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Mythili Rao

@mythili.bsky.social
85 followers 79 following 122 posts
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 20/09/2026
How worried are Americans about AI? Our “Checks and Balance” podcast discusses
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Will America’s politicians do something about AI?
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, how Washington could respond to fears about AI safety
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
"They are documenting the challenge in a podcast, 'War With a Mate,' which has run for 93 episodes so far. Once again, to be clear, they haven’t actually started playing yet." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/w...
nytimes.com
Can Two Friends Complete a Game No One Has Ever Finished?
The Campaign for North Africa, a staggeringly complicated World War II board game, has stymied players for decades. Now two guys in England are giving it a serious go.
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 14/09/2026
“He lost his town, his home, his culture, his heritage, his family, his friends and neighbors to Islam. Luton's gone.” Why is Luton the crucible of Tommy Robinson’s story? Listen to “Shire folk”, our new series on “The Weekend Intelligence”
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Shire folk
1: Tommy’s Town
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I somehow forgot to post this on BlueSky when it came out, but it’s as timely as ever (and has been on my mind amid all the talk of AI ending us all!)
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 11/09/2026
Republicans are predicted to do badly in America’s midterm elections. Our “Checks and Balance” podcast discusses what the party can do to change this
bit.ly
Why Republicans might lose the midterms
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, whether to blame Donald Trump if his party does badly at the polls
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Thank you, Deborah! 🙏🏽
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I spoke with Marlon James about Jamaica's forgotten AIDS crisis, Nirvana, Toni Morrison, why his characters read so much, the gay Jamaican experience he missed out on as a young man, and why The Disappearers isn't a book about class. At @intelligence2.bsky.social: open.spotify.com/episode/0ynP...
open.spotify.com
NYT’s Novel of the Century? Marlon James on The Disappearers
Intelligence Squared · Episode
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 28/08/2026
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com In the 18th century the East India Company was the most powerful and dangerous corporation the world had ever seen — that is, until the A.I. giants turned up, William Dalrymple writes.
nyti.ms
Opinion | What It Took to Dismantle the Most Powerful Company in the World
A playbook to curb the growing power of Big Tech.
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 14/08/2026
How do you follow Ron DeSantis as Florida’s governor? Byron Donalds is likely to succeed him, and joins our “Checks and Balance” podcast to discuss his plans for the state
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How Ron DeSantis transformed Florida
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, the state that became the centre of MAGA-land
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
This is a pretty good new genre of celebrity content, I think.
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 07/08/2026
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, responding to rapid technological change in the workplace
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How to prepare American workers for AI
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, responding to rapid technological change in the workplace
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
🎧 New for @intelligence2.bsky.social: I spoke with Catherine Carr about sibling bonds. Send this one to your bro or sis (or your only-child pal!—we talked about it all, from the joy of being annoying to the hard stuff like sibling estrangement and bereavement): open.spotify.com/episode/1ITs...
open.spotify.com
How Do Our Sibling Relationships Shape Us? With Catherine Carr
Intelligence Squared · Episode
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 02/08/2026
The Michigan microcosm: another Senate primary, another outsider v the establishment. But do the usual categories hold? Listen to the latest episode of “Checks and Balance”
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Michigan’s messy primary
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, what’s at stake in Michigan’s Democratic primary
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
Pulitzer Center @pulitzercenter.org · 02/08/2026
Journalists: We are offering special grants for in-depth reporting on democracy in the U.S. We're looking for projects that examine issues including: - Voting rights - Civil and free-speech rights - Election transparency - Government accountability Apply by August 31! bit.ly/4bpmMvV
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 24/07/2026
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, no exit in Iran
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The endgame in Iran
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, no exit in Iran
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
“Each generation remakes ‘The Odyssey’ in its own image: you get the version you deserve.” (Side note: It doesn’t get much better than O Brother Where Art Thou? does it?) economist.com/culture/2026...
economist.com
A very silly adaptation of “The Odyssey”
Sir Christopher Nolan’s film is emblematic of its time
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
"A woman looking for REI-branded pants ahead of a trip to Idaho was out of luck. 'We’re heading to Jones Beach for the Dave Matthews Band concert and thought they would have a rain jacket,' one woman tells me." www.curbed.com/article/rei-...
curbed.com
The Final Days of the Soho REI
Shoppers mourned the loss of a place to buy last-minute ice cleats. And the lack of deals.
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 18/07/2026
“The ordinary day-to-day workings of this department have changed.” Charlotte Howard assesses the state of the DoJ under Donald Trump, on “Checks and Balance”
bit.ly
The degradation of the Department of Justice
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, Donald Trump reinvents an institution
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Open call! Haringey has been named Borough of Culture for 2027 and one cultural​ initiative involves audio storytelling​ celebrating Haringey "rebels" who have made a difference, challenged expectations, or shown resilience. Read more and nominate here: www.haringeycollective.com/news-and-pro...
haringeycollective.com
Nominations for Haringey's “Rebel” Storytellers are now open | Haringey London Borough of Culture 2027
Do you know someone in the Borough of Haringey with an incredible story to share? Nominations close at Friday on 31st July 2026, and selected Storytellers will be notified by mid-August 2026.
