

What do colorful and plush Labubu dolls have in common with Mesopotamian mythology? If you believe some viral TikToks, everything. Recent conspiracy theories have linked the toys to everything from ancient demonic spirits to Satan worship. But behind those ideas flooding online feeds is something older and darker: the return of moral panic. In this episode, host Morgan Sung digs into how a new generation of “satanic panic” has gone digital, from fears of occult rituals in song to online crusades against queer and trans people. Journalist Sarah Marshall, host of the new podcast series The Devil You Know, joins Morgan to help trace how misinformation and moral outrage keep recycling the same fears — just with new villains.

Guests:

Sarah Marshall, journalist and host of the You're Wrong About podcast

Further reading/listening:

The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall — CBC Podcasts

You're Wrong About podcast — Sarah Marshall

The right’s moral panic over “grooming” invokes age-old homophobia — Aja Romano, Vox

The strange origins of the Satanic Panic: How one Canadian book started a worldwide witch hunt — Leah Collins, CBC Arts

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond the AI Hype Machine

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0000

When ChatGPT launched in 2022, it kicked off what some have called the “AI hype machine” — a frenzy of promotion and investment that has sent some tech companies’ valuations soaring to record heights. Meanwhile, computational linguist Emily M. Bender and AI researcher and sociologist Alex Hanna have proudly worn the titles of “AI hype busters,” critiquing the industry’s loftiest claims and pointing out the real-world harms behind this wave of excitement. What began as a satirical podcast is now a book, The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want. In this episode, Alex and Emily explain why the very term “AI” is misleading, how AI boosters and doomers are really flip sides of the same coin, and why we should question the AI inevitability narrative.

Guests:

Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics the University of Washington

Alex Hanna, director of research at the Distributed AI Research Institute

Further reading/listening:

The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want — Emily Bender and Alex Hanna

The Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 Podcast — Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna

“AI” Hurts Consumers and Workers -- and Isn’t Intelligent — Emily Bender and Alex Hanna, Tech Policy Press

On the Very Real Dangers of the Artificial Intelligence Hype Machine: Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna Explore AI History, the Cold War, and a Fatally Overhyped Idea — Emily M. Bender, LitHub

People Are Crashing Out Over Sora 2’s New Guardrails — Samantha Cole, 404 Media

Sora 2 Has a Huge Financial Problem — Victor Tangermann, Futurism

We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard. — James O'Donnell and Casey Crownhart, MIT Technology Review

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Our editor is Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brian Douglas and Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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The All-Seeing Eyes of Modern Dating

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0000

What happens to dating when every misstep has the potential to go viral? That’s what happened in 2022, when social media posts warning about a few bad dates with a man named “West Elm Caleb” blew up on TikTok in 2022, and became a cautionary tale on the culture of public shaming. In this episode, Morgan speaks with tech journalist Tanya Chen and culture writer Magdalene Taylor about the rise of the “dating panopticon” — a world in which love, gossip, and surveillance collide. From ghosting to the hacked “Tea App,” they explore how online whisper networks meant to protect women have turned into digital minefields, and what it takes to opt out of turning our romantic lives into content.

Guests:

Magdalene Taylor, writer, culture critic, and senior editor at Playboy

Tanya Tianyi Chen, independent tech writer and editor

Further reading/listening:

Reject the Digital Dating Panopticon — Magdalene J. Taylor, Many Such Cases

Gender Relations Have Made Dating a Hostile Act — Magdalene J. Taylor, Many Such Cases

Women’s ‘red flag’ app Tea is a privacy nightmare — Tanya Tianyi Chen, The Verge

West Elm Caleb: The TikTok mob's latest target might not deserve its wrath. — Madison Malone Kircher, Slate

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brian Douglas. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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In Search of Thock: The Quest for the Perfect Keyboard

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 18:11:00 -0000

“Clacky,” “Poppy,” and "Thocky" may sound like the latest cereal elves, but they’re actually terms to describe the sounds of typing on a mechanical keyboard. What started as a niche hobby blew up during the pandemic, with a huge influx of creators posting tutorials, reviews, and soothing ASMR videos on social media. Many hobbyists are so enthusiastic about achieving the perfect sound, feel and response from their personal keyboards that they design and build their own, sometimes spending hundreds of dollars on custom parts.

Lately though, the industry has been hitting some serious roadblocks. In this episode Morgan examines how the mechanical keyboard craze took off, and why it may now be starting to fade. We’ll hear from creators about how tariffs and the end of the de minimis rule are affecting everyone — from consumers to indie designers, to content creators.

Guests:

Frank Lee, keyboard streamer and organizer of KeebLife

Hipyo Tech, YouTube creator

Betty Van, YouTube creator

Further reading/listening:

The Twitch streamer behind Tfue’s custom $3,500 mechanical keyboard — Nick Statt, The Verge

Looming tariffs are making it extra hard to be a tech geek — Scharon Harding, Ars Technica

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio Engineering by Brendan Willard and Brian Douglas. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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AI Prophets and Spiritual Delusions

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000

AI delusions, chatbot psychosis, AI-induced religious mania… The phenomenon goes by many names, but the common thread is the same: someone starts talking to an AI chatbot, the conversation turns spiritual, and then they seem to lose touch with reality.

