The Doomscroll News Report

Amanda Stephens, Hanna Bilinski,Rti
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Co-hosts Hanna Bilinski and Amanda Stephens tackle several of the largest international news stories from the past week that dominated their news feed, and put them in context and in the larger conversation of what's happening globally. In this opinion show, we invite experts to weigh in on ongoing events, and discuss it ourselves as two writers trying to stay informed, find meaning, and stop scrolling in today's ever-changing political landscape.

  1. 4d ago

    The far right getting a foothold in Germany (sounds familiar), and the Cornell 7

    Hanna and Amanda talk about yet another right wing populist victory amid a recurring global trend, as well as the new lawsuit filed by Jane Doe against the Cornell 7. Read along: German security agencies face dilemma after victories for far right and far left Germany’s AfD is so extreme it’s putting off other far-right parties How the anti-AfD firewall broke German politics What we know about Cornell University frat house rape investigation

  2. Sep 28

    Christopher Walker on information warfare and how it's affecting our democracies today

    This week we had an amazing interview with The Vice president of the Center for European Policy Analysis Christopher Walker about the information warfare issue facing… well, basically everywhere Hanna. We also breifly cover the White House press ban, with a little guessing about what will come of the second Trump-Xi meeting. Read along with us! News Salad: 1. What is the White House pool and why is it in a row with Trump? (Henri Astier and Ione Wells, BBC), 2. Judge lifts Trump ban on CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House (Sam Meredith and Dan Mangan, CNBC), 3. A diplomatic split screen as Trump and Xi meet (Antoni Slodkowski, John Irish and Tom Balmforth, Reuters) Interview with Walker: 1. War Without End: Understanding Russia’s Shadow Warfare (Sam Greene, Andrei Soldatov, and Irina Borogan, CEPA)

  3. Sep 21

    Sony, digital "ownership," and what Mitch shows about the American "old-igarchy"

    This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling a few recent topics (the Ed Sheeran tour debacle, and Anthropic's media disaster or strategy ahead of it's IPO release), before getting into two topics Amanda has wanted to pop off about for a long time: The slow death of physical media with Sony’s announcement that they’ll no longer be producing game discs, and the "old-igarchy" in the USA with Mitch McConnell's shocking reappearance into American politics, for better and seemingly much, much worse. Read along with us! News Salad: 1. All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore (Adrian Horton, The Guardian), 2. Anthropic IPO won't be slowed by safety uproar (Axios), 3. AI fears send cybersecurity stocks higher (Axios) Sony vs digital ownership: 1. Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles (Sony announcement), 2. PlayStation wants to prove in court that you don't own your digital games (Polygon), 3. Sony says it will stop producing physical discs for PlayStation games (NPR), 4. John Oliver on ‘smart’ appliances: ‘Spying on you through the washing machine’ (The Guardian) The old, old senate: 1. Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after fall that led to an extended medical absence (NPR), 2. Legal historian’s new book argues older Americans control power, wealth — and lack sense of urgency to fix nation’s most pressing problems (Samuel Moyn, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Harvard Gazette), 3. This Congress is one of the oldest yet. Most Americans think that’s a problem, a new CNN poll shows (Rhyannon Bartlett-Imadegawa and Jennifer Agiesta, CNN)

  4. Sep 14

    Six months of war in the Middle East, what the 'Monster of Malan' is, and remembering Gloria Steinem

    Hanna and Amanda take a pulse check on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has now passed six months; they also talk drones, especially Taiwan's current focus on them and what sort of drone tech China might be working on. Finally, they remember feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who passed away early this month. Read along: Oil rises past $100 a barrel after the latest wave of Middle East attacks The US wants to manage the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran wants to break it US, Iran engaged in tanker war: Where is the months-long conflict headed? China’s WZ-X drone hints at an unmanned stealth bomber China’s Huge WZ-X Stealth Drone’s Strange Wing Configuration Confirmed Drone intrusion temporarily shuts Taichung air base ‘Courage and contradictions’: what Gloria Steinem meant to feminist writers from around the world

