Best Source Weekly Bend Podcasts (2025)

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Your Habits Are Either Building Your Future… or Blocking It 18:49

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5h ago18:49

18:49

Are you treating your goals like gentle suggestions… or showing up like they’re non-negotiable? In this episode of The Thrive Mindset Podcast, Carrie Dahle breaks down the habits that make belief visible, the 10X mindset that stretches what you think is possible, and the simple daily shifts that turn manifestation from “I hope” into “I’m happening.…

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Bend Don't Break: Melissa Steele, Deputy Fire Marshal of Wildfire Preparedness for Bend Fire & Rescue 35:57

7h ago35:57

35:57

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Melissa Steele, Deputy Fire Marshal for Wildfire Preparedness at Bend Fire and Rescue. Melissa brings more than two decades of experience in firefighting and prevention, including years with Cal Fire during the devastating Paradise fire, to her new role in Central Oregon. Meliss…

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Australia Kicks Kids Off Social Media + Is the A.I. Water Issue Fake? + Hard Fork Wrapped 1:09:55

6d ago1:09:55

1:09:55

This week, Australia implemented the most aggressive social media ban in a democracy to date, kicking children under 16 off 10 of the most popular social platforms. We discuss how the platforms lost the argument around child safety and whether others will follow Australia’s lead. Then, the blogger Andy Masley joins us to separate fact from fiction …

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Kat Mastrangelo, Executive Director of Volunteers in Medicine 29:51

7d ago29:51

29:51

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Kat Mastrangelo, Executive Director of Volunteers in Medicine, a free clinic serving uninsured adults across Central Oregon. Kat shares her journey from a career in health policy and hospital administration to leading an organization that provides critical care for those who fal…

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OpenAI Calls a ‘Code Red’ + Which Model Should I Use? + The Hard Fork Review of Slop 58:38

13d ago58:38

58:38

It’s A.I. model rollout season in Silicon Valley, and OpenAI appears to be feeling the pressure. Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, sent a memo to staff on Monday declaring a “code red” effort to improve ChatGPT and delay other initiatives. We explain why the latest frontier models from Google and Anthropic have OpenAI spooked and how the c…

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Hard Fork’s 50 Most Iconic Technologies of 2025 1:16:28

20d ago1:16:28

1:16:28

Last year we debuted Hard Fork’s 100 Most Iconic Technologies list, in which we ranked the technologies from across all of history that best define life as we know it. To our surprise, it became one of our most popular episodes ever. So now we’re doing it again — with a twist. All year, we’ve been collecting ideas for the 50 Most Iconic Technologie…

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Bend, Don’t Break — The Power of Flexibility 17:06

22d ago17:06

17:06

Are you holding your vision — or gripping your plans so tightly that the universe has no room to work? In this episode of The Thrive Mindset Podcast, Carrie Dahle shares how a week of unexpected chaos — a flooded office, shifted holiday traditions, and sold-out favorites — became a masterclass in flexibility, perspective, and aligned manifesting. Y…

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Bend Don't Break: Greg Pereira, President of COCC 27:46

9d ago27:46

27:46

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Dr. Greg Pereira, the seventh president of Central Oregon Community College. Greg shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Clackamas to leading one of Oregon’s most respected colleges. His career path spans work in homeless shelters, nonprofit leadership, and higher educ…

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The Interview: How Wikipedia Is Responding to the Culture Wars 46:06

23d ago46:06

46:06

Last month our colleague Lulu Garcia-Navarro had a conversation with Wikipedia’s co-founder Jimmy Wales about the challenges the site is facing — including by right-wing influencers who claim it is biased and by A.I. chatbots that compete with its content. We found the conversation interesting, and think you might too. So to tide you over until our…

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We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O. About Child Safety. It Got Tense. 40:10

27d ago40:10

40:10

Roblox's popularity has exploded among kids since the pandemic. Today Roblox has more than 150 million daily active users, and functions as one of the primary online gathering places for preteens. But precisely because Roblox is so popular with children, it has also attracted the attention of adult predators. This week we’re joined by Roblox chief …

