On this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we start with Anderson Cooper’s quiet power play at CNN, a new deal that cements him as the network’s most versatile and durable storytelling force, spanning nightly news, New Year’s Eve, long-form reporting, podcasts, and books. What can the rest of us learn from a legacy anchor who didn’t get left behind in the streaming and AI era?
We then unpack new research drawing a sharp line between ordinary screen time and social media, with platforms like TikTok and Snapchat strongly linked to rising inattention in children. TV and video games don’t show the same pattern. We explore what that means for parents, kids, schools, and regulators.
Next, we review Non-Player Combat, a 100% AI-generated reality show so glitchy, derivative, and emotionally flat that it becomes a case study in what happens when technology is used to replace creativity rather than empower it.
In the geopolitical segment, we examine a U.S.-drafted peace framework for Ukraine that pressures Kyiv to surrender a heavily fortified “Fortress Belt” line, potentially locking in Russian territorial gains and redefining Europe’s security architecture for years to come.
We close with U.S. politics: Democrat Eileen Higgins’ landslide win in Miami’s mayoral race and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval bump, fresh signs that anti-Trump sentiment is reshaping the landscape heading into the 2026 midterms.
Finally, in a listener Q&A, TJ answers what a communications expert and online creator actually does day-to-day, and how to build a resilient communication career in a world of AI, fragmented media, and constant political storms.

Approximate Audio Timecodes


00:00 – Opening & overview


02:00 – Anderson Cooper’s deal and media versatility


12:20 – Social media, ADHD, and kids’ attention


27:10 – AI reality TV as a cultural warning


35:55 – Ukraine’s peace dilemma and territorial concessions


49:30 – Miami, Newsom, and the anti-Trump backlash


58:00 – Q&A: What does a communications expert actually do?



Listen on: Podbean · Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · more
Host: TJ Walker - media, messaging, and public-speaking strategist

Filtered: Anderson Cooper’s Power Play, Kids’ Brains on Social Media, AI Reality TV Fail, Ukraine Peace Risks

In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we examine four big fault lines where media, technology, and power are colliding:

The Battle for Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Skydance launches a hostile, Saudi- and Kushner-backed bid for WBD while Netflix pursues its own acquisition of the studio and HBO streaming assets. We explore why both deals worry Hollywood, one for corruption risk, the other for dangerous concentration of power. 
Google’s New Gemini Smart Glasses
Google returns to the smart-glasses arena after the failure of Google Glass, aiming to compete with Meta’s Ray-Ban devices. We revisit why Glass failed, how Meta’s glasses are used today, and why public backlash—from bans to smashed glasses on the subway- shows the social contract around constant recording is not resolved. 
AI Deepfakes and the Information Crisis
AI videos generated by tools like OpenAI’s Sora are going viral, including fake food-stamp interviews that stoke racism and policy outrage and even fooled Fox News. We discuss how poor labeling, platform incentives, and weaponized disinformation campaigns are eroding citizens’ ability to know what is real. 
Saudi Arabia’s Red Carpet and Rapid Liberalization
Hollywood stars at the Red Sea Film Festival have been accused of helping whitewash an authoritarian regime. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has lifted a 35-year cinema ban, allowed women to drive, and opened up to concerts, festivals, and global pop culture. We explore whether engaging through culture and capitalism can push the region in a more liberal direction, even while serious human-rights abuses persist. 

Listen in for a nuanced, forward-looking take on how big money, AI, and geopolitics are reshaping what we watch, what we believe, and what kind of societies we live in.

Filtered: Hollywood Power Grab, Smart Glasses & AI Deepfake Chaos

The most-watched regular-season NFL game in history, a trillion-dollar tech giant quietly backing away from the metaverse, a job market that looks strong and shaky at the same time, college football coaches getting paid tens of millions to do nothing, and podcasts that may be crowding out your own thoughts.
In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we cover:

Meta’s Metaverse Retreat – After burning more than $70 billion on virtual reality, Meta is slashing its metaverse ambitions and pivoting hard to AI, smart glasses, and extended reality. What went wrong, and what does that say about tech hype?
Layoffs vs Jobless Claims – Over 1.1 million layoffs announced this year, yet weekly jobless claims remain near 3-year lows. Is this a hidden slowdown, an AI-fueled reshuffle, or both?
Football Owns the Screen – CBS’s Chiefs–Cowboys Thanksgiving game averaged 57+ million viewers and peaked above 61 million, becoming the most-watched regular-season NFL game ever. How did football become the last true mass-audience event in American life?
College Coaching Buyouts & Tax Dodges – Universities owe roughly $228 million in buyouts to 15 fired coaches this season alone, pushing total severance since 2012 over $1 billion, much of it subsidized by tax-deductible booster donations.
What Podcasts Do to Our Brains – Why nonstop listening isn’t really multitasking, how it drains cognitive resources, and how silence and simple walks restore the brain’s default mode network and your ability to think your own thoughts.