In this episode, we’re exploring how AI and religion are colliding like never before — from biblical AI apps to self-proclaimed prophets who claim spiritual awakenings through chatbots. KQED’s Rachael Myrow joins to talk about the rise of AI-driven theology apps and why so many people are turning to chatbots to answer life’s biggest questions. Then, Rolling Stone reporter Miles Klee shares his investigation into AI-fueled spiritual delusions and their devastating consequences for those affected and their families. And we’ll look into how all of this is becoming fodder for the social media content machine.

Guests:

Rachael Myrow, senior editor, Silicon Valley News Desk at KQED

Miles Klee, culture writer at Rolling Stone

Further reading/listening:

People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone

Should We Really Be Calling It 'AI Psychosis'? — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone

Are You There ChatGPT? It’s Me, Rachael — Let’s Talk About God — Rachael Myrow, KQED

What happens when chatbots shape your reality? Concerns are growing online — Angela Yang, NBC News

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Brendan Willard is our Audio Engineer. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Groypers, Doxxing and Charlie Kirk’s Death as a S***post

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000

What is a “groyper?” The term began trending on Google in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death. Kirk, the right-wing podcaster and Turning Point USA co-founder, was fatally shot last Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University.

Major news outlets quickly reported that authorities had found bullet casings engraved with a series of seemingly inscrutable messages, including, “Notices bulge, OwO, what’s this?”; “Hey fascist! Catch!” followed by arrow symbols; “Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao”; and “If you read this you are gay LMAO.” For most, the phrases seemed bizarre and incomprehensible. But for Aidan Walker, an internet researcher and meme historian, the messages told a clear story which many media outlets had missed.

On today’s episode, Aidan joins Morgan to break down what the messages may tell us about the alleged shooter, how a fringe extremist group known as “groypers” might be involved, and what the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's death portends for our political and media landscapes.

Guests:

Aidan Walker, independent writer, content creator, and internet culture researcher

Further reading/listening:

a theory of groyperfication — Aidan Walker, How To Do Things With Memes

Suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting texted roommate he 'had enough of his hatred,' officials say — Doha Madani & Corky Siemaszko, NBC News

Charlie Kirk was killed by a meme — Ryan Broderick & Adam Bumas, Garbage Day

Wall Street Journal quietly walks back false claim Charlie Kirk shooter had pro-trans messages on his bullets — Christopher Wiggins, Advocate

Conservatives Are Doxxing Innocent People Over Charlie Kirk — Taylor Lorenz, User Mag

Charlie Kirk Assassination Sparks Social Media Crackdown — Ken Klippenstein, Ken Klippenstein

Where Charlie Kirk Stood on Key Political Issues — Ashley Ahn & Maxine Joselow, The New York Times

Charlie Kirk in his own words: ‘prowling Blacks’ and ‘the great replacement strategy’ — Chris Stein, The Guardian

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Chris Egusa. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23andMe (andGeneticPrivacy)

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000

When 23andMe filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, it set off alarm bells among privacy experts and consumers alike. According to a 2025 survey, about 1 in 5 Americans has taken a home DNA test. Among those who haven’t, privacy ranks as one of their top concerns. As with so many things having to do with data, there’s a trade-off between confidentiality and the ability to access services that can improve our lives. The fallout from 23andMe’s bankruptcy and an earlier data breach has left consumers more wary than ever and has underscored the need for stronger data privacy laws. In today’s episode, we’ll hear from someone whose life was transformed by a 23andMe test, and from a genetic data and privacy researcher who explains the risks of handing over our DNA to a corporation.

Guests:

Trine Gallegos, Media Coordinator and 23andMe user

Anya Prince, professor and genetic privacy researcher at the University of Iowa College of Law

Further reading/listening:

I Tried to Keep My Pregnancy Secret — Anya Prince, The Atlantic

Judge OKs sale of 23andMe — and its trove of DNA data — to a nonprofit led by its founder — John Ruwitch, NPR

California AG says 23andMe sale ‘does not comply’ with state law — Tyler Katzenberger, Politico

23andMe is for sale. Here’s why companies might want your genetic data — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From MIT’s TeachLab: The Homework Machine

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000

The Close All Tabs team is taking the week off, but we wanted to share something else we think you’ll be into: a new mini series from MIT’s TeachLab Podcast. It’s called The Homework Machine, and it dives deep into how teachers and students are navigating the arrival of generative AI in schools.

Episode one is titled “Buckle Up, Here It Comes.”

In late November of 2022, ChatGPT was released to the public as a free research preview. Pretty quickly, students figured out ChatGPT was really good at doing their homework for them. Schools scrambled to figure out what to do: Ban it? Embrace it? Teachers and students found themselves adapting to a new reality.

Hosts Jesse Dukes and Justin Reich share stories of teachers and students reacting to the arrival of an exciting, alarming, and strange new technology.

Further reading/listening:

TeachLab Presents: The Homework Machine – TeachLab from MIT

Teachers Strike Back Against AI Cheating – Close All Tabs

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teachers Strike Back Against AI Cheating

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Cheating in school isn’t new. But with AI making it easier than ever, teachers face a new challenge: where to draw the line and how to make sure students are still learning. In this episode, we’ll take a look at three different approaches educators are adopting to deal with AI in their classrooms.