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Bend Don't Break: Todd Dunkelberg, Director of the Deschutes County Libraries 26:39

16d ago26:39

26:39

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Todd Dunkelberg, Director of the Deschutes Public Library and unexpected TikTok sensation. Todd shares his journey from graduating in library science at the University of Texas to leading one of Oregon’s most dynamic library systems. He reflects on the evolution of libraries fro…

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Google's Gemini 3 Is Here: A Special Early Look 26:46

1M ago26:46

26:46

Google’s much anticipated new large language model Gemini 3 begins rolling out today. We’ll tell you what we learned from an early product briefing and bring you our conversation with Google executives Demis Hassabis and Josh Woodward, just ahead of the launch. Guests: Demis Hassabis, chief executive and co-founder of Google DeepMind Josh Woodward,…

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Energy Leaks: Where Are You Losing Power? 19:59

1M ago19:59

19:59

Are your energy leaks quietly stealing your momentum — and keeping your manifestations from flowing? In this episode of The Thrive Mindset Podcast, host Carrie Dahle dives deep into the hidden habits, thoughts, and emotions that drain your energy and block your alignment. From losing your rhythm when your routine slips to comparing your path to oth…

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Bend Don't Break: Michael Gesme, Conductor of the Central Oregon Symphony and Professor at COCC 33:48

1M ago33:48

33:48

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Michael Gesme, conductor of the Central Oregon Symphony and longtime professor at COCC, as he prepares to retire after 30 years of shaping the region’s classical music scene. Michael reflects on his journey from the Midwest to Bend, the evolution of local performance spaces, and…

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Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery 1:11:30

1M ago1:11:30

1:11:30

This week, we talk about Google’s new plan to build data centers in space. Then, we’re joined by Dean Ball, a former adviser at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Ball worked on the Trump administration’s A.I. Action Plan, and he shares his inside view on how those policies came together. Finally, Professor Mark Humphries join…

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We Met NEO, the Viral Humanoid Robot + HatGPT 1:08:04

1M ago1:08:04

1:08:04

This week, we’re joined by Bernt Bornich, chief executive of 1X. We talked with him about NEO, his company’s new humanoid robot, which has the internet buzzing. Then we meet NEO itself, and compare notes on the experience. Finally, we close the week with a roundup of tech news headlines: It’s time for some HatGPT. Guests: Bernt Bornich, chief execu…

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Bend Don't Break: Katy Brooks, City of Bend’s Economic Development Officer 30:25

1M ago30:25

30:25

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, Aaron Switzer reconnects with Katy Brooks, now serving as Bend’s Economic Development Officer, to talk about her shift from Chamber CEO to city strategist. Katy shares her vision for supporting small businesses, improving infrastructure, and making Bend more welcoming to new and growing industries. They explore …

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Character.AI’s Teen Chatbot Crackdown + Elon Musk Groks Wikipedia + 48 Hours Without A.I. 1:00:38

2M ago1:00:38

1:00:38

This week, Character.AI announced that it would soon be taking its A.I. companions away from teens. We explain why this is a major development in the world of chatbots and child safety and how we expect other companies to respond. Then, Elon Musk has built a Wikipedia clone called “Grokipedia.” We discuss what it means for the control of knowledge …

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Celebrities Fight Sora + Amazon’s Secret Automation Plans + ChatGPT Gets a Browser 1:07:57

2M ago1:07:57

1:07:57

Backlash to OpenAI’s video generation app Sora has reached a new tipping point. We discuss two big changes the company is making, after Bryan Cranston and the family of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. complained about deepfakes. Then, New York Times reporter Karen Weise joins us to discuss her scoop that Amazon plans to reduce its hiring needs …

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3 Hidden Mistakes That Stop You from Manifesting What You Want 18:38

2M ago18:38

18:38

Are you manifesting your dream life — or accidentally pushing it away? In this episode of The Thrive Mindset Podcast, Carrie Dahle shares the 3 biggest manifestation mistakes that quietly block success and peace of mind from chasing goals out of desperation to obsessing over the “how.” These patterns can drain your energy and delay your dreams. You…

