WIRED Politics Lab
WIRED Politics Lab is a weekly podcast from WIRED that explores the intersection of politics and the internet. It covers topics such as online extremism, conspiracy theories, and disinformation. The show features in-depth analysis and conversations grounded in facts and research. Listeners get practical information to help navigate today's misinformation landscape.
Episodes
From The Big Story: In Search of the Heart of the Online-Cat Industrial Complex
Listen to more of The Big Story here: http://swap.fm/l/wi-bigstorypod-feeddrop
A cat wearing a short tie plays music on a cat-shaped keyboard (“Pancake Meowsic Video,” 185,459 views). A woman performs sun salutations with a cat on her back (“Cat Loves Yoga,” 1,539 views). A man slaps two cats on an ironing board to the beat of “Atmosphere” (“Cat Slap Joy Division,” 357,605 views).
Written by
From The Big Story: The Internet Runs on Cats and Porn. It’s About to Get Cattier and Pornier
Listen to more of The Big Story here: http://swap.fm/l/wi-bigstorypod-feeddrop
Soon, hundreds of new top-level domains, including .meow and .fart, could be added to the internet. WIRED goes inside the backroom shenanigans of ICANN, the organization at the helm.
Written by Pete Millspaugh. Originally published on October 6th, 2026.
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From The Big Story: Billions Registered
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Right now, there are no rules to keep you from owning a bitchin’ corporate name as your own internet address.
Written by Joshua Quittner. Originally published on October 1st, 1994.
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From The Big Story: Why the Future Doesn't Need Us
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Our most powerful 21st-century technologies—robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotech—are threatening to make humans an endangered species.
Written by Bill Joy. Originally published on April 1st, 2000.
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From The Big Story: Choke Points
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Lost time. Lost jobs. Lost friends. Lost family.
Lost Lives.
How Israeli checkpoints suffocate Palestinian life in the occupied West Bank.
Written by Lama Rabah, Sabrina Slipchenko, Charles Boutaud, Firas Tawil and Elena DeBre. Originally published on September 30th 2026.
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From The Big Story: How a Research Blog Took on Big Surveillance in China—and Won
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Digging through manuals for security cameras, a group of gearheads found sinister details and ignited a new battle in the US-China tech war.
Written by Amos Zeeberg. Originally published on April 4th, 2023.
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From The Big Story: Greetings From Burning Man!
Listen to more of The Big Story here: http://swap.fm/l/wi-bigstorypod-feeddrop
Dispatches from the New American Holiday: Writer Bruce Sterling takes the kids to the Temporary Autonomous Zone, where survival is a personal choice.
Written by Bruce Sterling. Originally published in WIRED on November 1st, 1996.
For more of the most ambitious, future-defining stories from our favorite huma
From The Big Story: She's 28, Loves God and Her Family, and Might Be the Reason You Can't Have Kids
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No IVF. No surrogacy. No polygenic tests. Emma Waters is leading a national fight against fertility tech—with her hot husband’s permission, of course.
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Some Educated Guesses About Trump’s Second Term
Donald Trump’s presidency will be unpredictable, but in our final show, we make some guesses about what’ll happen anyway. WIRED’s Tim Marchman sits down with reporters David Gilbert and Makena Kelly to talk about what could go wrong between Trump and Musk, if Christian nationalists will get their porn ban, the rise of human brain organoids and whether the new administration will finally declassify
Keeping Your Personal Data Safe in the Age of Trump
Donald Trump has threatened to go after a lot of people — journalists, political rivals and undocumented immigrants to name a few—and starting next year, he’ll have the entire national security apparatus at his disposal. What’s the best way to keep your personal information secure from surveillance, not just by the government, but also data brokers, tech companies, and online scammers? Leah talks
Is Everyone Leaving X (But Me)?
