The Doomscroll News Report

This week, lonely host Amanda Stephens is joined by returning guest Michelle Chiang to talk about the Japanese politicians stirring the pot by... just being pregnant and taking medical leave? And also how we feel about this year's momentous July 4th as Americans abroad. Read along with us! Japaenese politicians and "matahara": 1. A Mayor Is Taking Maternity Leave in Japan. Some Men Are Furious. (J...

This week, in Hanna's absence, Amanda discusses current events with fellow Rti-hosts who may have a stake in the global turmoil. First, Michelle Chiang joins to discuss why Starbucks South Korea got a state-mandated history lesson last Monday, then Fil Leskovsky and Eloise Phillips join to discuss Keir Starmer's resignation, and the only member of British politics we all still support. Read along...

This week hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling screwworm in the United States, the Iran war again (with a little early guessing about the newly-announced MOU), and wrap up with all the fun interactions taking over our feeds of world-cup travelers discovering a new love for host-cities. Read along with us! Screwworm: 1. How Nuclear Flies Protect You from Flesh-Eating Parasites (Kurzgesagt – In...

Hanna and Amanda talk about the way the internet has become fuel for fanning the flame of extremist movements and actions and when it's time to call a spade a spade. We also talk about how everyone can't stop talking about AI, often to the wrong crowds; even the Pope has written new religious doctrine about getting it under control.

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna talk stocks-- or try to-- as they cover what it means for SpaceX and other AI companies going public on the stock market. Then a review of what's happening in Iran, and the ceasefires (or less-fires?) in the middle east, the pressure Trump is facing domestically to end the war, and wrap up with a fun new animal look-alike in the New Delhi zoo. Read along with us!...

Hosts Hanna and Amanda tackle the heatwaves that struck near the end of May, why that may be one of MANY problems for the very-quickly-upcoming FIFA games, and what even happened with the so-called "Enhanced Games." Read along with us! Heat wave: FIFA controversies: Enhanced Games:

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna discuss the ripple effects of the Trump-Xi summit, the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and media reforms in Hungary after Orban's depature and why they may actually give us... hope? Trump-Xi Summit: 1. What was actually achieved at Trump and Xi’s ‘stalemate summit’ in Beijing? (Amy Hawkins, The Guardian), 2. Trump warns Taiwan against...

This week, Hanna and Amanda consider how democracy is doing around the world when it seems to only be getting harder to elect representatives that you feel truly represent your interests.

This week, Amanda and Hanna talk about what it really means that the Strait is Blocked up (spoiler: very expensive groceries), how scary is hantavisrus really? And the MET Gala’s fun new billionaire funder. We're talking money matters and rats in all kinds of ways. Read along with us! The Strait is blocked: 1. Why the Strait of Hormuz will take a long time to reboot (Yuliya Talmazan, Mosheh...

This week, hosts Hanna Bilinski and Amanda Stephens tackle what happened at the 2026 Whitehouse Correspondent's Dinner, whether or not we think it broke through in a meaningful way, and Kash Patel's alleged misbehavior or perhaps total absence from his post at the FBI. Read along with us! The Correspondent's Dinner: 1. Trump: Shooter at White House press dinner had multiple weapons, one officer sh...

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna tackle the mass trial for MS-13 members in El Salvador, Palantir’s sicko manifesto, and why the salmon are on cocaine. Read along with us! Mass trials: 1. Mass trial for 486 alleged MS-13 gang members begins in El Salvador (Amy Walker, BBC), 2. Venezuelans deported by US detail fresh claims of torture and abuse at El Salvador mega-prison (Maanvi Singh,...

Hanna and Amanda reflect on some of their favorite stories from the last year of Doomscroll News Report episodes. They also have a chat(GPT) about the controversies surrounding OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Read along: Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? Suspect in attack at Sam Altman’s house aimed to kill OpenAI CEO, warned of humanity’s extinction from AI OpenAI CEO...

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are discussing the Iran ceasefire that came and almost went, why Lebanon doesn't seem to be included, and Viktor Orban’s tight election which could cost him his 16-year rule. Read along with us! Iran, ceasefires, and Lebanon: 1. What we know about the two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran (Kelly Ng, Khashayar Joneidi, and Daniel De Simone, BBC), 2. At l...

