In today’s Filtered: Nobel laureates say openness and creative destruction power growth, and the U.S. may be moving the other way. We unpack Cuba’s worsening crisis, Marc Maron’s goodbye interview with Barack Obama, the markets’ reaction to President Trump’s contradictory China messages, and a standoff between the Pentagon and major newsrooms over a new press policy.

Timestamp/Stories:

In today’s Filtered: Should Tim Cook step down after turning Apple from $300B into a $3T powerhouse, and why that’s smart timing. Markets in Asia skid after President Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, and the thread running through the whole rally becomes obvious: a handful of AI winners are carrying the market. We also examine a startling cosmetic trend, surgeons intentionally fracturing ribs to sculpt a “Barbie waist”, and a new survey showing many Americans would accept brand-sponsored weddings to afford their big day. The episode concludes with a blunt warning from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker about the White House’s recent behavior and the constitutional tools available if a president is deemed unfit.

Timestamps:

Katie Porter’s viral moments are now a political liability. We dig into OpenAI’s Sora and the rise of deepfakes that put words in dead mouths — and why your favourite misattributed Einstein quote is fake. We also look at worker numbness, surging Black unemployment after DEI rollbacks, and how former pageant contestants have moved into MAGA power circles. Practical takeaways for communicators, voters, and leaders.

Chapters / Timestamps:

01:53 - Katie Porter’s viral meltdowns. 

19:50 - Deepfakes & the fake Einstein quote. 

31:15 - Workers checking out; David Hockney’s late vigor. 

47:46 - Black unemployment, DEI rollbacks, and turnout math. 

59:08 - MAGA & pageants: crowns to cabinet. 

1:02:10 - Wrap & call to action.

A rapid rundown of the five biggest headlines: Trump’s 100% tariff threat and a market sell-off; Kalshi’s huge funding round; protests as Shein opens in Paris; the W.N.B.A.’s struggle with online hate and its Social Protect tool; and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s shutdown video airing in U.S. airports.

TImestamp:

00:00 - Teaser: Quick rundown

AI video generators now blur the line between truth and fabrication. What happens when “seeing” no longer equals “believing”? Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warns AI can be hacked to kill, Human Rights Watch clashes with comedians over Saudi payouts, Peter Thiel preaches Antichrist paranoia, and the U.S. government quietly buys into mining companies. In today’s episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we unpack how technology, money, and power are reshaping trust, communication, and democracy

Today on Filtered: Katie Porter’s stormy TV interview goes viral and reshapes the California governor race; an Airbnb guest discovers a hidden camera over the toilet and fights for refunds; gold surges past $4,000 — but how reliable is it as “insurance”? Broadway faces sky-high ticket prices, union pressure, and new threats from AI-driven production costs; and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker calls President Trump “dementia-ridden” amid federal troop deployments. We explain what these stories mean for voters, travelers, investors, and cultural institutions.

Podcast Chapters:

Today on Filtered with T.J. Walker: From jobseekers embedding hidden prompts to game A.I. résumé screeners, to China’s campaign to purge “defeatist” online content; from Democrats’ health-care messaging amid a shutdown to the record median age for first-time homebuyers, and Pam Bondi’s sharp Senate exchanges. Quick, clear analysis with communication lessons you can use.

Chapters:

Taylor Swift pushes back on a question that assumed marriage = career end. Elon Musk’s xAI launched sexually explicit companions, raising safety and regulatory alarms. Former NFL QB Mark Sanchez now faces a felony after a violent parking dispute. Harvard faculty warn that students are skipping class, glued to their phones, and still collecting A’s. And OpenAI’s massive AMD deal puts it in pole position in the A.I. race, with antitrust questions close behind.

Episode breakdown (approximate): 00:00 Teaser → 00:45 Swift → 03:15 Musk → 06:05 Sanchez → 08:30 Harvard → 11:05 OpenAI → 13:40 Grab Bag → 15:05 Outro.

Gen Z protests, craft beer cutbacks, and Elon Musk’s latest boycott call, all on today’s Filtered. TJ Walker breaks down why young people are mobilizing over housing and inequality, why craft breweries are struggling (and failing blind taste tests), and why the Netflix outrage is both tiny in catalog share and huge in spectacle. We close with disturbing footage of federal agents using tear gas and pepper balls at an ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois. 

▶ Listen for: clear takeaways you can quote; communication tips for talking about polarizing news; and what to watch next.

In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker we unpack five big stories: older Americans launching startups, Bill Belichick’s rocky college debut and the limits of the “great-man” assumption, how Republicans and Democrats are shaping the shutdown narrative (and why Democrats say ~4 million people could lose ACA coverage), the Trump administration’s radical refugee-cap changes, and a practical personal experiment, the Filtered Digital Detox Challenge: one meal, no phone.