First, Morgan sits down with Max Spero, founder of the AI detection company Pangram Labs, to discuss how detection tools should, and should not, be used in the classroom. Then, we hear from KQED reporter Marlena Jackson Retondo about the return of the iconic “blue books,” and the benefits of “analog” learning. Finally, Morgan calls up her cousin, Jeremy Na, who happens to be an English teacher in San Jose. He explains how he adapted his teaching style to focus on the process of learning, rather than a final grade — and why his method has kept AI out of his classroom (for the most part).

Guests:

Jeremy Na, Bay Area-based educator

Max Spero, CEO of Pangram Labs

Marlena Jackson-Retondo, engagement producer and reporter for KQED

Further reading/listening:

Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College – James D. Walsh, NYMag

Taking Exams in Blue Books? They're Back to Help Curb AI Use and Rampant Cheating – Marlena Jackson Retondo, KQED’s Mindshift

They Were Every Student’s Worst Nightmare. Now Blue Books Are Back. – Ben Cohen, The Wall Street Journal

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva and Brendan Willard. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Before ChatGPT, There Were 'Shadow Scholars'

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Thousands of writers in Kenya make their living ghostwriting academic papers for wealthy Western students. It’s an industry known as “contract cheating” or “essay mills,” and is the subject of a new documentary, “The Shadow Scholars.” Directed by Eloise King, the film follows Kenyan-born Oxford Professor Patricia Kingori as she investigates this hidden industry and seeks to understand the essay writers working in the shadows of the educational system.

Morgan talks with Patricia and Eloise about the world of academic cheating, and how these writers are adapting to a world in which AI-generated essays are just a click away.

Guests:

Patricia Kingori, professor of global health ethics at the University of Oxford

Eloise King, director of “The Shadow Scholars”

Further reading/listening:

The Shadow Scholars — Directed by Eloise King

Kenya’s “Fake Essay” Writers and the Light they Shine on Assumptions of Shadows in Knowledge Production — Patricia Kingori, Journal of African Cultural Studies

How writing essays for American students has become a lucrative profession overseas — Farah Stockman, The Independent

Georgia Bans Commercial Cheating Services — Derek Newton, Forbes

Companies that use AI to help you cheat at school are thriving on TikTok and Meta — Chris Stokel-Walker, Fast Company

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Does Gen Z Have A Staring Problem?

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Have you heard of the “Gen Z stare”? It’s the blank look some Gen Zers seem to give instead of the usual greetings or small talk—and it’s the latest skirmish in a years-long generation war between Gen Z and Millennials. Internet culture researcher Aidan Walker joins Morgan to trace the origins of this rivalry, unpack what behavioral quirks like “the Gen Z stare” and “the Millennial pause” reveal about each generation’s relationship with technology, and explore why everyone seems to forget about Gen X.

Guests:

Aidan Walker, independent writer, content creator, and internet culture researcher

Further reading/listening:

Is the ‘Gen Z stare’ just a call to look inward? — Manuela López Restrepo and Mia Venkat, NPR

Have you been a victim of the ‘gen Z stare’? It’s got nothing on the gen X look of dread — Emma Beddington, The Guardian

Gen Z is staring at you. It may be more than just a quirk. — Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Is Algospeak Coming for Us?

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Social media creators started using words like “unalive” and “seggs” to dodge algorithmic filters that might suppress “inappropriate” content. But these workarounds aren’t staying online. They’re leaking into real life — like last year, when the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture explained on a placard that Kurt Cobain “unalived” himself.

In his new book Algospeak, linguist and online creator Adam Aleksic argues that algorithms are shaping language in unprecedented ways, and it’s happening quicker than ever. He joins Morgan to explain why euphemisms keep transforming, how “all words are now metadata,” and what his social media persona says about the power of the algorithm to shape the way we speak.

Guests:

Adam Aleksic, linguist, creator and author of Algospeak

Further reading/listening:

Algospeak — Adam Aleksic

The resurgence of the r-word — Constance Grady, Vox

How Sign Language Evolves as Our World Does — Amanda Morris, The New York Times

The Harvard-Educated Linguist Breaking Down ‘Skibidi’ and ‘Rizz’ — Callie Holtermann, The New York Times

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Save or Scroll: ICE + Influencers, Data Hygiene on Grindr, and Labubu Desserts

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

In another installment of Save or Scroll, Morgan teams up with internet culture writers Daysia Tolentino and Moises Mendez II to dig into the stories they can’t stop thinking about. From people calling ICE on influencers, to Grindr’s new age verification, to the Labubu matcha Dubai chocolate craze (yes, you heard that correctly), the three of them have plenty to scroll through.

Save or Scroll is our series where we team up with guests for a rapid-fire roundup of internet trends that are filling our feeds right now. At the end of each segment, they’ll decide: is the post just for the group chat, or should we save it for a future episode?

Guests:

Daysia Tolentino, Yap Year founder and writer at Entertainment Weekly

Moises Mendez II, writer at Out Magazine

Further reading/listening:

5 reasons 'Love Island USA' went completely off the rails this year — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly

The Obsessive Fans Playing God on ‘Love Island’—and Living for the Crash-Outs — Jason Parham, WIRED

Grindr introduces age verification for UK-based users — Aaron Sugg, Attitude

Grindr accused of treating gay man’s medical data like ‘piece of meat’ | UK news — Robert Booth, The Guardian

'Labubu' is a plush toy that is causing a frenzy. Here's its origin story — Juliana Kim, NPR

How Relooted, A Game About Reclaiming African Artifacts From Western Museums, Ended Up Being Shown By A White Guy At Summer Game Fest — Nathan Grayson, Aftermath

Reddit Trolls Are Weaponizing Government Agencies Against Creators — Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva, Chris Egusa, and Brendan Willard. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Bonus: A Big Win for the Internet Archive

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 20:00:00 -0000

Who decides what is and isn’t a library? The Internet Archive now has federal depository status, joining a network of over 1,100 libraries that archive government documents and make them accessible to the public — even as ongoing legal challenges pose an existential threat to the organization. Some of the organization’s critics even argue that the Internet Archive is not a library at all.

