Lee Figer: When we come back, we share our recommendations for what this week on wired.com. Welcome to Illegal valleyBefore getting up, Macna, Torch, tell our listeners what to read today on wired.com. Lace, what do you have for us?
Vitoria Eliot: Our colleague Kate Kit Kit Kit Kate wrote about the mismanagement crisis following USAID reduction. I think this is very important because if you have ever worked abroad, Lee and I have both worked on or around international development in some capacities, you know exactly how important our food aid is. The answer is very useful for farmers to buy the US government and send them abroad, providing a really important market for American farmers. But in humanitarian crises like we are now seeing around the world, US food is a real life for people in serious conditions. What Kate’s report has shown is that the food is wasted in warehouses because the USAID is severely cut off by the Trump administration and DOGE, and in places like South Sudan, children are hungry. I think this is a great example of a moderate way that these systems that are not very visible are very important to other people around the world every day and explicitly help the US diplomatic position as a powerful and backup being for many.
Lee Figer: Very good advice, very agree. Mecca, how are you?
Makena Kelly: Yes this week has been completely for Grok.
Lee Figer: Oh
Makena Kelly: The ChatBot Elon Musk went to Hitler this week and said some of the very terrible and anti -anti -anti -anti -anti -Semitism posts. But I think everyone recommends reading all this, the Paresh Dave report on Grok 4 is the new version of this chat, which will be released for a week for Elvan and his company.
Vitoria Eliot: Lee, what is your choice for this week?
Lee Figer: Well this is very different from both of you, which I think is a good thing and a little lighter not to end us. Alana Klein wrote an article about Zilo and how people are looking for how much their friends’ home is costing and this whole culture is around it. This is in the culture sector, it is very good. Everyone is very rumored and entertaining and is obsessed with finding information about the net value of their friends. Highly recommended.
Makena Kelly: I say that I am guilty about this!
Lee Figer: Yes, of course you are. We are all
Vitoria Eliot: I say that once at a particular party last year, my partner, after we left us, like “know, I started to believe this person may have family money”, as I was looking for their zilo things.
Lee Figer: All of the articles we recommend are really wired. It’s like, “Oh, AI is now Hitler, USAID, DOGE, all of these downs. And also, Zillow, what happens there? How can we use technology to spy on our friends and family?” This is our show for today. We will link to all the stories we talked about on the show’s notes. Be sure to check the Thursday section Illegal valleyWhere we dive into the bag and answer the questions of the listeners, your questions. Adriana Tapia produced this part. AMAR LAL in Macro Sound mixed this part together. Kate Osborne is our executive producer. The World Voice President is Cris Banon. Katie Dramvand is the director of the Wired World Editorial.
