WIRED Politics Lab

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.For more of the most ambitious, future-defining stories from our favorite human writers, subscribe to The Big Story newsletter: https://www.wired.com/newsletter/the-big-story
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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 those UFO files. 

Tim Marchman is @timmarchman. David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Makena Kelly is @kellymakena. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.


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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 with WIRED business editor Louise Matsakis and security editor Andrew Couts about what to expect and practical tips for your phone, computer, and life.

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Andrew Couts is @couts.bsky.com. Louise Matsakis is @lmatsakis. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week: 
The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance by Andy Greenberg and Lily Hay Newman
Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany by Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron
A New Phone Scanner That Detects Spyware Has Already Found 7 Pegasus Infections by Lily Hay Newman


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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 fragmented online communities are now.

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger.  David Gilbert is @DaithaiGilbert. Vittoria Elliott is @telliotter. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week:
Donald Trump Taps Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to Lead Nonexistent Department of Government Efficiency by Vittoria Elliott
As Trump Takes a Victory Lap, the Crypto Faithful Kiss the Ring by Joel Khalili


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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 politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.
Mentioned this week:
The WIRED Guide to Digital Security
Editor’s Note: What’s Next for WIRED by Katie Drummond
It’s Election Week. Brace Yourselves by Katie Drummond


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