The Doomscroll News Report

Epizody

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  The far right getting a foothold in Germany (sounds familiar), and the Cornell 7 05.10.2026

  Hanna and Amanda talk about yet another right wing populist victory amid a recurring global trend, as well as the new lawsuit filed by Jane Doe against the Cornell 7. Read along: German security agencies face dilemma after victories for far right and far left Germany’s AfD is so extreme it’s putting off other far-right parties How the anti-AfD firewall broke German politics What we know about Cornell University frat house rape investigation
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  Christopher Walker on information warfare and how it's affecting our democracies today 28.09.2026

  This week we had an amazing interview with The Vice president of the Center for European Policy Analysis Christopher Walker about the information warfare issue facing… well, basically everywhere Hanna. We also breifly cover the White House press ban, with a little guessing about what will come of the second Trump-Xi meeting. Read along with us! News Salad: 1. What is the White House pool and why is it in a row with Trump? (Henri Astier and Ione Wells, BBC), 2. Judge lifts Trump ban on CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House (Sam Meredith and Dan Mangan, CNBC), 3. A diplomatic split screen as Trump and Xi meet (Antoni Slodkowski, John Irish and Tom Balmforth, Reuters) Interview with Walker: 1. War Without End: Understanding Russia’s Shadow Warfare (Sam Greene, Andrei Soldatov, and Irina Borogan, CEPA)
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  Sony, digital "ownership," and what Mitch shows about the American "old-igarchy" 21.09.2026

  This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling a few recent topics (the Ed Sheeran tour debacle, and Anthropic's media disaster or strategy ahead of it's IPO release), before getting into two topics Amanda has wanted to pop off about for a long time: The slow death of physical media with Sony’s announcement that they’ll no longer be producing game discs, and the "old-igarchy" in the USA with Mitch McConnell's shocking reappearance into American politics, for better and seemingly much, much worse. Read along with us! News Salad: 1. All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore (Adrian Horton, The Guardian), 2. Anthropic IPO won't be slowed by safety uproar (Axios), 3. AI fears send cybersecurity stocks higher (Axios) Sony vs digital ownership: 1. Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles (Sony announcement), 2. PlayStation wants to prove in court that you don't own your digital games (Polygon), 3. Sony says it will stop producing physical discs for PlayStation games (NPR), 4. John Oliver on ‘smart’ appliances: ‘Spying on you through the washing machine’ (The Guardian) The old, old senate: 1. Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after fall that led to an extended medical absence (NPR), 2. Legal historian’s new book argues older Americans control power, wealth — and lack sense of urgency to fix nation’s most pressing problems (Samuel Moyn, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Harvard Gazette), 3. This Congress is one of the oldest yet. Most Americans think that’s a problem, a new CNN poll shows (Rhyannon Bartlett-Imadegawa and Jennifer Agiesta, CNN)
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  Six months of war in the Middle East, what the 'Monster of Malan' is, and remembering Gloria Steinem 14.09.2026

  Hanna and Amanda take a pulse check on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has now passed six months; they also talk drones, especially Taiwan's current focus on them and what sort of drone tech China might be working on. Finally, they remember feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who passed away early this month. Read along: Oil rises past $100 a barrel after the latest wave of Middle East attacks The US wants to manage the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran wants to break it US, Iran engaged in tanker war: Where is the months-long conflict headed? China’s WZ-X drone hints at an unmanned stealth bomber China’s Huge WZ-X Stealth Drone’s Strange Wing Configuration Confirmed Drone intrusion temporarily shuts Taichung air base ‘Courage and contradictions’: what Gloria Steinem meant to feminist writers from around the world
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  Tibet-Nepal landslide, the US hates Flock, and Meta settles 07.09.2026