Listen in for a clear, no-nonsense breakdown of how money, media, sports, politics, and technology intersect, and what it means for your career, your wallet, and your attention.

Filtered | Football Rules TV: Meta Retreats, Job Market Confuses, Coaches Cash Out

In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we look at how affordability, power, and presidential behavior collide, from Costco’s lawsuit over Trump tariffs to a late-night Truth Social meltdown and the surprising idea that progressives should learn from Trump’s brutal efficiency in using government power.
What we cover:


Costco vs. Trump’s Tariffs


Why Costco is suing over reciprocal and fentanyl tariffs


The December refund deadline could cost importers billions


Why tariffs are basically sales taxes on American consumers




Chanel’s Subway Runway in New York City


Turning an abandoned subway platform into a global fashion moment


Everyday commuters as inspiration instead of royalty


The communication lesson: do something different, or be ignored




Trump Calls Affordability a “Con Job”


From “affordability president” to calling affordability a fake narrative


Fact-checking inflation history vs. Trump’s claims


How mixed, muddled messaging is eroding his perceived economic strength




Trump’s Midnight Truth Social Binge & Midday Naps


Hundreds of posts in a night: Obama tribunals, Venezuela surrender, Canada conspiracies


Cameras catching the president nodding off in cabinet meetings


What constant social media use does to attention, judgment, and sleep




What the Left Can Learn from Trump’s Brutal Efficiency


Biden’s stalled chargers, green projects, and infrastructure vs. Trump’s fast (if harmful) actions


The left’s dilemma: loving government power for some things, fearing it for others


The “Robert Moses problem” and why Democrats can’t seem to build housing, transit, or clean energy




Personal Development: Daily Priorities & Deep Work


Why a single clear priority beats a 40-item to-do list


Guarding your 3–4 highest-energy hours each day


How sustained focus turns years of small steps into big outcomes




About the Show
Filtered with TJ Walker takes the top business, technology, economic, and culture stories of the day and filters them through the lens of communication skills and personal development, so you don’t just understand the news, you get better at navigating your own life and work because of it.

Filtered: Affordability, Power & a President Unraveling: Trump Tariffs, Truth Social Meltdown & the Left’s Big Lesson

Self-driving cars are now logging millions of fully driverless miles, and the data say they are dramatically safer than human drivers. So why are we still accepting more than 1.3 million road deaths a year worldwide? In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we unpack the numbers, the psychology, and the politics behind autonomous vehicles.
Then we turn to the new map of American life online: Pew Research’s latest survey on where different ages, races, classes, and political groups actually spend their time on social media, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, X, Threads, Truth Social, and more.
Next, we examine how Big Tech is building its own media bubble: venture firms, CEOs, and platforms creating friendly podcasts, in-house journals, and AI tools that promote flattering narratives while bypassing independent journalists.
We also look at a thorny workplace case: a worker fired over an ICE joke in an office where edgy banter was the norm. Is it legal? Probably. Is it fair? That’s more complicated, and we break down what it means for your own career communication strategy.
Finally, we dive into sleep and performance: what a bad night does to your brain, why five hours of sleep is like being mildly drunk, and the most effective research-backed ways to rescue your day after terrible sleep, without sabotaging the next night.
Segments


Self-driving cars as a public-health intervention


The real social media map of America (Pew data)


Big Tech’s “cheerleader media” and billionaire echo chambers


Fired for a joke: navigating fairness and risk at work


Rescuing your day after a bad night’s sleep


Listener Q&A: Keeping online audiences engaged

Filtered: Self-Driving Lives Saved, Social Media Tribes & Big Tech’s Media Bubble