Since the election, a number of organizations, journalists, and left-leaning X users have announced their intentions to leave the town square formerly known as Twitter and move over to Threads or Bluesky. Leah talks with WIRED reporters David Gilbert and Vittoria Elliott about what these X-pats will find on the newer platforms, what happens to X when there are no more libs to troll, and just how f
The Internet’s Future Under Trump 2.0, with Katie Drummond
Today on the show, WIRED’s global editorial director Katie Drummond joins Leah to talk about how the internet and online communities contributed to Donald Trump's victory. Plus, one last look at Brat summer, the perils of the Trump-Elon Musk alliance and digital security under the next Trump administration.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond.bsky.social. Write to us at p
Did Elon Musk Win the Election for Trump?
The election is over and Donald Trump has won a second term in the White House. The next several months—and maybe years—will be spent analyzing what actually tipped this election, but we at WIRED Politics Lab have a theory: Elon Musk. Throughout the election season, and especially in the homestretch, Musk has used his influence and platform to try to shape the results. Today, Leah sits down with V
Stacey Abrams on Outworking Elon Musk and the Far Right in Georgia
It’s the election homestretch, and today on the show, we spoke with Stacey Abrams. Abrams has fought voter suppression for more than a decade — and she’s still fighting it. She joins Leah from Kamala Harris’s campaign trail to talk about election conspiracies, Elon Musk's influence, ballot box fires, Joe Rogan, and whether a Democratic candidate can win Georgia.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Write
The Far-Right Constitutional Sheriffs Gearing Up to Challenge the 2024 Election
It sounds like something out of the Old West, but this year, Constitutional Sheriffs — law enforcement officers who believe they’re above state and federal oversight — have rounded up posses and set their sights on election security. WIRED’s Tim Marchman talks with reporter David Gilbert about how the Constitutional Sheriffs hitched their wagons to the big guns in the election denial movement, and
WIRED Investigates: The JD Vance Adviser Secretly Posting About Using Drugs
On Wednesday, a WIRED exclusive revealed that one of J.D. Vance’s financial policy advisers has posted a lot on Reddit about illicit substances. Given Vance’s hard stance on drugs, WIRED’s Tim Marchman and Makena Kelly join Leah to discuss why it matters that a member of his staff seems to have been using them.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena. Tim Marchman is @timmarchma
Will Elon Musk Tip the Election for Trump?
You might know him from Tesla and SpaceX, but now Elon Musk spends a lot of his time campaigning for former president Donald Trump. WIRED’s David Gilbert and Vittoria Elliott join Leah to talk about what Musk gets from going all in on Trump — and whether he’ll win Trump the White House.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Vittoria Elliott is @telliotter. Write to us at
VP Debate Night: Vance Sanitized Trumpism, Walz Called Himself a Knucklehead
Vice Presidential candidates Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. J.D. Vance faced off last night in their first and only debate. Will Vance’s repackaging of Trump’s record on issues like abortion and January 6 land with independents and swing state voters? Where was the fiery Walz who won social media by calling Republicans “weird?” And will any of this really matter on election day? WIRED’s Tim Marchman and M
From Endless Thread: Gen Z wants you to take political action, one TikTok at a time
Gen Z is over it. The youngest generation of adults is inheriting a climate crisis, the ongoing fallout from a global pandemic, a polarized political landscape, and a tenuous economic reality. And many Gen Z members, a generation more likely to identify as progressive than conservative, are ready for something to give.
Enter: Gen Z for Change — a youth-led non-profit that brands itself as, "the p
Laura Loomer: The ‘Free Spirit’ Whispering in Trump’s Ear
From political fundraisers to the presidential debate to a September 11 commemoration, far-right influencer Laura Loomer has become a staple in former president Donald Trump’s political entourage. WIRED’s David Gilbert and Tim Marchman join Leah to discuss Loomer’s history of conspiracies, Islamophobia, and how she ended up in Trump’s orbit.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. David Gilbert is @DaithaiG
No Dogs or Cats Were Harmed In the Making of This Post-Debate Podcast
WIRED’s Makena Kelly and Tim Marchman join Leah to discuss the memorable moments, the policies and, of course, the conspiracies that came up in Tuesday’s presidential debate.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena. Tim Marchman is @timmarchman. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.
