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Recode Daily

Recodewww.vox.com
Your guide to the most interesting and important tech and business news of the day. Learn how our digital world is changing — and changing us — five days a week. Produced by Recode and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Episodes

Why hackers want your health data

Nearly 50 million Americans had sensitive health data exposed in 2021. Politico’s Ben Leonard explains why hackers are after it and why you shouldn’t panic. Read Ben’s analysis of health data breaches in 2021: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/23/health-data-breaches-2021-hacking-surge-politico-00019283 Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Jon Ehrens, and hosted by Adam Clark Estes . Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts L...

Mar 30, 20228 min

What happened when El Salvador went crypto

It’s been six months since El Salvador‘s president declared Bitcoin a legal currency, offering many lofty promises about what the cryptocurrency could do for the nation and its people. So how has this bold move affected the country, its economy, and its citizens? Leo Schwartz, Latin America reporter for Rest of World (@leomschwartz), explains. Read Leo’s story, co-authored with Anna-Cat Brigida (@AnnaCat_Brigida): https://restofworld.org/2022/el-salvador-bitcoin/ Today’s episode was produced and...

Mar 29, 202214 min

Is there a hack for enlightenment?

Vox's Sigal Samuel talks with scholars and authors Wesley Wildman and Kate Stockly about their book, Spirit Tech: The Brave New World of Consciousness Hacking and Enlightenment Engineering. They discuss high-tech tools like brain stimulation and neurofeedback-guided meditation that purport to enrich our spiritual lives, what possible risks they may pose to our psyches, and the ethical implications of technology-induced shortcuts to transformative meditative states. They also talk about whether s...

Mar 28, 202259 min

Texas moves to the right as Big Tech moves in

Major tech companies are expanding in Texas because of low taxes and lower cost of living. Could the recent slate of discriminatory right-wing social policies reverse this trend? Antonio Ruiz Camacho (@aruizcamacho) explains. Read Antonio’s story: https://www.cnet.com/culture/internet/in-texas-big-techs-liberal-leanings-take-a-back-seat/ Today’s episode was produced and engineered by Jon Ehrens and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly...

Mar 25, 202215 min

The danger of making the internet safe for kids

When lawmakers focus on children’s online safety to get bills passed, they leave everyone else out. Recode’s Sara Morrison explains. Read Sara’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/3/14/22971618/earn-it-sesta-fosta-children-safety-internet-laws Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Melissa Pons (Hemlock Creek Productions) and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. ...

Mar 24, 202212 min

The neon shortage is a bad sign

Russia’s war against Ukraine has ramifications for the chips that power all sorts of tech. Recode’s Rebecca Heilweil explains. Read Rebecca’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22983468/neon-shortage-chips-semiconductors-russia-ukraine Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Jon Ehrens and hosted by Rani Molla. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 23, 20229 min

Hedge funds bet big on classic rock

The sale of music catalogs has become big business for legacy artists. Why has this huge investment taken off so recently, and why isn’t hip-hop getting in on the action? Financial Times US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou (@annaknicolaou) explains. Read Anna’s story: https://www.ft.com/content/c31fa721-676d-480a-8c1d-bb26b7ec809c Today’s episode was produced and engineered by Jon Ehrens, and hosted by Rani Molla. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcas...

Mar 22, 202211 min

Can TV take down the cult of the tech founder?

The Dropout, Super Pumped, and WeCrashed try to break up our love affair with tech founders. They don’t totally succeed. Recode’s Rani Molla explains. Read Rani’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22955040/tech-tv-theranos-uber-wework-apple-hulu-showtime Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Melissa Pons (Hemlock Creek Productions) and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad ch...

Mar 21, 20229 min

America needs more internet

The bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed in late 2021 includes substantial funds for expanding broadband internet access to close the digital divide in America. How much money is going to be spent? How and when will the funds be allocated? And in what ways can this process best serve the communities that need it the most? Blair Levin from The Brookings Institution explains. Today's episode of Recode Daily is a re-run from Feb. 7, 2022. It was produced by Jon Ehrens, engineered by Melissa P...

Mar 18, 202213 min

Crypto goes to war

Cryptocurrency has become a major factor on the battlefield, as evidenced by the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Here to tell us about the role crypto has played so far in the war is Recode’s Rebecca Heilweil (@rebheilweil). Read Rebecca’s story, co-written by Vox’s Emily Stewart: https://www.vox.com/recode/22955381/russia-ukraine-bitcoin-donation-war-crypto Today’s episode was produced and engineered by Jon Ehrens and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution ...

Mar 17, 202213 min

Electric cars vs. flamingos

The booming electric car industry in Chile has become a big nuisance for flamingos. Benji Jones explains. Read Benji’s story: https://www.vox.com/22965660/electric-vehicles-lithium-ion-batteries-flamingos Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan and hosted by Rani Molla. The mix and music is by Jon Ehrens. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 16, 202213 min

Radio, someone still loves you

The BBC is bringing back shortwave radio broadcasts to counter censorship and disinformation in Russia and Ukraine. Professor D.W. Stupples explains. This episode of Today, Explained was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, engineered by Efim Shapiro, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Recode Daily and Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choi...

Mar 15, 202223 min

Can Russian oligarchs influence Putin’s war?

Their muted reactions to sanctions reveal Putin’s power — and isolation. Recode’s Whizy Kim explains. Read Whizy’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22971179/russian-oligarchs-influence-putin-ukraine-war-sanctions-limits Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Melissa Pons (Hemlock Creek Productions) and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/ad...

Mar 14, 202211 min

Biden sees two sides to bitcoin

On Wednesday President Biden signed an executive order related to cryptocurrency regulations. It’s actually being largely welcomed by the crypto community. Recode’s Rebecca Heilweil (@rebheilweil) tells us why. Read Rebecca’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22969662/crypto-bitcoin-biden-new-executive-order Today’s episode was produced and engineered by Jon Ehrens and hosted by Adam Clark-Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about...

Mar 11, 202210 min

How Kibbe body types became an internet obsession

How an out-of-print style guide from the 1980s unexpectedly spawned an online fandom. Vox’s Terry Nguyen explains. Read Terry’s story: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22950721/david-kibbe-body-typing-explainer Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Jon Ehrens and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 10, 202213 min

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has cosmic implications

In the aftermath of the Cold War, the US and Russia have collaborated in space exploration and research. But then Russia invaded Ukraine. How does this impact Russia’s involvement in space, and will they really let the International Space Station crash into Earth as retribution for sanctions? Recode’s Rebecca Heilweil (@rebheilweil) is here to explain. Read Rebecca’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22960170/iss-international-space-station-politics-russia-ukraine-war Today’s episode was produce...

Mar 09, 202210 min

In your off-time, Slack off

In the modern era, there are a glut of ways for us to communicate with one another. In our professional lives, this can create an expectation that we are all always reachable. So as we try to create more room for our personal lives, could simply ignoring that email or Slack message from work be the best way to say “not right now?” Our guest, Erica Dhawan, author of Digital Body Language, thinks so. Read Erica’s story: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/opinion/culture/ghosting-work-digital-overl...

Mar 08, 202215 min

Covering Russia-Ukraine, online and on the ground

Recode Media's Peter Kafka talks to three reporters about the realities of covering the war in Ukraine and sorting truth from disinformation -- from the ground, from afar, and online. In Ukraine: CNN’s Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward discusses the challenges of war reporting in 2022, everything from planning food and exit routes to working with a remote team to analyze online videos. In DC: Puck co-founder and Washington correspondent Julia Ioffe talk about how hard it is to lear...

Mar 07, 202223 min

Big Tech’s Russia problem

Social media companies are in a standoff with Russia on censorship and there’s no easy solution. Recode’s Shirin Ghaffary explains. Read Shirin’s story: https://www.vox.com/2022/2/26/22951757/russia-facebook-twitter-youtube-censorship-social-media Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Melissa Pons (Hemlock Creek Productions) and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. ...

Mar 04, 202212 min

Will Trump's new echo chamber matter?

Former President Trump finally made good on his promise to set up his own social network to rival Twitter. So how has that been going? Makena Kelly, policy reporter for The Verge (@kellymakena), fills us in. Read Makena’s story: https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/23/22947756/truth-social-donald-trump-facebook-twitter-talk-radio-rush-limbaugh Today’s episode was produced and engineered by Jon Ehrens, and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit....