In this special update to our deep dive on the Internet Archive, we get into what this designation really means. Morgan talks to Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle about what federal depository libraries do, whether this affects the Internet Archive’s copyright lawsuit, and why preserving information is more important than ever.

Guests:

Brewster Kahle, founder and digital librarian of The Internet Archive

Further reading/listening:

SF-Based Internet Archive Is Now a Federal Depository Library. What Does That Mean? — Morgan Sung, KQED

What Happens if the Internet Archive Goes Dark? — Close All Tabs

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsay is our Editor in Chief.

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OGs of Tech: A Latino Engineer in Silicon Valley

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

In a field obsessed with the future, sometimes it’s worth looking back. OGs of Tech is a new occasional series from Close All Tabs that looks beyond the billionaires to spotlight the often-overlooked innovators who helped build the digital world we live in today.

One of these OGs is Felidoro Cueva, who grew up in a rural village in the Andes mountains of Peru, and immigrated to the US in 1964 — during the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. He went on to become one of the first Latino engineers in Silicon Valley.

And he’s also our producer Maya Cueva’s dad. Maya takes us through Feli’s journey — from how counterculture experimentation influenced his fascination with technology to the discrimination he faced in a startup world where Latino representation was nearly nonexistent.

Guests:

Felidoro Cueva, a pioneering Latino engineer in Silicon Valley

Further reading:

Only The Moon/Solamente La Luna — directed by Maya Cueva and animated by Leah Nichols

Meshugganismo — Maya Cueva, Latino USA

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva and Brendan Willard. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsay is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teens Under the Influence (of Chatbots)

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Young people are increasingly turning to AI “companion chatbots” to meet their emotional needs. But a new study shows that these chatbots, which are designed to mimic real social relationships, can carry serious risks. In this episode, Morgan and her sister put one chatbot's safety guardrails to the test — and get more than they bargained for. Then, KQED Silicon Valley senior editor Rachael Myrow explains why teens are especially vulnerable, what lawmakers are doing about it, and how parents can talk to their kids about AI.

Guests:

Rachael Myrow, senior editor, Silicon Valley News Desk at KQED

Further reading:

Kids Are Talking to AI Companion Chatbots. Stanford Researchers Say That’s a Bad Idea — Rachael Myrow, KQED

How to Talk With Your Kids About AI Companion Bots — Rachael Myrow, KQED

Social AI Companions — AI Risk Assessment Team, Commons Sense Media

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsay is our Editor in Chief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the Furry Fandom Says Goodbye

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Furries are often known for wearing full-body animal suits at conventions — but the characters they inhabit, called “fursonas,” are much more than costumes. They’re deeply personal expressions of identity and creativity. So when someone in the furry fandom dies, how does the community say goodbye? In this episode, Morgan explores a virtual memorial created by a furry named Changa Husky, where mourners gather in VR to remember those they’ve lost — and the fursonas they leave behind.

Editor's note: In this episode, we refer to some individuals only by their “fursona” names. We’ve chosen to use these names because members of the furry community are frequently subject to harassment, bullying, and doxxing, and many participants use online handles to maintain their safety and privacy.

Guests:

Changa Husky, furry Vtuber and video producer

Patch O’Furr, founder and writer, Dogpatch Press

Further reading:

Who runs the internet? Furries — Dylan Reeve, The Spinoff

Remembering Mark Merlino (1952-2024), a founder and soul of furry fandom — Patch O’Furr, Dogpatch Press

The Fandom: A Furry Documentary — Ash Coyote, YouTube

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Heads up — the Close All Tabs team is taking a break to touch grass, so we won’t have an episode next week. But we’ll be back with another deep dive, and many more tabs, in two weeks.

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curls, Coils, and Pixels: Researchers Crack the Code on Black Hair Animation

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000

The animation industry has long struggled to get Black hair right — from the infamous “Killmonger locs,” named after the Black Panther character and copied across video games, to the stiff, oversized afros of The Sims 4. As it turns out, hair animation tools were built almost exclusively with straight hair in mind. Two researchers, A.M. Darke and Theodore Kim, recently published a landmark paper about the physics of animating curly, coiled, and afro-textured hair. Morgan sits down with A.M. and Theodore as they discuss the surprising pushback they encountered in the animation industry, the findings of their paper, and the uphill battle they faced in getting this field of study recognized within academia.