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California Regulates A.I. Companions + OpenAI Investigates Its Critics + The Hard Fork Review of Slop 1:05:10

2M ago1:05:10

1:05:10

This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California signed a big package of A.I. and social media bills into law — including the first state law in the United States to regulate A.I. companions. We talk through what stood out to us in the package and whether these protections will work. Then, the subpoena that has the whole tech world talking. Nathan Calvin…

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ChatGPT’s Platform Play + a Trillion-Dollar GPU Empire + the Queen of Slop 1:06:35

2M ago1:06:35

1:06:35

This week, we discuss the standout moments from our field trip to OpenAI’s third annual DevDay — including a bizarre chat between Jony Ive and Sam Altman, and the announcement that OpenAI is putting apps into ChatGPT. Then, we try to make sense of the massive computing deal between OpenAI and AMD, and how it could impact the larger economy. And fin…

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The Shortcut to Manifestation | How Daily Gratitude Instantly Raises Your Vibration 14:47

2M ago14:47

14:47

The fastest way to manifest your dream life isn’t more hustle — it’s gratitude. In this episode of The Thrive Mindset Podcast, Carrie Dahle reveals how to use gratitude as a living frequency that changes your energy, your relationships, and your results. Gratitude isn’t just saying thank you — it’s an energetic reset that aligns you with what you t…

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Sora and the Infinite Slop Feeds + ChatGPT Goes to Therapy + Hot Mess Express 1:05:54

3M ago1:05:54

1:05:54

This week, we’re talking about the new A.I.-generated video tools and social media feeds from Google, Meta and OpenAI. Is this how A.I. is going to cure cancer? Then, the psychotherapist Gary Greenberg stops by to discuss his recent New Yorker essay about treating ChatGPT as a patient, and why what he saw left him unsettled. And finally, all aboard…

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The Great A.I. Build-Out + H-1B Visa Chaos + TikTok Braces for the Rapture 52:41

3M ago52:41

52:41

This week, an eye-popping $100 billion deal between OpenAI and Nvidia — along with an announcement about the construction of five new American data centers — has us re-examining our predictions of an A.I. bubble. Then, we try to make sense of the Trump administration’s changes to the H-1B visa program, which generated mixed reactions from tech lead…

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Bend Don't Break: Cyrus Mooney, City of Bend Business Advocate 21:48

3M ago21:48

21:48

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, Aaron sits down with Cyrus Mooney, Business Development Manager for the City of Bend, whose path from student affairs to civic leadership reflects a deep commitment to service and connection. With roots in Sherwood and a decade in Corvallis, Cyrus brings a rare blend of empathy, adaptability, and strategic insig…

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When Your Pain Becomes Your Power with Stephanie Urbina-Jones 39:31

3M ago39:31

39:31

What if your deepest pain is actually the doorway to your greatest power? In this powerful episode of The Thrive Mindset Podcast, Carrie Dahle sits down with Stephanie Urbina-Jones — Latina recording artist, storyteller, and co-founder of Freedom Folk & Soul — to explore how ancestral wisdom, soul healing, and personal truth can reshape an entire l…

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Bend Don't Break: Lace Thornberg, Central Oregon LandWatch Communications Director 24:57

3M ago24:57

24:57

This week on Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Lace Thornberg, Communications Director at Central Oregon LandWatch. Lace shares how her journey through conservation organizations across the West eventually led her to Bend, where she now channels her passion for land use, public lands, and ensuring equitable access to nature. Their…

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Charlie Kirk and Online Rage + Inside Trump’s Chip Flip + This Week in A.I. 1:13:47

3M ago1:13:47

1:13:47

This week, we discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, freedom of speech and the terrifying new reality of extremely online violence. Then The Times’s David Yaffe-Bellany brings us inside the blockbuster New York Times investigation into a $2 billion investment in Trump’s crypto company World Liberty Financial and a controversial deal to send the…

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Gratitude + Action: The Formula for Unstoppable Momentum 13:08

