Pivot

Latest Episodes:

Billionaires and the tax code, Facebook smartwatch and a listener mail question on children's screen time Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott talk about the ProPublica report that America's wealthiest people paid basically nothing in taxes and what the country should do about it. They also discuss Facebook's upcoming smartwatch and the wearables industry.

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G-7 nations' historic tax reform, Bitcoin 2021, and Friend of Pivot Jon Meacham on de-platforming Trump Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott talk about the historic tax reform deal reached by the G-7 nations that would make the minimum global corporate tax rate 15%. Then they discuss this weeks' Bitcoin 2021 event in Miami and Jack Dorsey's future in cryptocurrency. In Friend of Pivot, we are joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning Presidential historian, and host of the new podcast Fate of Fact, Jon Meacham.

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The SEC goes after Elon Musk's tweets, Fauci's emails, and should Roku acquire more content? Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott talk about the SEC saying that several of Elon Musk's tweets were not vetted before they were posted and violate a previous settlement with regulators. Then they discuss the trove of Dr. Fauci emails released from a FOIA request. In listener mail, Kara and Scott answer a question about Roku's acquisition of Quibi content and what it means for the company.

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Uber and Lyft price surge, the Biden infrastructure bill and Friend of Pivot Casey Newton Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott talk about Uber and Lyft rideshare prices surging as the companies struggle to find contract drivers. They also discuss hold-ups from Republican Senators and the Biden infrastructure bill. Then All-Star Friend of Pivot and writer of the newsletter Platformer, Casey Newton comes on to talk about all things social media.

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Russia crackdown on social media, Amazon buys MGM, and is 5G worth the hype? May 28, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott talk about Russia increasing penalties and crackdowns on Google, Twitter, and Facebook. They also discuss Amazon's $8.45billion purchase of MGM Studios. In listener mail they answer a question about whether 5G is actually worth the hype.

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Tim Cook takes the stand in Apple vs. Epic trial and a Friend of Pivot on app dating May 25, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott talk about Apple CEO Tim Cook's testimony in the final days of the Apple vs. Epic antitrust case. Scott gives a mini-lesson on why "big is bad". Then we're joined by Friend of Pivot, author Nancy Jo Sales to talk about her new book Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno. They discuss the pros, cons, and pitfalls of dating apps.

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Crypto-crash, Streaming wars and tax plans with MSNBC Host Stephanie Ruhle May 21, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott are joined by MSNBC Host and NBC News Senior Business Correspondent Stephanie Ruhle for a lightning round about the week's news. They talk about the tough week for the crypto-market, more on the AT&T spin-off of Time Warner (and who could swoop in to challenge the deal). They also take a listener mail question on mental health and big tech.

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AT&T's TimeWarner/Discovery+ super merger and GLAAD's report on social media platforms May 18, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott talk about AT&T spinning off their streaming service Time Warner and combining it with Discovery+ to compete with streaming content giants. They also discuss Twitter's potential new subscription service "Twitter Blue" (ya heard it here first!) Then we're joined by GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis to discuss the organization's new report that looks at safety for the LGBTQ community across social media.

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The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and Tesla breaks up with Bitcoin May 14, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott talk about the fallout from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and the gas hoarding that followed. They also discuss Tesla's decision to suspend accepting Bitcoin for car purchases until it is more sustainable and environmentally-friendly (Scott is skeptical). In listener mail, we get a question about how the global tech industry is being affected by humanitarian crises in India and Tel Aviv.

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Elon Musk on Saturday Night Live and the dogecoin tumble May 11, 2021

Show notes

Kara and Scott recap Elon Musk's host appearance on Saturday Night Live and how it affected the cryptocurrency market. They also discuss a major cyberattack on a US natural gas pipeline. Then we are joined by author of the new book Amazon Unbound, Brad Stone, to discuss how Amazon is changing in the post-Bezos era.

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