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
"But, strangely, when he and a co-author further analyzed the results, they found that participants had spoken an estimated twelve thousand seven hundred words a day—twenty per cent less than in the earlier study. 'We thought we must have made a mistake'" www.newyorker.com/culture/anna...
newyorker.com
What Scientists Learned by Eavesdropping on Thousands of People
After researchers found that we’re speaking less and less each year, Shayla Love spent a week collecting audio recordings from her own life.
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Hello “slop ceiling”: "Audiences appear to have a limit on how much AI-generated work they are willing to consume." www.fastcompany.com/91568818/our...
fastcompany.com
Our interest in AI slop is hitting a ceiling
A new analysis of the creative economy, published in the online repository arXiv and part of a new book, suggests AI-generated content may now account for 44% of uploads on some platforms, while drawi...
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
"Although We Are Not Machines looks to the future, many of the threats AI poses to workers’ dignity and safety look a lot like reconfigurations of old battles" -- For @theguardian.com, I reviewed @sarahoconnorft.ft.com's timely new book about our robot overlords: www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
theguardian.com
We Are Not Machines by Sarah O’Connor review – can dignity at work survive the tech revolution?
A Financial Times journalist ponders the future of labour in world increasingly dominated by AI and automation
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 04/07/2026
The founders wanted an energetic executive to steer the country, but presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky tells our podcast they would be surprised at how that’s turned out. Listen to “Checks and Balance” to find out why
econ.st
250 years of America
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, a health-check on the American system of government
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
New episode! Hear my @intelligence2.bsky.social conversation with barrister @drproudman.bsky.social about her new book “He Said, She Said: Truth, Trauma and the Struggle for Justice in Family Court”: open.spotify.com/episode/2Zrf...
open.spotify.com
Is Our Justice System Failing Women? With Barrister Charlotte Proudman
Intelligence Squared · Episode
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Resharing this one to add to your 🇺🇸 July 4th weekend listening queue ...
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
Joshua Benton @joshuabenton.com · 01/07/2026
New by me —> Now we're getting AI fake news complaining about how AI fake news is the death of real news! How a fake news site splits its energy between (a) the imagined closure of real US newspapers and (b) Chinese-friendly takes on Taiwan www.niemanlab.org/2026/07/now-...
niemanlab.org
Now we’re getting AI fake news complaining about how AI fake news is the death of real news
Did 47 Alabama newspapers die on a single day and no one noticed? (Hint: No, they didn't.)
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
New episode! I spoke with the legendary Rebecca Solnit for @intelligence2.bsky.social. Her way of looking at the world is stubbornly, persistently hopeful-- and she brings an arsenal of examples of back up her thinking. Hear our conversation here: open.spotify.com/episode/3eqX...
open.spotify.com
Reasons for Hope in Turbulent Times, with Rebecca Solnit
Intelligence Squared · Episode
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Reposted by Mythili Rao
The Economist @economist.com · 26/06/2026
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, the vice-president’s conversion and what it means for the American right
econ.st
J.D. Vance’s Catholicism
Our weekly podcast on America. This week, the vice-president’s conversion and what it means for the American right
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
“There’s something joyful about these campaigns” — on Checks and Balance, a dive into some of the spiciest New York Democratic primaries (with reporting from @thecity.nyc’s peerless @katiehonan.bsky.social: open.spotify.com/episode/7b3t...
open.spotify.com
The battle for blue America
Economist Podcasts · Episode
010
Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
It's worth reading A.G. Sulzberger's remarks about AI and the future of journalism in their entirety: www.nytco.com/press/a-i-jo...
nytco.com
A.I., Journalism and the Uncertain Future of the Public Square
New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warns A.I. companies are violating settled law and urges news organizations to stand up for their rights to ensure a sustainable future for reporting.
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
“If you choose to do this with joy, it doesn’t hurt your fingers as much when your fingers get caught in the gears.” www.vulture.com/article/step...
vulture.com
Stephen Colbert Thanks His Audience for a ‘Reciprocal Emotional Relationship’
“If you choose to do this with joy, it doesn’t hurt your fingers as much when your fingers get caught in the gears.”
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Fighting flooding with furry friends: www.npr.org/2026/05/21/n...
npr.org
As floods get worse, Britain tries a new solution: beavers
About 400 years ago, beavers were hunted to extinction across Britain. Now they're being reintroduced as little climate warriors, as communities harness their dam-building skills to mitigate flooding.
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
“The ether is a public medium, and its use must be for the public benefit”: www.niemanlab.org/2026/05/as-g...
niemanlab.org
As goes CBS Radio News, so goes the idea that news media should serve the public interest
That the airwaves should be defined by more than a quest for profit was once a bipartisan view.
