Episodes

  • The Infrastructure of Truth

    The Infrastructure of Truth
    May 12 2026
    Local newspapers are dying at twice the rate anyone predicted, creating 'news deserts' where misinformation flourishes unchecked. We examine how the collapse of local reporting is quietly reshaping American democracy—and why the solutions being proposed might make things worse. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    17 mins
  • The Attention Recession

    The Attention Recession
    May 11 2026
    While everyone debates economic indicators, a quieter crisis is reshaping how decisions get made across institutions: the systematic destruction of deep focus and deliberative thinking. We examine how the fragmentation of attention is creating new forms of institutional failure that make our infrastructure problems look simple. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    40 mins
  • The Infrastructure Mirage

    The Infrastructure Mirage
    May 10 2026
    While headlines scream about bridges and broadband, the real infrastructure crisis is hiding in plain sight: the collapse of institutional capacity to actually build anything. From permitting paralysis to the lost art of project management, we examine why America can plan but can no longer execute. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    19 mins
  • The Attention Allocation Wars

    The Attention Allocation Wars
    May 9 2026
    While we debate screen time and social media addiction, a quiet revolution is reshaping how human attention gets bought, sold, and weaponized at institutional levels. From classroom surveillance tech to workplace productivity monitoring, we're witnessing the industrialization of focus itself—and most people don't even know they're the product. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    16 mins
  • The Loneliness Industrial Complex

    The Loneliness Industrial Complex
    May 8 2026
    While headlines focus on a 'loneliness epidemic,' a massive industry has quietly emerged to monetize social isolation—from friendship apps to AI companions to co-working memberships. We examine how the same forces creating disconnection are now profiting from the solutions, and what this reveals about how modern problems become modern markets. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    15 mins
  • The Subscription Economy's Hidden Tax

    The Subscription Economy's Hidden Tax
    May 7 2026
    While we debate inflation and wages, a quiet transformation has restructured how Americans pay for everything from software to razors. What happens when ownership becomes obsolete and every product becomes a永续service with monthly fees? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    21 mins
  • The Maintenance Emergency

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

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