This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna tackle defections and ideology clashes in Trump’s party over the Iran war, what’s happening in Cuba, and a trend called the "alpine divorce".  Read along with us! Iran War effects on domestic support :  1. The Republican Identity Crisis Over the Iran War (Natalie Kitroeff and Robert Draper, The Daily NYT podcast), 2. Top US counterterror...

This week, Hanna and Amanda discuss the dystopian cyber scam industry that seems to have made its home in remote parts of southeast Asia. We also discuss the highly effective T2 diabetes and weight loss management drug semaglutide, better known as Ozempic and Wegovy, and the implication of generic versions hitting the market. Read along with us: Police warn international pickpocket ring could be t...

This week, we're discussing a DIFFERENT kind of AI lawsuit with Anthropic taking on the Pentagon, and the movie studio merger which may swing the news right, and a very slight detour to talk about CEOs tasting their own products. Read along with us! Anthropic sues the Pentagon: 1. Anthropic sues US government for calling it a risk (Kali Hays, BBC), 2. Anthropic was the Pentagon's choice for A...

Hanna and Amanda talk about the only story that anyone could possibly talk about this week, plus a little bit of lighter news about primates.  Read along with us: Pete Hegseth says Iranian regime is ‘toast’ as US expands military offensive US says 'firepower over Iran to surge dramatically' as Israel bombards Beirut and Tehran Where are Iran’s allies? Why Moscow, Beijing are...

This week, we're talking about the death of Mexican cartel leader "El Mencho" and ensuing fallout, the fourth year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and finally we close by addressing the controversy over some winter Olympic athletes and how it does or doesn't intersect with the "Chinamaxxing" social media trend. Read along with us! Mexico vs El Mencho: 1. Mexico's most wanted drug lord 'El M...

This week, Hanna and Amanda talk about the life sentence South Korea just handed down to their disgraced former president for attempting a coup, some frighteningly lax standards for Uber drivers in the United States. Read along with us! Yoon suk-yeol's sentence: 1. South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol jailed for life for leading insurrection (Amy Hawkins and Raphael Rashid, the Guard...

Hosts Hanna and Amanda discuss the Japanese snap election that may have just enabled Prime Minister Takaichi to get back her army, and how a superbowl commercial outed police access to private cameras. Heck, we may even just discuss the Superbowl itself, just a little bit. Read along with us! Japan's snap election: 1. Why Takaichi would call a snap election (Michael MacArthur Bosack, Japan Times),...

Hanna and Amanda talk to the coordinators of the Taiwan x Arctic Youth Connection project, Hsiang Hsiang Wang and Chiayo Kuo, to learn more about Taiwanese and Norwegian students' experiments with shortwave. On the subject of alternatives to typical internet connections, they also talk about SpaceX's Starlink, and the kinds of spaces these types of communication occupy in today's world. Referenced...

This week, Hanna and Amanda finally address X users who've been using Grok AI to undress women and children and (THANK GOD) the legal action and scrutiny the app is now facing. Then, we’ll be taking a look at how youths (and governments) are striking back at social media companies with a lawsuit in the U.S. against socials for using addictive tactics, and how France is hopping on the Youth S...

This week, hosts Hanna and Amanda discuss the ongoing situation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the recent activities of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, with a focus on what journalists are doing to cover the goings on. Then a quick brain break to talk about the total drama with former senator, current alleged homewrecker, Kyrsten Sinema.

Tthis week hosts Amanda and Hanna discuss what’s going on in Iran, how likely it is to make change, and a sort of follow-up the North Korea and Russia talk with more about the recent China and South Korea meeting. Correction: in this episode the polling in Iran is erroneously attributed to The Conversation, but was actually done by the group Gaaman , and referenced in the Conversation articl...

This week, Hanna Bilinski and Amanda Stephens weigh in on what they feared would happen, what did happen, and what could happen following the United States' "decaptiation mission" in Venezuela at the beginning of the year. Read along with us! The U.S. action in Venezuela: 1. Trump says Venezuela’s Maduro ‘captured’ after huge US military strikes (Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencie...