WIRED Roundup: Satellites Data Leak, Cybertrucks, Politicized Federal Workers

WIRED’s Deputy Editor Brian Barrett joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about the many conflicts of interests within DOGE which are popping up across the federal government, including most recently at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Plus, they unpack the chaos which followed an email that Elon Musk sent to federal workers over the weekend.  Articles mentioned in this episode: DOGE Staffers at HUD Are From an AI Real Estate Firm and a Mobile Home Operator, These Are the SpaceX Engineers Already Working Inside the FAA, DOGE Put Him in the Treasury Department. His Company Has Federal Contracts Worth Millions, Elon Musk Threatens FBI Agents and Air Traffic Controllers With Forced Resignation if They Don't Respond to an Email, DOGE Email Throws Federal Agencies Into Chaos and Confusion, No, 150-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Social Security Benefits, The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

26 Feb 22min

The relationship between Sam Altman and Elon Musk goes back to the early days of OpenAI– then, a non-profit research lab. But now, the two men find themselves in a very public feud over the billion dollar AI company. Today on the show, we catalogue their friendship-turned-feud and how the company that started it all still remains core to their beef. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

20 Feb 36min

Andrew Couts, WIRED’s Senior Editor of Security and Investigations, joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about how The 1974 Privacy Act is being leveraged as Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency continues to collect massive amounts of sensitive federal data. Plus, they discuss how you can protect yourself from government surveillance. Articles mentioned in this episode: The 50-Year-Old Law That Could Stop DOGE in Its Tracks—Maybe, The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance, How a 'NULL' License Plate Landed One Hacker in Ticket Hell Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

19 Feb 21min

Dating apps have evolved a lot over the years, with apps dedicated to any romantic niche– dog lovers, astrology heads, and big, bushy beards. Despite the seemingly endless options of dating platforms, the industry seems to be at a low. So this week, we talk about the current state of dating apps and what it means for those looking for love (or something like it). Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

13 Feb 41min

WIRED Politics Senior Editor Leah Feiger joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about the latest at DOGE and the inexperienced engineers holding key positions at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. They discuss how WIRED’s been preparing for this moment since the first assassination attempt on Trump last summer, and how, despite the unprecedented chaos of this moment, the courts will catch up. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

12 Feb 26min

On a Sunday in January, TikTok users were greeted with a notification in the app which said that TikTok was no longer available to use in the U.S., but that it hoped to be back soon. The following day, President Trump took office and signed an executive order keeping the app around another 75 days. But, it’s still unclear what will happen with TikTok after those 75 days are up. This week, we break down years of drama around the potential ban on TikTok, and we ask each other: what makes this app so unique and so uniquely vulnerable? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

6 Feb 32min

It wasn’t that long ago that one of Silicon Valley's most prominent and influential venture capitalists, Marc Andreessen, was a major supporter of the Democratic Party. So how did he, in such a short time, transform into a top advisor to the Trump administration? This week, we retrace Andreesen’s steps–from his early days at Netscape to his current role of “unpaid intern” at DOGE. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

30 Jan 38min

With the news that Meta is ending its third-party fact-checking program, we dig into the future of content moderation. From Community Notes to automated systems, how do you manage trust and safety for a site with two billion daily active users?Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.You can follow Michael Calore on BlueSky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on BlueSky at @laurengoode, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads @reporterzoe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

23 Jan 41min