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The AI Porn Episode
A few months ago, everyone seemed worried about how AI would impact the 2024 election. Lately, it seems like some of the panic has dissipated, but political deepfakes — including pornographic images and video — are still everywhere. Today on the show, WIRED reporters Vittoria Elliott and Will Knight on what has changed with AI and what we should worry about.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Vittoria
Influencers Take Over the DNC
The Democratic National Convention organizers really rolled out the blue carpet for influencers this year. Today on the show, WIRED senior reporter Makena Kelly joins from Chicago to talk about the Democrats’ strategy of favoring creators over journalists, and whether it will help them win votes. Plus, behind the scenes at the influencer after-parties.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is
Kamala Harris' Brat Summer Is Almost Over. What's Next?
Team Trump was winning the internet until the Harris-Walz campaign took over. But Democrats can’t just keep calling Republicans “weird” and celebrating Brat Summer until election day. Today on the show, writer and critic Hunter Harris on how Kamala Harris is harnessing social media and what comes next in the run-up to November.Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Hunter Harris is @hunteryharris Write to us
The Right is Still Pushing Election Denial — and Pillows
The election denial movement lives on, thanks in part to the efforts of well-funded and well-organized far-right activists. Today on the show, CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan joins Wired Politics Lab to talk about his forthcoming documentary examining election deniers’ new tactics, and what happens after the November vote.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Donie O’
How QAnon Destroys American Families
Q hasn’t posted anything since 2022. But a staggering number of Americans still buy into QAnon, the conspiracy movement steeped in claims that Satan-worshiping pedophiles run the US government. Today on the show, journalist and author Jesselyn Cook on QAnon’s lasting political ramifications and the relationships it destroys.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Jesselyn C
From In the Dark: Season 3, Episode 1
Today, we're bringing you a special preview of the new season of the New Yorker investigative podcast In the Dark, hosted by Madeleine Baran. The series examines the killings of twenty-four civilians in Haditha, Iraq, and asks why no one was held accountable for the crime.
In Episode 1, a man in Haditha, Iraq, has a request for the In the Dark team: Can you investigate how my family was killed?
I
Silicon Valley is Coconuts for Kamala Harris
Today on WIRED Politics Lab, how Democratic megadonors in Silicon Valley are showing their support for Vice President Kamala Harris now that President Joe Biden has dropped out of the race. Plus, why posts from the far-right and Republican lawmakers calling Biden’s exit a ‘coup’ have exploded online.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. David Gilb
The Trump Shooting, Conspiracies, and Calls for War
Right after former president Donald Trump was shot at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania, conspiracy theories exploded online. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we discuss the subsequent calls for violence and civil war, and the way that militias are recruiting off of the incident. Plus, we report from the Republican National Convention on the reaction to Trump’s vice presidential nominee, Senator J.D.
The Kamala Harris Conspiracies Are Here
After President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate, speculations that Vice President Kamala Harris may fill the void are everywhere. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, how the far right is already pushing racist and misogynistic conspiracies that question Harris’ ability to be president. Plus, why RFK Jr. is looking to capitalize on the moment.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Vi
From Marketplace: Breaking New Ground
Today on WIRED Politics Lab, the first part of a series from Marketplace that explains how the New Deal changed American society.
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Pod Save America Comes to WIRED
Today on WIRED Politics Lab, Pod Save America co-hosts Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor join the show to discuss what the Biden administration has to say about Disinformation. Plus, how to wade through the social media muck and stay informed through this election.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Jon Favreau is @jonfavs. Tommy Vietor is @TVietor08. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscri
Far Right Militias Are Back
Jake Lang was arrested for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. From prison, he has organized an armed militia that now has thousands of members nationwide.
