1) Pinterest sold me a lie — and my kitchen paid. In this episode we trace a midnight baking meltdown back to AI-made recipes, bot-scraped photos, and the industrial-scale theft that turns real food bloggers into unpaid R&D. If you’ve ever been ghost-baked by a glossy Pinterest post, tune in for survival tips and a sardonic look at AI recipes, fake recipes, and recipe fraud.

2) A $1.7B Powerball on Christmas Eve: salvation or seasonal spectacle? We unpack Monday’s draw, the 1-in-292.2-million odds, nine million-dollar consolation winners, and how the lottery turns hope into profit while masking inequality. Listen for the cold math behind the glitter and why the jackpot is more symptom than solution — if you care about Powerball, lottery odds, or economic fairness, this episode is for you.

3) A 10-foot cedar cross on wheels shows up where communities break. Hear Dan Beazley’s story — the ritual, the spectacle, and the surprising comforts and contradictions of portable grief — as we ask why objects become public liturgy. Tune in for a humane, occasionally wry exploration of ritual, vigil culture, and what it means to carry hope.

4) A nursing home exploded in Philadelphia: two dead, dozens injured, and a web of failed inspections and possible gas-line error. This episode walks the timeline, the NTSB probe, and the systemic neglect that turns safety checklists into theater. Listen for the reporting and the tough questions about elder care, facility oversight, and accountability.

5) Starting in January, the Education Department will tell employers to garnish pay after 270 days of unpaid federal loans. We explain who’s first in the crosshairs, how wage garnishment, tax-offsets and Social Security seizures work, and practical steps borrowers can take now. If you’re worried about student loans, collections, or protecting your paycheck, don’t miss this urgent briefing.