  This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling: The devastating landslide on the Tibet-Nepal border, and how it’s testing Nepal’s new government, before a deep dive into the camera company FLOCK and why we can’t escape it on our newsfeeds, before ending with a follow-up to a previous story about the landmark META settlement! Read along with us! Nepal-Tibet disaster: 1. Nepal declines foreign rescue teams, says its own security agencies can handle operation (Anil Giri, Kathmandu Post), 2. Nepal has not rejected foreign rescue aid, says foreign minister (Rajesh Mishra, Kathmandu Post), 3. Nepal floods test PM Balen's young government (Lekhanath Pandey, DW), 4. Nepal's young PM faces gravest test after flood catastrophe (AFP, France24) Flock vs the USA: 1. How Flock Cameras Took Over America (NYT The Daily Podcast), Why the Flock Backlash Has Gotten So Intense (The Atlantic), 3. Their cities dropped Flock surveillance cameras. They’re still being watched (Sanya Mansoor , The Guardian), 4. Hawley launches investigation into Flock cameras’ massive surveillance program (Alexander Bolton, The Hill) Meta settlement: 1. Meta agrees to pay $18 billion to settle US lawsuits over children's social media addiction (Diana Novak Jones, Jonathan Stempel and Greg Bensinger, Reuters)
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  El Niño, Florida vs. OpenAI and Sam Altman, and remembering Dolly Parton 31.08.2026

  Hanna and Amanda talk about the impending El Niño, Sam Altman and OpenAI getting hit with a lawsuit alleging ChatGPT consitutes a public nuisance, and American country music icon Dolly Parton, who last Wednesday passed away at the age of 80. Read along with us: WMO: Likelihood increases of El Niño What is El Niño and how is it influenced by climate change? Scientists warn El Niño could intensify climate extremes in 2026 Has climate change already affected ENSO? Florida sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of putting profit over safety Florida Goes To Court And Asserts That OpenAI And Sam Altman Are Legally A Public Nuisance Attorney General James Uthmeier Files First-in-the-Nation State-Led Lawsuit Against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman for Deceptive Practices and Harms to Floridians Dolly Parton, country star, actor and philanthropist, dies aged 80 after cancer diagnosis
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  Hong Kong activist verdicts, West Bank settler violence, and a new cancer vaccine? 24.08.2026

  This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling some bummers (what's new?) with Hong Kong Tiannanmen Square activists sentenced for sedition and increased violence in increasing West Bank settlements, paired with a potential scientific breakthrough -- a made-to-order skin cancer vaccine! Read along with us! Hong Kong: 1. Hong Kong Tiananmen activists found guilty of national security charges (Al Jazeera), 2. Hong Kong's Tiananmen activists convicted in national security trial (BBC Chinese) The West Bank: 1. European leaders demand Israel halt controversial E1 settlement project in West Bank (Euronews), 2. A nation divided: What do Israelis want in October’s elections? (Simon Speakman Cordall, Al Jazeera), 3. Israel re-establishes closed West Bank settlement, defying growing international protests (Lucy Williamson, BBC), 4. US envoy Huckabee tells Israeli settlers not to take Palestinian Americans' land (Alexander Cornwell, Reuters), 5. Israel deliberately targeting children in ongoing genocide against Palestinians, UN commission finds (Zeena Saifi, CNN), 6. Netanyahu rejects US-led 15-point Gaza peace plan in rare public break with Trump (Andrew Roth, The Guardian) Skin Cancer Vax: 1. Vaccine breakthrough stops cancer returning in trial (Joe McFadden, BBC)
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  Birth tourism, UK parody elections, and a total solar eclipse 17.08.2026

  This week, hosts Hanna and Amanda tackle the moves the Trump administration is making against birth tourism, who Count Binface is and what that represents in the world of British politics, and finally, a bit about the total solar eclipse that took place over parts of Spain and Portugal. Read along with us!
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  The Ceuta border rush, and Cuba's deepened energy crisis 6 months later 10.08.2026

  This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling: The mass migration in Ceuta, and the misinformation, and fearmongering bookend-ing the border rush, and how Cuba is now 6 months into having basically no power at all. Read along with us! Mass migration in Ceuta: 1. How misinformation drove thousands to rush Ceuta's border (Reuters), 2. Why is Ceuta a migration flashpoint and how were so many people able to cross from Morocco? (Angela Giuffrida, The Guardian), 3. The fallout from the Ceuta border rush shows extreme, populist views are now mainstream (Issy Ronald, CNN), 4. Runaway online rumors sparked frantic rush by migrants to the Spanish territory of Ceuta (Akram Oubachir, AP) US blockade on Cuba con't: 1. Cuba’s power grid collapses again despite restoration efforts (Al Jazeera), 2. Storms disrupt Cuba’s power restoration, operator says, less than a day after sixth nationwide blackout (Diego Mendoza, CNN), 3. ‘We count every litre’: how Cuba’s energy crisis sparked a daily struggle for water (Lucien Migné, The Guardian), 4. 2026 Cuban Crisis / 2026 United States Fuel Blockade on Cuba (Wikipedia)
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  Cyclosporiasis, AI hackers, and youth uprising in India 03.08.2026