LeBron James finally scored fewer than 10 points in an NBA game for the first time since 2007, and still proves why his habits, sleep, and discipline may be even more impressive than his 1,297-game streak. We unpack what that kind of consistency really looks like, and contrast it with the short, volatile peak of former NBA star David Thompson.
We then turn to the late Frank Gehry, who died at 96. Many of his most iconic, once-mocked designs, like world-class concert halls, arrived after the age when most people retire. What does his career tell us about creativity, risk-taking, and staying productive into your 70s, 80s, and 90s?
Next up: elite colleges. Nearly 38% of Stanford undergraduates now qualify as “disabled,” with surging ADHD and anxiety diagnoses unlocking extra time, accommodations, and access to performance-enhancing study drugs. Where is the line between legitimate need and system-gaming privilege?
We also examine classroom tech. From school-issued iPads to mandatory ed-tech platforms, a growing body of evidence suggests that more screens in school can mean worse attention, weaker reading comprehension, and declining test scores, despite all the “equity” branding.
Finally, we look at Vanity Fair’s decision to part ways with Olivia Nuzzi after her affair with RFK Jr., the backlash to her book American Canto, and renewed questions about media ethics, power, and access.
Topics in this episode:

LeBron’s scoring streak and the discipline behind true longevity
Frank Gehry’s late-life renaissance and “weird” designs that redefined cities
How elite students are using disability labels, ADHD diagnoses, and extra time
What iPads and laptops are really doing to kids’ brains and learning
Vanity Fair, Olivia Nuzzi, RFK Jr., and modern media ethics
A closing skill segment: how to read from a teleprompter and still sound human

Listen, follow, and share if you want daily news filtered through performance, communication, and personal development.

Filtered: LeBron’s Streak, Gehry’s Genius & the iPad Generation

Netflix wants to swallow Hollywood’s crown jewels. In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker:

We break down Netflix’s $72 billion plan to acquire Warner Bros and HBO and what it means for competition, movie theaters, and the future of streaming.
We examine how a frustrated homeowner and his RATGDO device became the symbol of a larger fight over who really owns your “smart” devices, you or the companies that can brick them and charge endless subscriptions.
We dive into Bitcoin’s latest price volatility and lay out the full case against crypto: speculation, scams, money laundering, password risk, and why the “fiat is worthless” argument collapses on contact with reality.
We look at the sentencing of Matthew Perry’s ketamine doctor and how authority bias, halo effect, groupthink, and motivated reasoning can warp medical judgment.
We cover why a federal grand jury refused to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, and what that says about Trump’s efforts to weaponize the Justice Department.
And we close with Trump’s kill-on-sight boat campaign against alleged drug smugglers, which legal experts say may violate both U.S. and international law and could amount to murder at sea rather than wartime operations.

Chapters:
00:00 – Netflix–Warner Bros–HBO mega-deal
16:04 – Smart garage doors & tech ownership
27:20 – Bitcoin volatility & crypto’s broken promises
43:14 – Matthew Perry, ketamine & cognitive bias
54:27 – Letitia James and the failed re-indictment
01:04:45 – Trump’s boat attacks & war crimes questions

Filtered: Netflix’s $72B Bid for HBO & Warner Bros, Crypto Scams & Trump’s Boat War

Botox and Ozempic on Zoom calls. Pentagon gag orders on the press. Kim Kardashian versus the California bar exam. Trump’s Ukraine “deal” with Putin. And a Supreme Court case that could give billionaires even more leverage over U.S. elections.
In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, TJ walks through five major stories and filters them through communication, media, and personal development:

How “being hot” has become a quiet job requirement in many industries, driven by Botox, fillers, GLP-1 drugs and AI-polished headshots – and what you can do with simple, low-risk tweaks instead of extreme procedures.
Why the New York Times is suing the Pentagon over new rules that would effectively let the military decide what reporters can ask and what they can publish – and why even Fox News refuses to sign.
What Kim Kardashian’s bar-exam struggles reveal about bar exams, law schools and licensing as a government-protected cartel, just as AI starts to handle routine legal work at associate-level quality.
Thomas Friedman’s argument that Trump is acting as Putin’s “useful idiot” in Ukraine, treating invasion like a real-estate negotiation rather than a war of conquest and democratic survival.
NRSC v. FEC and the Supreme Court’s continued march toward unlimited political money, in a system already far looser than Canada, France or the UK when it comes to corporate and billionaire influence.