  5. Sep 7

    Tibet-Nepal landslide, the US hates Flock, and Meta settles

    This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling: The devastating landslide on the Tibet-Nepal border, and how it’s testing Nepal’s new government, before a deep dive into the camera company FLOCK and why we can’t escape it on our newsfeeds, before ending with a follow-up to a previous story about the landmark META settlement! Read along with us! Nepal-Tibet disaster: 1. Nepal declines foreign rescue teams, says its own security agencies can handle operation (Anil Giri, Kathmandu Post), 2. Nepal has not rejected foreign rescue aid, says foreign minister (Rajesh Mishra, Kathmandu Post), 3. Nepal floods test PM Balen's young government (Lekhanath Pandey, DW), 4. Nepal's young PM faces gravest test after flood catastrophe (AFP, France24) Flock vs the USA: 1. How Flock Cameras Took Over America (NYT The Daily Podcast), Why the Flock Backlash Has Gotten So Intense (The Atlantic), 3. Their cities dropped Flock surveillance cameras. They’re still being watched (Sanya Mansoor , The Guardian), 4. Hawley launches investigation into Flock cameras’ massive surveillance program (Alexander Bolton, The Hill) Meta settlement: 1. Meta agrees to pay $18 billion to settle US lawsuits over children's social media addiction (Diana Novak Jones, Jonathan Stempel and Greg Bensinger, Reuters)

  6. Aug 31

    El Niño, Florida vs. OpenAI and Sam Altman, and remembering Dolly Parton

    Hanna and Amanda talk about the impending El Niño, Sam Altman and OpenAI getting hit with a lawsuit alleging ChatGPT consitutes a public nuisance, and American country music icon Dolly Parton, who last Wednesday passed away at the age of 80. Read along with us: WMO: Likelihood increases of El Niño What is El Niño and how is it influenced by climate change? Scientists warn El Niño could intensify climate extremes in 2026 Has climate change already affected ENSO? Florida sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of putting profit over safety Florida Goes To Court And Asserts That OpenAI And Sam Altman Are Legally A Public Nuisance Attorney General James Uthmeier Files First-in-the-Nation State-Led Lawsuit Against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman for Deceptive Practices and Harms to Floridians Dolly Parton, country star, actor and philanthropist, dies aged 80 after cancer diagnosis

  7. Aug 24

    Hong Kong activist verdicts, West Bank settler violence, and a new cancer vaccine?

    This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna are tackling some bummers (what's new?) with Hong Kong Tiannanmen Square activists sentenced for sedition and increased violence in increasing West Bank settlements, paired with a potential scientific breakthrough -- a made-to-order skin cancer vaccine! Read along with us! Hong Kong: 1. Hong Kong Tiananmen activists found guilty of national security charges (Al Jazeera), 2. Hong Kong's Tiananmen activists convicted in national security trial (BBC Chinese) The West Bank: 1. European leaders demand Israel halt controversial E1 settlement project in West Bank (Euronews), 2. A nation divided: What do Israelis want in October’s elections? (Simon Speakman Cordall, Al Jazeera), 3. Israel re-establishes closed West Bank settlement, defying growing international protests (Lucy Williamson, BBC), 4. US envoy Huckabee tells Israeli settlers not to take Palestinian Americans' land (Alexander Cornwell, Reuters), 5. Israel deliberately targeting children in ongoing genocide against Palestinians, UN commission finds (Zeena Saifi, CNN), 6. Netanyahu rejects US-led 15-point Gaza peace plan in rare public break with Trump (Andrew Roth, The Guardian) Skin Cancer Vax: 1. Vaccine breakthrough stops cancer returning in trial (Joe McFadden, BBC)

  8. Aug 17

    Birth tourism, UK parody elections, and a total solar eclipse

    This week, hosts Hanna and Amanda tackle the moves the Trump administration is making against birth tourism, who Count Binface is and what that represents in the world of British politics, and finally, a bit about the total solar eclipse that took place over parts of Spain and Portugal. Read along with us!

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About

Co-hosts Hanna Bilinski and Amanda Stephens tackle several of the largest international news stories from the past week that dominated their news feed, and put them in context and in the larger conversation of what's happening globally. In this opinion show, we invite experts to weigh in on ongoing events, and discuss it ourselves as two writers trying to stay informed, find meaning, and stop scrolling in today's ever-changing political landscape.

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda Stephens, Hanna Bilinski,Rti
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    75
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2018-2026 Rti - For Personal Use Only
  • Show Website
    The Doomscroll News Report