3M ago13:08

13:08

Have you ever noticed how a simple moment—like catching a beautiful sunrise while rushing out the door—can completely shift your energy? That's the transformative power of gratitude, and it's the foundation of manifesting the life you truly desire. Gratitude isn't just a nice practice for when things are going well. It's actually most powerful duri…

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Are We Past Peak iPhone? + Eliezer Yudkowsky on A.I. Doom 1:12:24

3M ago1:12:24

1:12:24

Apple’s yearly iPhone event took place this week, and it left us asking, Is Apple losing the juice? We break down all the new products the company announced and discuss where it goes from here. Then, Eliezer Yudkowsky, one of the most fascinating people in A.I., has a new book coming out: “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.” He joins us to make th…

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Bend Don't Break: Steve Platt, Bend City Councilman 26:03

3M ago26:03

26:03

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Bend City Councilman Steve Platt, whose journey from fighter pilot to physics teacher to public servant reveals a deep commitment to community, resilience, and thoughtful leadership.Steve shares how his global military career and experience commanding squadrons shaped his approa…

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Behind the Lens: One Woman's Journey to Help Others See Their Worth with Liz Hansen 32:46

3M ago32:46

32:46

When Liz Hansen stepped in front of the camera for her own boudoir photoshoot nearly a decade ago, she had no idea how profoundly it would change her life. That transformative experience—breaking free from what she calls "good girl syndrome"—inspired her to create Chicago Boudoir Photography, a studio where women could discover their own power thro…

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A.I. School Is in Session: Two Takes on the Future of Education 1:11:48

3M ago1:11:48

1:11:48

This week, we check in on the state of artificial intelligence in education. We talk with a co-founder of Alpha Schools, MacKenzie Price, about how her private K-12 schools are using A.I. to generate personalized lesson plans and enabling teachers to spend their time motivating rather than teaching students. Then, the Princeton historian D. Graham …

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Bend Don't Break: Lily Raff McCaulou 32:48

4M ago32:48

32:48

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with journalist and author Lily Raff McCaulou. Lily’s writing has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and The Bulletin, and she is the author of Call of the Mild: Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner, named one of the best books o…

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Gratitude Isn’t Fluff—It’s Your Secret Manifestation Power 12:52

4M ago12:52

12:52

Ready to fast-track your manifestation journey? The secret might be simpler than you think. Gratitude isn't just a nice-to-have practice—it's the energetic accelerator that transforms dreams into reality. Throughout my years as a manifestation coach, I've discovered that gratitude works like a frequency dial. When we're stuck in negativity, we're e…

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Intel’s New Deal + Waymo C.E.O. Tekedra Mawakana on Scaling Driverless Cars + Trumps in Tech 1:02:53

4M ago1:02:53

1:02:53

President Trump announced this week that the U.S. government, in a highly unusual deal, had agreed to take a 10 percent stake in the chip maker Intel, and that he was considering similar investments in other companies. We discuss why Trump cares so much about Intel, what the government is trying to accomplish with this deal, and how people in Silic…

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Stop Competing With Them—Start Competing With You 17:34

4M ago17:34

17:34

What's the real barrier standing between you and your dreams? The answer might surprise you. It's not your circumstances, your background, or even your competition—it's likely yourself. We're conditioned from childhood to view life as a competition, constantly measuring our progress against others. I vividly remember sitting in my real estate offic…

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Is This an A.I. Bubble? + Meta’s Missing Morals + TikTok Shock Slop 1:06:31

4M ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Note: This episode contains sexually explicit music. This week, the whole tech world seemed to be asking: Are we in an A.I. bubble? We’ll explore the cases for and against, including who we think stands to lose most. Then we’re joined by the journalist Jeff Horwitz to discuss his blockbuster reporting about an internal Meta policy document that per…

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Bend Don't Break: Brian August, Executive Director of the Tower Theatre Foundation 35:34

4M ago35:34

35:34

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, Brian K. August shares his journey to becoming the new Executive Director of the Tower Theatre Foundation. With more than twenty years of leadership experience across nonprofits, private enterprise, and global initiatives, Brian brings a thoughtful approach to strategic growth, operational excellence, and commun…