Guests:

A.M. Darke, artist, game designer, and an associate professor of Performance, Play, & Design at UC Santa Cruz

Theodore Kim, Professor of Computer Science at Yale University

Further reading:

Lifted Curls: A Model for Tightly Coiled Hair Simulation - Alvin Shi, Haomiao Wu, A.M. Darke, and Theodore Kim

Curly-Cue: Geometric Methods for Highly Coiled Hair - Alvin Shi, Haomiao Wu, A.M. Darke, and Theodore Kim

The 'Killmonger Cut' Is Everywhere In Games, Here's Why the Industry Needs to Fix This — Trone Dowd, IGN

We’re Much Closer to A Disney Princess With Type 4 Hair — Essence Gant, Allure

Open Source Afro Hair Library - A.M. Darke

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also ⁠follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. This episode was edited by Chris Hambrick and Chris Egusa. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva, Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Spotify Effect, Pt 2: Micro-Genre Madness

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Spotify didn’t just change how we listen to music — it changed what a genre even is. In this episode, producer and rapper Quinn reflects on being thrust into the spotlight at age 15 as one of the breakout faces of Spotify’s meteoric Hyperpop playlist.. Then, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds breaks down how Spotify’s made-up micro-genres—like Goblincore, Anime Drill, and Bubblegrunge—are reshaping music discovery and putting pressure on artists to conform.

Guests:

Quinn, independent producer and rapper

Kieran Press-Reynolds, independent reporter covering music and internet culture

Further reading:

How to break free of Spotify's algorithm — Tiffany Ng, MIT Technology Review

The Lost Promises of Hyperpoptimism — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Theme and credits music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

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Elon's Great Crash-Out / Unmasked in LA

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Elon Musk and President Trump breaking up? LA protesters clashing with law enforcement? Waymos on fire (again)? Things have been moving fast the last few days — and like you, our feeds are on overload. Today, we’re bringing you a quick reaction episode to catch you up on a couple stories we’ve covered before that are suddenly back in the news. Close All Tabs producer Maya Cueva joins Morgan to break it all down.

We’ve talked about a few of these stories before — if you want to go deeper, here are some past episodes to check out:

The Broligarchy Pt 1: Chronicles of the PayPal Mafia | KQED

The Surveillance Machine, Pt. 1: How We Got Here | KQED

Waymo Robotaxis - Uneasiness and Vandalism | KQED

Further reading:

A timeline of the twists and turns in the Trump-Musk relationship — Nnamdi Egwuonwu, NBC News

Immigration Protests Threaten to Boil Over in Los Angeles — E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker

ICE raids tried to split LA apart, but might have made it stronger — Michael Lozano, LA Public Press

How Waymo got caught in the crossfire of Los Angeles ICE protests —

Joe Berkowitz, Fast Company

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Maya Cueva, Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Spotify Effect, Pt 1: Ghosts in the Playlist

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Spotify has morphed from a straightforward music library and search engine into a data-driven system built to feed you songs to match your mood and optimize your time on the platform.

In this episode, Morgan is joined by music journalist and author Liz Pelly to break down how Spotify built its playlist empire, the rise of so-called “ghost artists” on the platform, and how its algorithmic approach is changing our relationship to music, artists, and the culture around them. Plus, Morgan tries to solve a personal mystery: “Am I being haunted by Sabrina Carpenter?”

Guests:

Liz Pelly, independent music journalist and author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist

Further reading:

Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist — Liz Pelly

The Spotify conspiracy theories about “Espresso,” explained — Rebecca Jennings, Vox

‘Algorithm fatigue:’ Spotify Fans Say It’s Going Downhill. Company Insiders Agree. — John Paul Titlow, Business Insider

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do You Hear What I Hear? Audio Illusions and Misinformation

Wed, 28 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Are you old enough to remember the “Magic Eye” optical illusion mania that gripped the nation in the 90’s—random patterns that you had to squint at just right for the 3D image to pop out? It turns out it's not just our eyes that can be fooled. Our ears can play tricks on us too. There's a whole world of auditory illusions that seem to say one thing when they're really saying something else, and that matters, especially in our age of digital misinformation.

In today’s episode, Morgan talks to KQED Digital Community Producer Francesca Fenzi about why we hear what we think we hear, and how understanding the limits of our perception might actually make us better at spotting dis- and misinformation online.

Guest:

Francesa Fenzi, KQED Digital Community Producer

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound Design by Maya Cueva. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Katherine Monahan and Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Can’t Hentai Go Legit?

Wed, 21 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Hentai, sexually explicit Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga), is a genre that’s been criticized for depicting violent or ethically questionable scenarios. But some fans also see it as a space for expanding the boundaries of art, culture, and sexuality in a way that reverberates beyond its status as a niche subculture.

In this episode, Morgan talks with anime marketer Drea Ramirez about how discovering hentai helped her explore her own sexual identity — and how today’s streaming platforms are stifling weirder, more experimental forms of animation. We’ll also hear from Jacob Grady, CEO of the hentai manga site Fakku, about the challenges of running a licensed and legal business in the face of content piracy, and how anti-trafficking laws like SESTA and FOSTA can make it harder forhentai artists to make a living.