Mar 03, 20229 min

The bizarre world of bitcoin inheritance

Inheriting crypto is more complicated than it sounds. Recode's Rebecca Heilweil explains. Read Rebecca's story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22971265/bitcoin-wills-estate-planning-cryptocurrency-nfts-death Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Melissa Pons (Hemlock Creek Productions) and hosted by Rani Molla. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 02, 202210 min

Russia's war with Ukraine — and reality

Sean Illing talks with journalist, author, and Russian disinformation scholar Peter Pomerantsev about the invasion of Ukraine. Recorded on Friday, Feb. 25th, they discuss the current state of the conflict, whether or not the warped rationales for Putin's invasion are actually convincing to the Russian people, and what sanctions might possibly make a lasting difference for the future of both Russia and Ukraine. Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox Guest: Peter Pomerantsev (@pet...

Mar 01, 202233 min

Russia, Ukraine, and the threat of cyberwar

As part of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia is using cyberattacks against the country’s infrastructure, banks, and more. Cybersecurity journalist Kim Zetter tells us the past, present, and potential future of Russia’s digital aggression against Ukraine. Read Kim’s story. Today’s episode was produced by Jon Ehrens, engineered by Cristian Ayala, and hosted by Adam Clark-Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Feb 28, 202217 min

Uber, but for TV

When Recode’s Peter Kafka advises you not to write your book, WRITE THAT BOOK. That’s the lesson Mike Isaac learned: His book “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber” is now a Showtime series starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Not only that, Showtime announced that Mike’s next, yet-to-be-finished book about Facebook will be the basis of season 2. Peter talks to Mark about what it’s like to shift from the world of reporting to prestige TV drama. Featuring: Mike Isaac (@MikeIsaac), Author and Tech Reporter...

Feb 25, 202237 min

The big downside to the rise of sports betting apps

Maybe you shouldn't be able to bet your mortgage on your phone? Recode’s Peter Kafka explains. Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan. Mix is by Melissa Pons (Hemlock Creek Productions). Our host is Adam Clark Estes. Additional production support from Jon Ehrens. Amber Hall is our editorial director. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 24, 202212 min

The unstoppable robocall

They made a Covid-19 vaccine in less than a year, but we're still getting spammed by robocalls. Can they be stopped? Recode’s Sara Morrison explains. Read Sara’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22882647/robocalls-robotexts-scams-stir-shaken-voip-extended-warranty Today’s episode was produced by Jon Ehrens. Mix is by Melissa Pons (Hemlock Creek Productions). Adam Clark Estes and Rani Molla are our hosts. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn m...

Feb 23, 202212 min

The world’s most powerful cyberweapon

The NSO’s Pegasus has the power to invade the personal space of almost everyone on the planet. The New York Times’s Mark Mazzetti explains the rise of this world-changing spyware that governments around the globe — the United States included — have lined up to buy. Read Mazzetti and Ronen Bergman’s story: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/28/magazine/nso-group-israel-spyware.html Today’s episode was engineered by Cristian Ayala, and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a fina...

Feb 22, 202217 min

Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde

A tech investor and his rapper wife were busted for a multi-billion dollar bitcoin heist. They couldn’t really spend any of the money. This episode of Today, Explained was produced by Victoria Chamberlin edited by Matt Collette, engineered by Paul Mounsey, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...

Feb 18, 202220 min

Nice raise. Too bad about inflation.

Higher prices mean your boss may need to give you more than just a small raise. Recode’s Rani Molla explains. Read Rani’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22933594/pay-raise-price-inflation-employers-great-resignation Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Melissa Pons (Hemlock Creek Productions) and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adch...

Feb 17, 20227 min

Does deplatforming extremists work?

It depends. Recode’s Shirin Ghaffary explains. Read Shirin’s story: https://www.vox.com/recode/22913046/deplatforming-extremists-ban-qanon-proud-boys-boogaloo-oathkeepers-three-percenters-trump Today’s episode was produced by Taylor Maycan, engineered by Cristian Ayala, and hosted by Adam Clark Estes. Support Recode Daily by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 16, 202215 min