TJ closes with a trainer Q&A on how to help people understand complex topics fast:

Keeping groups small where possible
Giving everyone a front-row seat
Asking participants to restate key ideas in their own words
Using stories, examples and simple visuals instead of walls of bullet points
Checking understanding in real time rather than just “covering content”

Chapters:
00:00 – Teaser & market update
02:00 – Workplace beauty pressure: Botox, Ozempic & Zoom bias
20:46 – New York Times sues Pentagon over press gag orders
29:06 – Kim Kardashian, the bar exam & the legal cartel
38:18 – Trump, Putin & Ukraine: the “useful idiot” debate
45:27 – NRSC v. FEC & the rise of billionaire politics
56:59 – Trainer Q&A: Teaching complex topics clearly
1:02:20 – Outro & where to find TJ online
If you enjoy the show, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who cares about media, politics, and how power really works.

Filtered: Botox, Pentagon Gag Orders & Billionaires: Trump, Kim Kardashian and the Rigged Game

A deep-red House district in Tennessee that Donald Trump won by more than twenty points just fell to a single-digit margin in a special election. Is this a red-alert for Republicans, a blue wave for Democrats—or just normal midterm gravity doing its work?
Next, we go to America’s campuses, where artificial intelligence has become the hot new major. From MIT’s “AI and Decision-Making” to UC San Diego’s AI program, universities are racing to rebrand and specialize. We look at what this means for students, traditional computer science and the job market.
In San Francisco, the city files a landmark lawsuit against food companies over ultra-processed products, arguing they knowingly fueled an epidemic of obesity and chronic disease. Is this smart public-health accountability or overreach into personal choice?
We stay in San Francisco to examine Mayor Daniel Lurie’s social-media strategy: a highly produced Instagram and TikTok presence built around small businesses, civic clean-ups and a relentless “Let’s go, San Francisco!” message. Is this a model for modern leadership or a distraction from governing?
Finally, we unpack Donald Trump’s latest tirade in which he calls Somali immigrants “garbage” and targets Rep. Ilhan Omar by name. We explore why this kind of dehumanizing language from the presidency matters and how it can increase support for real-world violence.
Chapters:
0:00 – Tease, markets & intro
2:32 – Tennessee’s “safe” red seat and what the swing really means
13:52 – AI gold rush on campus: majors, jobs and hype
27:40 – San Francisco vs. ultra-processed food giants
46:05 – The Instagram mayor: Daniel Lurie’s influencer-in-chief playbook
54:50 – Trump’s Somali “garbage” rant and the politics of dehumanization
1:07:24 – Closing thoughts & listener call to action

Filtered: AI Gold Rush, Snack Lawsuits & Trump’s ‘Garbage’ Rant

Starbucks is forced to pay nearly $39 million in New York City’s largest-ever worker protection settlement after officials say the company shredded baristas’ rights to stable schedules. In Switzerland, voters crush a proposed 50% inheritance tax on fortunes above 50 million francs, sending a loud message about how tightly democracy still hugs billionaires.
In New Jersey, former Governor Jim McGreevey, once driven from office in scandal, asks voters for a second chance as he runs for mayor of Jersey City. On the racetrack, Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team is taking the France family’s empire to federal court in an antitrust showdown that could rewrite who controls stock car racing and who gets paid.
At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces allegations of possible war crimes after a deadly two-strike boat attack in the Caribbean. Even some Republicans and President Trump himself are now trying to distance themselves from the controversy.
In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we explore:

How the Starbucks settlement shifts the balance of power between low-wage workers and big brands
Why Swiss voters rejected a dramatic inheritance tax on the ultra-rich
Whether Jim McGreevey’s record deserves a political “second chance”
How NASCAR’s charter system looks a lot like a protected cartel
Why the allegations against Pete Hegseth fit textbook definitions of war crimes
Practical tips to look and sound more confident on Zoom

Listen in for a deeper look at who really holds power in 2025, and how communication, narrative, and law shape that power every day.

Filtered: Billionaires, Baristas & War Crimes: Starbucks $39M Payout, Swiss Tax Revolt & Hegseth Fallout

A deep dive into five major stories shaping politics, technology, and society:

Why “rage bait” is the Word of the Year, and what it says about online manipulation
The science behind why early smartphones harm kids
Why young workers are heading back to the office
Bipartisan warnings that Pete Hegseth’s Caribbean strikes may be war crimes
Oregon’s governor threatens to prosecute federal agents enforcing immigration laws

Plus grab bag stories including Steve Bannon’s Epstein ties, Netanyahu’s unprecedented pardon request, and the “gray rock” method for defusing holiday conflict.