This episode is part of a collaboration with our friends at the podcast Never Post. While we’re digging into the culture and industry behind hentai, they’re coming at it from a completely different angle. Give it a listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

Drea Ramirez, social media marketing manager at Azuki

Jacob Grady, founder and CEO of FAKKU

Mike Rugnetta, host of Never Post

Further reading:

The Hentai Platform Streaming Wars — Aurélie Petit, Porn Studies

Why "The Crunchyroll of Hentai" Failed to Take Off — Jay Allen, Unseen Japan

Hentai Sites Go To War, Leaving Animated Porn's Future In Doubt — Cecilia D’Anastasio, Kotaku

FOSTA-SESTA was supposed to thwart sex trafficking. Instead, it’s sparked a movement — Liz Tung, WHYY

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Original music and sound design by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Surveillance Machine, Pt 2: No Opt-Out

Wed, 14 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Think you can opt out of surveillance? Think again. Our locations, behaviors, and images are being tracked at unprecedented levels — and private tech companies are at the center, selling that information directly to the government. In this episode, Morgan talks with Nicol Turner Lee, Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at The Brookings Institution, about why avoiding identification in public spaces is almost impossible, and how civilians are now helping do the government’s work by surveilling each other.

Guests:

Jalsa Drinkard, Columbia University student and an organizer for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, CUAD

Don Bell, policy counsel at The Constitution Project at The Project On Government Oversight, POGO

Nicol Turner Lee, Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at The Brookings Institution

Further reading:

This pro-Israel group keeps a blacklist. Now it’s taking credit for deportations. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox

Privacy on the Map: How States Are Fighting Location Surveillance — Rindala Alajaji, Electronic Freedom Foundation

Police surveillance and facial recognition: Why data privacy is imperative for communities of color — Nicol Turner Lee and Caitlin Chin-Rothmann, Brookings Institute

It’s Possible to Track Someone’s Personal Phone to an Abortion Clinic. And It’s Legal Too. — Byron Tau, NOTUS

Planning to attend a protest? Check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Attending a Protest guide for practical digital security tips to help protect your privacy and data.

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Maya Cueva and Brendan Willard. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Surveillance Machine, Pt 1: How We Got Here

Wed, 07 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

The tools of high tech surveillance are increasingly all around us: security cameras in public and embedded in doorbells, location data on your phone, online ad tracking. A lot of this has become normalized, utterly mundane. But in the year since nationwide student protests for Palestine, heightened scrutiny of and retaliation against activists in the U.S. have raised new concerns. Government surveillance, particularly on social media, has grown exponentially since the massive Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, but the precedent in this country stretches much further back. In this episode, Columbia University student organizer Jalsa Drinkard shares her experience protecting other students from invasive surveillance and targeting, and Don Bell, policy counsel for The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight, walks us through the long history of government surveillance in American protest movements, and why today’s moment feels different.

Guests:

Jalsa Drinkard, Columbia University student and an organizer for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, CUAD

Don Bell, policy counsel at The Constitution Project at The Project On Government Oversight, POGO

Further reading:

Protest Under a Surveillance State Microscope - Don Bell, Project On Government Oversight

Surveillance & Policing Bodily Autonomy - Don Bell, Project On Government Oversight

‘Discredit, disrupt, and destroy’: FBI records acquired by the Library reveal violent surveillance of Black leaders, civil rights organizations - Virgie Hoban, Berkeley Library

How Watergate Changed America’s Intelligence Laws - Barbara Maranzani, History

‘Panic made us vulnerable’: how 9/11 made the US surveillance state – and the Americans who fought back - Ed Pilkington, The Guardian

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. This episode was edited by Alan Montecillo. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Maya Cueva. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard and Katherine Monahan. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

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Recession Indicator Memes Are Getting Too Real

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Recession indicator memes are everywhere, pointing to everything from office wear at the club to Lady Gaga’s return to pop music as signs of looming economic doom. But with the stock market sinking and tariffs piling up, the jokes are starting to hit closer to home. In this episode, KQED community reporter Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí joins Morgan to unpack how the memes might be fueling the very recession they joke about. We also hear from USC public policy professor Elizabeth Currid-Halkett on the links between culture, consumption, and the economy.

Guests:

Candice Lim, co-host of ICYMI from SlateCarlos Cabrera-Lomelí, community reporter at KQED

Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, professor of public policy at the University of Southern California

Further reading:

‘Recession Indicator’: What Memes Tell Us About How We Experience the Economy - Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, KQED

The 'recession indicator' meme, explained - Christianna Silva, Mashable

Can Strippers Really Forecast a Financial Crisis? - Jenny Singer, Glamour

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard and Katherine Monahan. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

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How Safe is AI Therapy?

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

After a divorce, KQED health reporter Lesley McClurg felt anxious over the prospect of dating again. On a whim, she turned to ChatGPT for a little emotional support — and found herself unexpectedly comforted. That experience launched her investigation into the fast-growing world of AI therapy. In this episode, Lesley joins Morgan to explore the promise and pitfalls of mental health chatbots — and what users should know before sharing their deepest feelings with an algorithm.

Guests:

Lesley McClurg, KQED Health Correspondent

Further reading:

Can AI Replace Your Therapist? The Benefits, Risks and Unsettling Truths - Lesley McClurg, KQED

The AI therapist can see you now - Katia Riddle, NPR

Woebot, a Mental-Health Chatbot, Tries Out Generative AI - Casey Sackett, Devin Harper, and Aaron Pavez, IEEE Spectrum

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Maya Cueva, Chris Egusa, and Brendan Willard. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

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Twitter on a Vape: Puff, Post, Pollute

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode, tech reporter Samatha Cole shares what happened when she tried to “vape the internet” after seeing a viral post about a disposable touchscreen vape with built-in social media. We also hear from environmental philosopher and public health researcher Yogi Hale Hendlin, who says these high-tech disposables are made possible by a legal loophole — and that tackling the e-waste crisis will take a radical rethink of our relationship with the products we consume.