  This week, Hanna and Amanda talk thwarted attempts to enjoy salad stateside, the Hugging Face hacking incident, and Gen Z protests again, this time in India.
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  News salad, and a conversation with Swedish Representative Helena Reitberger 27.07.2026

  This week, HANNA IS BACK! But we also had the very special pleasure of speaking with the outgoing Swedish Representative to Taiwan Helena Reitberger about the role of a trade office, how much Sweden and Taiwan really have in common, areas of cooperation, and how people can get involved themselves! We also cover a little bit of everything else this week with a new segment "news salad" to discuss some topcs we didn't have full-discussion time for this week! Read along with us! UK Prime Minister Burnham: 1. Why Britain is getting a new prime minister without a general election (Sylvia Hui, AP), 2. Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, vows to end years of instability (Elizabeth Piper, Andrew Macaskill and Alistair Smout, Reuters), 3. Burnham says 20% rate cut for pubs in England is 'first step', as Badenoch asks: 'Is that it?' (BBC) Iran War escalations: 1. US launches new strikes as Iran warns of regional turmoil (Al Jazeera), 2. Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi tanker as US launches more Iran strikes (Ottilie Mitchell and David Gritten, BBC), 3. Trump escalates threats, vows to target Iranian bridges and power plants (Liz Landers and Daniel Okay, PBS), 4. Pentagon Withheld Dozens of U.S. Military Injuries in Iran War (Eric Schmitt, New York Times) New York Times subpoena: 1. 3 reporters for The New York Times after admitting legal errors (Michael R. Sisak, Eric Tucker, and Larry Neumeister, AP), U.S. Withdraws Subpoenas Issued to New York Times Journalists (Michael M. Grynbaum and Jonah E. Bromwich, New York Times), 3. Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media (Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times)
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  Meta's Muse ai and the UK's facial recognition: who owns your image? 20.07.2026

  This week, host Amanda Stephens, is joined by Rti's resident tech specialist Tomasz Koper to discuss the very large and increasingly present question: who owns the rights to use or keep tabs on your image? We'll be looking at a case study in the UK with faical image scanning in big box stores, and from social media last week with Meta's Muse AI image generator. Read along with us: Meta's Muse: 1. Meta Now Lets Anyone Use Your Instagram Photos in AI Images—Unless You Opt Out (Reece Rogers, Wired), 2. Introducing Muse Image: Image Generation Built for Your World (Meta press release), 3. Meta scraps AI image feature days after launch following privacy backlash (Natalia Bueno Rebolledo and Mrinmay Dey, Reuters), 4. Meta pulls new AI image feature after days of backlash (Kali Hays, BBC) UK face scanning: 1. Alarm over launch of facial recognition in UK shops that instantly alerts police (Jessica Murray, The Guardian), 2. Facewatch retail facial recognition to notify police of repeat offender matches (Chris Burt, Biometricupdate.com), 3. Sainsbury's ejects man misidentified as offender (Kateryna Pavlyuk, BBC) Stanford Law Review: Privacy in the Age of Big Data, A Time for Big Decisions (Omer Tene & Jules Polonetsky)
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  The effects of shuttering Radio Free Asia one year later with Gulchehra Hoja 13.07.2026