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Google Search used to be such a valuable research tool. I realize it’s quaint to care about sources and attribution (and that people using AI are largely unbothered by its inaccuracies) but this is objectively so terrible. techcrunch.com/2026/05/19/g...
techcrunch.com
Google Search as you know it is over | TechCrunch
Google is transforming Search from a list of links into an AI-powered experience filled with conversational answers, autonomous agents, and interactive interfaces — a shift that could further reduce t...
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
New ep! Hear my @intelligence2.bsky.social conversation with the wise Siri Hustvedt about 80s literary New York, her 43-year love affair with husband Paul Auster, marriage, and grief. Ghost Stories is a surprisingly romantic book; speaking with Siri was a delight: open.spotify.com/episode/77RN...
open.spotify.com
Love, Loss and Mourning Paul Auster, with Siri Hustvedt
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
"It’s fine to just ignore these stupid projects but maybe also we should mention sometimes that this is all part of the systematic hollowing out of news institutions that once did very good work that people cared about."
404media.co
At Least We Know the Washington Post Isn't Buying Views
Jeff Bezos learns being good at YouTube is not so easy.
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
“Not only are we preserving this radio sound, this institutional history, this cultural history, we’re also, in some ways, providing families with the sound of someone’s voice that may or may not be with us anymore.” Really cool: www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
theguardian.com
In the 60s and 70s, Black students demanded a voice on radio. A new project ensures that history isn’t lost
The HBCU Radio Preservation Project celebrates stations that were an outgrowth of the civil rights movement, to help people understand their importance
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
I wrote about Brandon Taylor's Minor Black Figures and the "millennial novel" for the May issue of @litreview.bsky.social: literaryreview.co.uk/brushes-with...
literaryreview.co.uk
Mythili Rao - Brushes with Fame
Mythili Rao: Brushes with Fame - Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
For the latest episode of the @intelligence2.bsky.social podcast, I spoke with Daniel Hahn about the creativity and ingenuity involved in translating Shakespeare. open.spotify.com/episode/4pLM...
open.spotify.com
How Has Translation Transformed Shakespeare? With Daniel Hahn
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
I reviewed The Beginning Comes After the End by Rebecca Solnit in today’s @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
“You look amazing, you look beautiful,” Victor Glover, the pilot of Artemis II, said: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/s...
nytimes.com
NASA Unveils 1st Earth Photos From Artemis II: ‘You Look Beautiful.’
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
It’s very funny, really. You do hope the shame of it all will be a deterrent for anyone tempted to try this kind of thing! www.thewrap.com/media-platfo...
thewrap.com
New York Times Cuts Ties With Book Review Writer Over AI Use | Exclusive
The New York Times has cut ties with a freelancer of his reliance on AI.
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
I’ve never lived in Chicago and don’t follow Chicago politics but I never miss an episode of the Ben Joravsky show when @denali.bsky.social is on. I love their rapport, I love Ben’s old-school-radio style, and I always learn so much from Denali’s savvy analysis. open.spotify.com/episode/6dLf...
open.spotify.com
Denali Dasgupta—The Monster Within
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Hoo boy
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
For @theguardian.com, I reviewed When the Forest Breathes by Suzanne Simard: www.theguardian.com/books/2026/m...
theguardian.com
When the Forest Breathes by Suzanne Simard review – the Indiana Jones of trees returns
The author of Finding the Mother Tree is back with an inspiring call to the next generation of ecologists
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
“Food styling requires a constant state of micrologistics.” Great kit: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/t...
nytimes.com
How Gin, Wax and Heat Guns Make Onscreen Meals Look Delicious
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
This weekend, a documentary based on a podcast series I edited with Phil Maynard in 2022 premiered at the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. cphdox.dk/film/killing...
cphdox.dk
Killing Anna - CPH:DOX
A Syrian woman creates a fake identity on Facebook to trap war criminals in a gripping psychological thriller sparked by a shocking video.
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
I spoke with Fatima Bhutto about the proliferation of bad men in public life, the dearth of good dogs in literature, and the shame she overcame to write her new memoir, The Hour of the Wolf. Hear our conversation on the @intelligence2.bsky.social podcast: open.spotify.com/episode/32qr...
open.spotify.com
Fatima Bhutto on Grief, Survival, and the Life-Affirming Love of Canine Companions
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
I spoke with the warm, brilliant, original @ecetemelkuran.bsky.social about fascism, exile, and writing her way home. Hear our conversation on the @intelligence2.bsky.social podcast: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...
podcasts.apple.com
Fascism, Exile, and Redefining Home in the 21st Century, with Ece Temelkuran
Podcast Episode · Intelligence Squared · 13/02/2026 · 40m
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Mythili Rao @mythili.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
I'm so sad to see the evisceration of The Washington Post. It's continued to be a great newspaper even under terrible management. I loved writing for its books section. There was room for serious reviews that were searching, playful, adventurous, grumpy, and a little bit weird. What a loss.
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