Guests:

Samantha Cole, Reporter and Co-Founder of 404 Media

Yogi Hale Hendlin, Environmental Philosopher and Assistant Professor at Erasmus University

Further reading:

I Tried to Vape the Internet - Samantha Cole, 404 Media

Communities can't recycle or trash disposable e-cigarettes. So what happens to them? - Matthew Perrone, Associated Press

How ‘Sour Raspberry Gummy Bear’ — and Other Chinese Vapes — Made Fools of American Lawmakers - Marc Novicoff, Politico

The right to repair electronics is now law in 3 states. Is Big Tech complying? - Maddie Stone, Grist

Disposable vapes thrown away quadruples to 5 M per week - Material Focus

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Original music and sound design by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard and Chris Egusa. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

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Save or Scroll: Manosphere Mornings, Luigi Sex Tape Rumors, and the Art of the Hard Launch

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

We can’t cover every wild post from every corner of the internet — and not everything online warrants a full multi-tab journey. That’s where Save or Scroll comes in: our series where we team up with a guest for a rapid-fire roundup.

In this episode, Morgan is joined by ICYMI co-host Candice Lim to dig into the stories they haven’t been able to stop thinking about. From the viral Hailey Bieber 7-part series to alpha bro “get ready with me” videos, Reddit’s restrictions on Luigi Mangione discourse, and more — they’ve got plenty to scroll through.

At the end of each segment, they’ll decide: is the post just for the group chat, or should we save it for a future episode?

Guest:

Candice Lim, Co-Host of ICYMI from Slate

Further reading:

Should I Be Taking Notes From This Viral Alpha Male Morning Routine? - Annabel Iwegbue, Cosmopolitan

Hailey Bieber is seeking legal action against people who slate her - Claudia Cox, The Tab

Section 230 May Finally Get Changed as Lawmakers Prep New Bill - Paris Martineau, The Information

Luigi Mangione Sex Tapes Report Sends Internet into Meltdown - Marni Rose McFall, Newsweek

Reddit Is Restricting Luigi Mangione Discourse—but It's Even Weirder Than That - Nitish Pahwa, Slate

How Blueprint Founder Bryan Johnson Sought Control Via Confidentiality Agreements - Kirsten Grind, The New York Times

Trinity Rodman, Ben Shelton and how high-profile relationships affect soccer careers - Tim Spires, The Athletic

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Maya Cueva. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard and Chris Egusa. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

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The Broligarchy Pt 2: Is this Techno-Fascism?

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

The ”broligarchy” didn’t come together in a vacuum — this combination of extreme wealth, right wing leanings, and an anti-establishment point of view has been brewing for decades. There are lots of names for this ideology coming up in the news: techno-fascism, techno-feudalism, tech oligarchy, cyber-populism, authoritarian technocracy. What does it all mean? As tech business leaders align with the president, and Elon Musk leads the dismantling of federal agencies, what is the best way to describe what is going on in our country right now? In the second part of our two-parter on the “broligarchy,” Morgan speaks with historian and University of Washington professor, Margaret O’Mara, to discuss techno-fascism and other terms to see what really fits to describe our current reality.

Guest:

Margaret O’Mara, Historian and Professor at the University of Washington

Further reading:

“The Rise of Techno-authoritarianism” — Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic

“‘Techno-Optimism’ is Not Something You Should Believe In” — Jag Bhalla & Nathan J. Robinson, Current Affairs

‘Headed for technofascism’: the rightwing roots of Silicon Valley - Becca Lewis, The Guardian

“Techno-Fascism Comes to America” - Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard, Katherine Monahan, and Chris Egusa. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

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The Broligarchy Pt 1: Chronicles of the PayPal Mafia

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0000

The term “broligarchy” refers to the Silicon Valley elite tech leaders who have accumulated vast amounts of wealth, power, and now, political control over the last quarter century. In the first of a two-part series, Morgan dives deep into one highly influential subset of this “broligarchy,” the so-called PayPal Mafia. Joined by The Guardian reporter Chris McGreal, we explore this group’s rise to political prominence, and look at some of its members' roots in an oppressive political regime.

Guest:

Chris McGreal, Reporter for The Guardian

Further reading:

“How the roots of the ‘PayPal mafia’ extend to apartheid South Africa” — Chris McGreal, The Guardian
“‘White supremacists in suits and ties’: the rightwing Afrikaner group in Trump’s ear” — Chris McGreal, The Guardian
“Is South Africa ‘confiscating land’, targeting some groups as Trump claims?” — Qaanitah Hunter, Al Jazeera

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Maya Cueva and Chris Egusa. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Happens if the Internet Archive Goes Dark?

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0000

For decades, the Internet Archive has preserved our digital history. Lately, journalists and ordinary citizens have been turning to it more than ever, as the Trump administration undertakes an ideologically-driven purge of government websites. But the Archive itself faces an existential threat. In this episode, Close All Tabs Senior Editor Chris Egusa joins Morgan to discuss his visit to the Internet Archive and its colorful founder Brewster Kahle, the legal battles that could shut it down permanently — and what losing it might mean for accountability and the preservation of history.