  This week, we'll be discussing China’s newly implemented Ethnic Unity Law, and what that may mean for both members of China's ethnic minorities currently living in China, those living abroad in exile, and journalists covering China and its human rights abuses abroad. We'll also be taking a look at the effects of the Trump administration's defunding and essentially shuttering of Voice of America and Radio Free Asia over a year after its drastic cuts to international programs. Joining us on the program is an expert in all of those areas, Gulchehra Hoja. She shares with us her experience growing up in East Turkestan, or as China calls it "Xinjiang Province," how she went from a host working for CHinese state media to a reporter for Radio Free Asia, the kind of work that she was able to do in that position, and the devastating and tragic effects the current Trump administration cuts have had. She also gives us her take on the chilling effect China's new legislation is likely to have at home and abroad. Read along with us: China's new law: 1. China's new 'ethnic unity' law raises legal risk concerns in Taiwan (Wen Kuei-hsiang, Sophia Yeh, Chen Kai-yu and Sunny Lai , Focus Taiwan), 2. Is China’s new ethnic unity law a step towards forced assimilation? (Einar Tangen, Zumretay Arkin, William Yang, and Mohammed Jamjoom, Al Jazeera’s “Inside Story” podcast) Hoja's past reporting: 1. Internment Camps in Xinjiang’s Aksu Separated by Crematorium Targeting Uyghur Families, Women & Children , 2. Uyghur refugees face deportation from Kazakhstan, 3. For Uyghur family, a legacy of rootlessness, 4. “Ethnic integration policy” and Uyghur assimilation Forced Labor Investigations Hoja's book: A Stone is Most Precious Where It Belongs: A Memoir of Uyghur Exile, Hope, and Survival (Gulchehra Hoja)
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  Mayors and maternity, and the USA turns 250 06.07.2026

  This week, lonely host Amanda Stephens is joined by returning guest Michelle Chiang to talk about the Japanese politicians stirring the pot by... just being pregnant and taking medical leave? And also how we feel about this year's momentous July 4th as Americans abroad. Read along with us! Japaenese politicians and "matahara": 1. A Mayor Is Taking Maternity Leave in Japan. Some Men Are Furious. (Javier C. Hernández and Kiuko Notoya, The New York Times), 2. A mayor in Japan announced her maternity leave - and got the whole country talking (Kurumi Mori, BBC), 3. She’s Upending Japanese Politics With Two Words: ‘I’m Pregnant’ (Javier C. Hernández and Kiuko Notoya, The New York Times) The Great American Fair: 1. The Great American State Fair Celebrates America, and Trump (Brent McDonald, Whitney Shefte, Caroline Kim and Ben Laffin, NYT videos), 2. Freedom 250 website, the official website of the fair
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  Starbucks gets a history lesson, and the UK will get a new PM 29.06.2026

  This week, in Hanna's absence, Amanda discusses current events with fellow Rti-hosts who may have a stake in the global turmoil. First, Michelle Chiang joins to discuss why Starbucks South Korea got a state-mandated history lesson last Monday, then Fil Leskovsky and Eloise Phillips join to discuss Keir Starmer's resignation, and the only member of British politics we all still support. Read along with us! Starbucks: 1. Gwangju Biennale honours sacrifice that brought democracy to South Korea (Justin McCurry, The Guardian), 2. How a Starbucks marketing stunt spiralled into mass boycotts in South Korea (Raphael Rashid, The Guardian), 3. Starbucks Korea to temporarily shut all stores for history lesson after bungled coffee promotion (Raphael Rashid, The Guardian), 4. Gwangju Uprising, (Wikipedia) Keir Starmer: 1. Starmer quits as Labour leader and paves way for contest for new prime minister (Richard Wheeler, BBC), 2. Keir Starmer to step down as prime minister two years after historic election victory (Pippa Crerar, The Guardian), Larry: 1. Larry the Cat outlasts six British Prime Ministers (Reuters), 2. Literal cat fight breaks out between Downing Street and British Foreign Office (DAN BILEFSKY, The Seattle Times, via The New York Times)
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  Screwworm in is back, Middle East MOUs, and World Cup moments we love 22.06.2026

  This week hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling screwworm in the United States, the Iran war again (with a little early guessing about the newly-announced MOU), and wrap up with all the fun interactions taking over our feeds of world-cup travelers discovering a new love for host-cities. Read along with us! Screwworm: 1. How Nuclear Flies Protect You from Flesh-Eating Parasites (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell/ Youtube), 2. Flesh-eating screwworm has reached the US — a comeback driven by organized crime (Max Saltman, CNN), 3. Political blame game follows as screwworm parasite threatens cattle in Texas (Jeffery Collins and AP, PBS), 4. Screwworm spread tests US readiness after Trump staffing cuts (Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill) Middle East MOU: 1. Inside Trump’s New Deal with Iran ( Rachel Abrams and David E. Sanger, The New York Times' Podcast "The Daily"), 2. Trump says the US and Iran have signed a deal to end the war - as it happened (Kylie MacLellan, Farouq Suleiman, Dagmarah Mackos and Zoe Law, Reuters), 3. Oil and gas unlikely to return to prewar prices for months even if Hormuz reopens (Jillian Ambrose, The Guardian), 4. Iran declares victory and Israel holds its ground as US framework deal faces first test (Aleksandar Brezar, Euronews) Fifa interactions: 1. FIFA World Cup Fans Visiting America Are Going Viral for the Most Wholesome Reasons (Liz Kocan, CNET)
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  Race riots in Northern Ireland, commencement speech drama, and the Pope's encyclical 15.06.2026