Today on WIRED Politics Lab, reporter David Gilbert explains how this new militia came to be and its possible parallels to 2020. Plus, a look into the recent resurgence of far right extremism.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFe
AI Chatbots Are Running for Office Now
Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we're digging into AI chatbots. In a bizarre turn of events, two AI chatbots are running for elected office for the first time—ever. VIC is campaigning for mayor in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and AI Steve is running for Parliament in the UK. Reporter Vittoria Elliot interviewed both of the bots and the people behind them. She explains their motivations, and if any of this is e
From The New Yorker Radio Hour: The TikTok Ban Is “Rooted in Hypocrisy” with Katie Drummond
David Remnick talks with Katie Drummond, the global editorial director of Wired magazine, about the TikTok ban that just passed with bipartisan support in Washington. The app will be removed from distribution in U.S. app stores unless ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, sells it to an approved buyer. TikTok is suing to block that law. Is this a battle among tech giants for dominance,
It's the AI Election Year
In the largest global election year yet, generative AI is already being used to trick and manipulate voters around the world. Will this growing trend have real impact? Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we talk about a new online project that will be tracking the use of AI in elections around the world. Plus, Nilesh Christopher dives into the lucrative industry of deepfakes, and how politicians are usin
Twitter Is Dead, Long Live the Portal
Twitter is officially dead. Last week, twitter.com became x.com, marking the final step in a rebranding effort that the company’s owner, Elon Musk, announced last year. The change marks a shift for the now bird-less app under Musk’s reign, which has welcomed Nazis and white supremacists back onto the platform, dissolved its Trust and Safety council, and become a cesspool of disinformation and cons
Hasan Piker Won't Tell You to Vote for Joe Biden
Hasan Piker is one of the biggest political streamers on Twitch. With more than two million followers and streams that average eight hours a day, Hasan has become increasingly popular as more people are turning to the platform for news and political analysis. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we talked to Hasan about his impact and what this shift could mean for the upcoming election.
Leah Feiger is @L
The Conspiracy of Campus Protests
Campus protests over the war in Gaza have been going on for months at American universities. Now that they're at an all-time high, protests been getting a lot more attention— and tons of disinformation and conspiracies are spreading. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we talk about some of that disinformation and what student journalists on the ground are doing to report the facts. Plus, we look at how
How Far-Right, Extremist Militias Organize On Facebook
Far-right militia, extremist groups are using Facebook to organize ahead of the US presidential election. After laying low for several years after the Capitol riot on January 6, militia extremists have been quietly reorganizing, ramping up recruitment and rhetoric on Facebook—with apparently little concern that Meta will enforce its own ban against them, according to new research by the Tech Trans
The TikTok Ultimatum Is Here
This might be the end of TikTok. President Joe Biden signed a bill this week which allows the US government to ban the platform if TikTok doesn't divest from it's China-based owner, ByteDance, within a year.
Today on the show, we’re going to talk about what happens to TikTok now and how this new law affects the politicians and influencers who use TikTok.
Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Tori Elliott is
RFK Jr.’s Very Online, Conspiracy-Filled Campaign
In the year since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially launched his presidential campaign, his extreme conspiracies and very online outreach tactics have added up to a pretty effective independent bid. Today on Wired Politics Lab, we look into how RFK Jr. continues to build a following. We talk about his recent VP pick, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan, his media outreach, and the staff beh
How Election Deniers Are Weaponizing Tech To Disrupt November
Election deniers are mobilizing their supporters and rolling out new tech to disrupt the November election. These groups are already organizing on hyperlocal levels, and learning to monitor polling places, target election officials, and challenge voter rolls. And though their work was once fringe, it's become mainstreamed in the Republican Party. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we focus on what these
WIRED Politics Lab Trailer
Politics has never been stranger – or more online. Each week on WIRED Politics Lab, our reporters guide you through the exciting, challenging and sometimes entertaining vortex of internet extremism, conspiracies, and disinformation. Expect in-depth analysis and conversations based on facts and research. Plus, we’ll give you information you can actually use to lift the fog of disinformation we find
New Podcast: WIRED Politics Lab
Politics has never been stranger – or more online. Each week on WIRED Politics Lab, our reporters guide you through the exciting, challenging and sometimes entertaining vortex of internet extremism, conspiracies, and disinformation. Expect in-depth analysis and conversations based on facts and research. Plus, we’ll give you information you can actually use to lift the fog of disinformation we find
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