Unelected "special government employee" Elon Musk continues to lead an unprecedented flurry of changes and cuts to US institutions - supporters call it good budgeting; critics call it an attack on democracy. Rising egg prices lead to a massive heist, and Waffle House is charging a per-egg fee to diners. The Pentagon changes its media stance, Google lifts its long-standing ban on AI weaponry. Oh, and Zombie Spiders. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.

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What's the longest amount of time you've spent away from social media? For many of us, the answer is "not long." Across the planet, billions of people are caught in an endless cycle of posting, reposting, commenting, liking, and reacting to a constant stream of ephemera -- a never-ending barrage of news, updates, hot takes, memes and viral videos inundating our brains with one shiny thing after another. Most people consider these pursuits harmless... but, as Ben, Matt and Noel discover in tonight's episode, a growing number of experts are concerned that this continual short-form theatre may have serious consequences for the human brain. Tune in to learn more about how the age of social media may be affecting your brain in dangerous, often-unacknowledged, and lasting ways.

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Anonymous Fed provides a chilling first-hand experience with the US government's recent and sudden moves to fire, lay off, or buy out numerous federal employees amid a flurry of other intensely bizarre moves -- Ben shares aspects of the now-infamous "Fork In The Road" email. Cosmic asks about favorite Magic: The Gathering cards, as well as the psychological effects of private healthcare. Curt prompts a deeper conversation about the fact and fiction surrounding mobile phone surveillance, Faraday grifts, and the nature of secret government programs. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.

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