Guest:

Brewster Kahle, Founder of the Internet Archive

Further reading:

Inside the $621 Million Legal Battle for the ‘Soul of the Internet’ – Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone
Open Internet, web scraping, and AI: the unbreakable link — Julius Cerniauskas, TechRadar
Musicians demand music labels drop their Internet Archive lawsuit — Ian Carlos Campbell, Engadget

Read the transcript here.

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Original music and sound design by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing, mastering, and additional sound design by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

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Waymo Problems

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Self-driving Waymo robotaxis have become a familiar sight in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, but not everyone is happy about that. These “ghost-like” autonomous vehicles have made a lot of people uneasy, some even going as far as to vandalize the cars. But what’s behind this hostility? In this episode, Morgan speaks with Bloomberg journalist Ellen Huet and robot law professor Ryan Calo to explore the rise of Waymo vandalism and its roots in our collective anxiety over artificial intelligence.

Guests:

Ellen Huet, Features writer at Bloomberg News
Ryan Calo, Professor of Law at University of Washington

Further reading:

Waymo’s Expansion Provokes Anxieties of AI Takeover – Ellen Huet, Bloomberg
The next big robotaxi push is almost here — Harri Weber, Quartz
The Courts Can Handle the Deadly Uber Self-Driving Car Crash. But that doesn’t mean the law is ready for autonomous vehicles. — Ryan Calo, Slate
Good Robot, Bad Robot: Dark and Creepy Sides of Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles, and AI — Jo Ann Oravec, Professor at the University of Wisconsin

Read the transcript here.

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. It was produced and sound designed by Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Children of the Vlog

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0000

The world of family vlogging is under scrutiny after the release of two new documentaries: HBO’s “An Update on Our Family” and Hulu’s “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke.” The attention around Myka Stauffer and Ruby Franke has brought up questions about the dark side of family channels, and whether child influencers should have more say in their internet presence.

In this episode, Morgan takes us through the family channel industry and the lack of legal protections for children online. We’ll hear from a former “mommy blogger kid” who’s fighting for the next generation of internet child stars, as well as Fortesa Latifi, a journalist who covers the industry. Together we’ll explore how posting and consuming this kind of content impacts the children growing up on our screens.

Further reading:

Influencer Parents and The Kids Who Had Their Childhood Made Into Content

Read the transcript of the episode here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

You can also follow us on Instagram

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TikTok's Vibe Shift

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 11:00:00 -0000

On January 18, 2025, TikTok went down for U.S. users. After just 14 hours, it was back. Since then, questions have been swirling online. Has the algorithm changed? Was the ban just a ruse? Has TikTok gone… conservative? In this episode, internet culture expert Taylor Lorenz joins Morgan to break down the answers to those questions. They’ll dig into the real reasons for the ban and what the future holds for progressive speech on an internet that has been drifting steadily to the right.

Read the transcript here.

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org

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Introducing Close All Tabs

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 23:00:00 -0000

New episodes drop weekly starting February 26!

Tech journalist Morgan Sung spends most of her day online—so you don’t have to. Each week, Morgan tackles a new topic that might seem niche on the surface but is destined to impact our lives—both online and off. She pulls from experts, creators, and history to add context to the trends and depth to the memes. And she’ll wrestle with as many browser tabs as it takes to explain the cultural moment we’re all collectively living.

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Influencer Endorsements Gone Wild

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 21:30:00 -0000

This episode was originally published November 2, 2024.

In this final episode of the Close All Tabs miniseries, host Morgan Sung examines the increasing power of social media influencers in politics. Joined by WIRED senior tech and politics writer Makena Kelly, Morgan dives into the growing tensions between influencers and traditional journalists and explores how “shadow money” is quietly flowing to influencers for political endorsements, keeping the public in the dark about who’s funding content.

Read the transcript of this episode here.

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at podcasts@KQED.org

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Stan Wars, The Fandom Menace

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 21:20:00 -0000

This episode was originally published October 26, 2024.

In this episode of Close All Tabs, host Morgan Sung examines the rise of “stan culture” in politics, where passionate supporters rally around political figures with the same fervor typically reserved for pop stars. Morgan is joined by tech and culture reporter Kat Tenbarge to unpack the evolution of cults of personality in digital spaces, what makes some candidates more “stan-worthy” than others, and how all of this has troubling implications for public discourse.

Read the transcript here.

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at podcasts@KQED.org

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Couch F***** Memes vs The Truth

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 21:10:00 -0000

This episode was originally published October 19, 2024.

In this episode of Close All Tabs, host Morgan Sung dives into the world of viral political memes with TechCrunch senior writer Amanda Silberling, unraveling the origins of the infamous JD Vance “couch rumor.” What began as a seemingly frivolous post on X about the Republican VP nominee spiraled into a meme with real-world consequences, shifting the tone of the race. Morgan is also joined by Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, to explore the fragile line between satire and disinformation in modern politics.

Read the transcript here.

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at podcasts@KQED.org

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From the Dean Scream to Brat Memes

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This episode was originally published October 12, 2024.

Welcome to Close All Tabs, a special KQED podcast series exploring the intersection of internet culture and politics. In this first episode, host Morgan Sung takes us through the evolution of online campaigning—from the early days of dial-up modems to today’s Twitch streams. We’ll revisit iconic moments like “the Dean scream” and “Pokemon Go to the polls,” examine how memes became a legitimate political force, and discuss why Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are turning to podcasters and streamers to reach voters.

Read the transcript here.

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at podcasts@KQED.org

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