  Hanna and Amanda talk about the way the internet has become fuel for fanning the flame of extremist movements and actions and when it's time to call a spade a spade. We also talk about how everyone can't stop talking about AI, often to the wrong crowds; even the Pope has written new religious doctrine about getting it under control.
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  SpaceX and Anthropic go public, the ceasefires that couldn't, and animal lookalikes 08.06.2026

  This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna talk stocks-- or try to-- as they cover what it means for SpaceX and other AI companies going public on the stock market. Then a review of what's happening in Iran, and the ceasefires (or less-fires?) in the middle east, the pressure Trump is facing domestically to end the war, and wrap up with a fun new animal look-alike in the New Delhi zoo. Read along with us! Stocks: 1. 8 Things To Know Before SpaceX Goes Public (Joel Shulman and Sophia Acevedo, Forbes), 2. How Elon Musk Engineered the World’s biggest I.P.O. (Ryan Mac and Michael Barbaro, NYT "The Daily" Podcast), 3. Can the stockmarket swallow Anthropic, SpaceX and OpenAI? (The Economist), 4. Anthropic IPO and Alphabet stock offering reminiscent of dot.com bubble – expert (The Independent UK Finance, via Yahoo) Iran: 1. 'Crazy' phone call between Trump and Netanyahu complicates Iran talks (Bernd Debusmann Jr, BBC), 2. Israel and Lebanon agree to implement ceasefire if Hezbollah stops attacks (David GrittenandHelen Sullivan, BBC), 3. US House delivers rebuke to Trump as it votes to halt Iran war (Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu, BBC), 4. Ukraine hit by large-scale Russian attacks (CNN, via Reuters), 5. Hezbollah rejects new Israel-Lebanon ceasefire (DW News, Youtube) Zoo lookalike: 1. Buffalo named Donald Trump for his golden locks is a sensation at a Bangladesh zoo (Al Emrun Garjon and Julhas Alam, AP)
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  World-record heat, FIFA problems, and the Enhanced Games disappoints 01.06.2026

  Hosts Hanna and Amanda tackle the heatwaves that struck near the end of May, why that may be one of MANY problems for the very-quickly-upcoming FIFA games, and what even happened with the so-called "Enhanced Games." Read along with us! Heat wave: FIFA controversies: Enhanced Games:
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  Trump Xi Summit, Ebola Virus, and good news actually? 25.05.2026

  This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna discuss the ripple effects of the Trump-Xi summit, the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and media reforms in Hungary after Orban's depature and why they may actually give us... hope? Trump-Xi Summit: 1. What was actually achieved at Trump and Xi’s ‘stalemate summit’ in Beijing? (Amy Hawkins, The Guardian), 2. Trump warns Taiwan against declaring independence, hours after summit with China's Xi (Ian Aikman, BBC), 3. MOFA response to US President Trump’s comments to the media following the Trump-Xi summit (Taiwan’s MOFA), 4. Taiwan will not provoke conflict nor give up sovereignty, says president (Koh Ewe, BBC), 5. Trump claims he will speak to Taiwan’s president, departing from decades-long diplomatic norms (Alastair McCready and other agencies, The Guardian) Ebola outbreak: 1. Ebola outbreak may be spreading faster than first thought, WHO doctor warns (BBC News Youtube), 2. A rare Ebola strain is spreading with no vaccine. Here's what you need to know (Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR), 3. US funding cuts have hampered response to the deadly Ebola crisis, aid workers say (Lauren Kent and Jennifer Hansler, CNN) Hungarian Media: 1. Orban's media empire crumbles after Hungary election defeat (Anita Komuves, Reuters)