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Read Less, Live More: The Real Way to Manifest 14:06

4M ago14:06

14:06

Struggling to manifest your dreams despite all the vision boards, books, and affirmations? You might be missing the crucial element that transforms wishful thinking into reality. In this empowering episode, I reveal why many well-intentioned manifestors get stuck in a cycle of tiny results despite big desires. The hard truth? You can't manifest a l…

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GPT-5 Backlash + Perplexity C.E.O. Aravind Srinivas on the Browser Wars + Hot Mess Express 1:11:29

4M ago1:11:29

1:11:29

OpenAI spent the week responding to outcry from users who miss the behavior of the old ChatGPT, before the latest flagship model was released. We discuss the criticism, why it caught the company by surprise and what it indicates about the deepening emotional relationships that people are forming with chatbots. Then, Aravind Srinivas, the chief exec…

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Bend Don't Break: Scott Larson, President and CEO of Visit Central Oregon 28:56

4M ago28:56

28:56

We’re joined by Scott Larson, the new President and CEO of Visit Central Oregon, to talk about the future of tourism and community in our region. With more than a decade of experience promoting mountain towns and rural destinations across the West, Scott brings a passion for using tourism as a force for economic growth and connection. He shares his…

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You Are NOT Behind 14:50

4M ago14:50

14:50

Have you ever felt like everyone else is thriving while you're just trying to remember what day it is? That nagging sensation that you're somehow "behind" in life can be crushing to your spirit and block your manifestation power. This intimate, no-guest episode tackles one of the most damaging mindset traps we fall into: comparing our journey to ot…

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GPT-5 Arrives, and We Try the New Alexa+ 1:12:57

4M ago1:12:57

1:12:57

This week, OpenAI released its much-anticipated flagship model, GPT-5. We break down what we know about the upgrade, drawing from our initial testing and a special news briefing with Sam Altman. Then, we explain why we were underwhelmed by Amazon’s new Alexa+, which is powered by generative A.I., and take our feedback to Daniel Rausch, vice preside…

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Bend Don't Break: Gabe Charalambides, Founder of Odyssey 33:36

4M ago33:36

33:36

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, Aaron sits down with Gabe Charalambides, founder of Odyssey—one of the first legal psilocybin retreat centers in the U.S. Gabe shares his unconventional journey from aerospace engineer to psychedelic wellness pioneer, driven by a long-standing passion for meditation, Buddhist philosophy, and mental health. The t…

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LISTEN: Bend Don't Break, Maija Kellner-Rode 27:34

5M ago27:34

27:34

In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Maija Kellner-Rode, a queer artist, dancer, and mentor who has made it her mission to foster healing and connection through creativity. Maija shares her journey from launching her nationally distributed art brand, Maija Rebecca Hand Drawn, to mentoring youth across Oregon throug…

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Age-Gating the Internet + Cloudflare Takes On A.I. Scrapers + HatGPT 1:11:32

5M ago1:11:32

1:11:32

This week, we look at the fallout from a sweeping internet age-verification law that went into effect in Britain. We explain why age restrictions are suddenly popping up all over the internet — and how some might create more problems than they solve. Then Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare, returns to the show to discuss his company’s ne…

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Trump Fights ‘Woke’ A.I. + We Hear Out Our Critics 1:06:20

5M ago1:06:20

1:06:20

On Wednesday, President Trump signed three A.I.-related executive orders, and the White House released “America’s A.I. Action Plan.” We break down what’s in them, how the federal government intends to target “political bias” in chatbot output, and whether anyone will stand up against it. Then, do we hype up A.I. too much? Are we downplaying potenti…

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Thriving in Your Body: The Real Talk on Women’s Health with Dr. Maria Canter 30:52

5M ago30:52

30:52

The whispered conversations in women's locker rooms and quiet confessions between friends reveal a universal truth: pelvic health affects virtually every woman, yet remains shrouded in uncomfortable silence. This powerful episode pulls back the curtain on the taboo topics of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and sexual dysfunction with r…