Filtered: Rage Bait, Kids’ Phones, War Crimes & Rising Authoritarianism

In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we connect five big stories under one theme: how powerful people and institutions dodge blame while everyone else absorbs the cost.

NYC’s progressive surveillance state – Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani inherits and embraces one of the most expansive camera networks on earth, built in partnership with tech billionaires and defense contractors. Crime is down; civil-liberties questions remain.
Brexit’s economic faceplant – Seven years on, the numbers are in: weaker growth, stagnant trade and lost investment. Yet almost nobody in the political class says, “We were wrong.”
E-bikes and the quiet crash epidemic – Trauma doctors are seeing injuries that look like motorcycle wrecks, not bike falls. Fatality risks, head injuries and kids riding 30+ mph “e-motos” with no helmets — we dig into the data and the regulatory vacuum.
Trump’s AI & crypto czar – Venture capitalist David Sacks is simultaneously a major AI/crypto investor and a central figure shaping Trump’s tech and crypto policy. We examine what that means for regulation, antitrust and democracy.
Wall Street Journal on Trump’s brand collapse – From DJT (Trump Media) to Trump-themed meme coins and family crypto ventures, many Trump-branded bets are down hard, leaving die-hard supporters with steep losses.

In our grab-bag segment, we turn to two more under-covered trends: new AP reporting on teenagers’ deep mistrust of the news media, and the growing wave of GOP retirements following Marjorie Taylor Greene’s decision to leave Congress — including what that says about Trump’s “lame duck” status on Capitol Hill.
We close with listener Q&A on PowerPoint and slide design: how to stop inflicting text-heavy decks on audiences and start using visuals that actually reinforce your message.
If you’re listening on Podbean or any podcast app, please follow, rate and review — it genuinely helps more people find the show.

Filtered: Surveillance, Brexit & E-Bikes: How Power Dodges Blame (and Why Trump’s DJT Stock Is Crashing)

In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we analyze a week of extraordinary political turbulence and public money waste. From LSU paying Brian Kelly $54 million not to coach, to Speaker Mike Johnson admitting he’s overwhelmed and not really in control, to Scott Bessent’s inflation denial, JD Vance’s fading 2028 prospects, Trump’s Russia-friendly Ukraine proposal, and a presidential Thanksgiving meltdown filled with slurs and misinformation.
A full breakdown of accountability, leadership, and the direction of American democracy.

Filtered: College Millions, MAGA Chaos & a President Unhinged

This Thanksgiving, Filtered with TJ Walker steps back from the daily news cycle for a data-driven reality check on the state of the world.
TJ tackles the negativity bias, our tendency to focus on dramatic, recent bad news, and contrasts it with long-term global trends that rarely make headlines. Using data from major international sources, he walks through four massive improvements since 1962:

The collapse of extreme poverty worldwide
A huge jump in life expectancy and a plunge in child mortality
A global surge in literacy and education, especially for girls
A long-term decline in violent deaths from war and homicide

In the final segment, TJ reflects personally on how his own life has exceeded anything his teenage self in 1979 could have imagined: on-demand media, global information access, smartphones, ride-hailing, and the ability to broadcast and teach to millions from a laptop.
If you want less doomscrolling and more perspective, this episode explains why, by most historical measures, there has never been a better time to be alive, while still recognizing the work left to do.

Filtered: Why the World Is Better Than Ever (Thanksgiving Reality Check)

This special Thanksgiving-week episode of Filtered with TJ Walker covers five big stories through the lens of data, incentives, and communication, rather than partisan spin.
Topics covered:

Thanksgiving Sticker Shock & Inflation Reality Check
Why this year’s Thanksgiving grocery bill is the most expensive ever, what’s really driving the spike in turkey and food prices, and how the Trump administration’s “prices are coming down” narrative stacks up against the actual inflation numbers in the U.S. and other advanced economies.
AI “Singers” Quietly Taking Over the Charts
AI-created “artists” like Solomon Ray, Xania/Xenia Monet, Breaking Rust, and Kane Walker are now topping Christian, country, and R&B charts. We explore what this means for working musicians, why labels love it, and how quickly streaming platforms could be flooded with AI-only music.
McConnell vs. Trump: GOP Civil War Over Ukraine & Russia
Mitch McConnell publicly warns that Putin is “playing Trump for a fool,” blasts Trump’s peace plan as rewarding Russian aggression, and urges Trump to fire advisers who are “appeasing Putin.” Meanwhile, Marco Rubio admits the team has been working off Russia’s own talking points.
Trump’s Quiet March Toward State-Run Capitalism
The Trump administration has committed over $10 billion in taxpayer money for ownership stakes or options in companies like Intel, MP Materials, Lithium Americas, Trilogy Metals, Vulcan Elements, Westinghouse, and even a golden share in U.S. Steel. We unpack why this looks less like free-market conservatism and more like creeping state ownership plus cronyism.
Ten Longevity Habits from Real Centenarians (No Gym Required)
After five years of studying centenarians and long-life cultures, one author’s findings are surprisingly simple: constant light movement, modest whole-food eating, deep social ties, a sense of purpose, accepting aging instead of fighting it, prioritizing sleep, managing stress, cultivating small daily joys, staying optimistic and grateful, and living ordinary lives with extraordinary consistency.

Plus: Trainer Q&A
How can trainers make sure key messages are actually remembered and acted upon? TJ explains a simple test every trainer should use at the end of every session.

Filtered: Thanksgiving Inflation Shock, AI Fake Singers, GOP Putin Rift & Trump’s Creeping Socialism

This episode of Filtered with TJ Walker takes you through four sharp stories about law, branding, and political theater.

A federal judge tosses the Trump administration’s case against James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after ruling the supposed prosecutor was never properly appointed. TJ explains how this became a “comedy of errors” and a serious abuse of power.
Campbell’s Soup faces a reputational mess after an IT vice president is recorded calling its products “s, for poor people, and insulting coworkers. What does effective crisis communication look like here?
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatens Senator Mark Kelly with sedition for reminding troops they must refuse illegal orders, reviving the specter of the Nuremberg defense.
ShamWow infomercial star Vince Shlomi runs for Congress in Texas to “destroy wokeism,” while the real crackdown on speech is coming from the right.

Smart, centrist analysis with practical media-literacy lessons in every segment.

Filtered: Comey Humiliated, Campbell’s Exposed, and the ShamWow Candidate

Americans say they need more money to feel secure, but fresh polling shows the real frustration is about how we save and spend, not just how much we make. In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we unpack the gap between income and happiness, from everyday coffee victories to long-term financial freedom.
Then we widen the lens:

Kids & social media bans, Malaysia, Australia, Denmark, and Norway move toward under-16 bans as research mounts on smartphone-driven anxiety and depression.
Trump’s “DOGE” department – The Department of Government Efficiency quietly disappears while the deficit soars and drug prices remain protected.
Rand Paul vs. Trump on Venezuela – Why strikes and quasi-war powers could splinter Trump’s anti-war base.
Kash Patel & FBI abuse of perks – SWAT teams and government jets allegedly used to protect his girlfriend, and what that reveals about power and hypocrisy.

TJ ties all of this back to one core question: Are we structuring our money, politics, and tech in ways that make us freer, or just more miserable?
Topics covered:

Money, happiness and why saving matters more than we admit
Social media, teen mental health, and Jonathan Haidt’s warnings
Government “efficiency” theater vs. real spending cuts
War powers, Venezuela, and Rand Paul’s libertarian alarm
Kash Patel’s ethics scandal at the FBI
Using your money and career to buy independence, not more stress

Subscribe for more unfiltered analysis on money, media, and power.
You can also watch the video version on YouTube: Filtered with TJ Walker.

Filtered: Are We Spending Ourselves Miserable? Money, Kids & Trump’s Fake “Efficiency”

New York’s elites were supposed to be running for the exits under democratic socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani. Instead, luxury rents are soaring, and the billionaires are staying put. At the same time, Mexico has quietly become the top buyer of U.S. goods, reshaping “America First” economics while China slips back.
In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we look at the day’s top business, tech, and culture stories through the lens of communication and power:
New York City & Mamdani: Why the “rich exodus” was mostly right-wing fairy tale plus realtor gossip, and what the numbers actually show.
Mexico’s rise: How Mexico overtook China as America’s top customer, what that says about supply chains, and why most voters never hear the real story.
Democracy innovation: Inside the German-speaking corner of Belgium where ordinary citizens are drafted by lottery to write real laws – and why that model is spreading.
Trump, AI & MAGA: How Trump’s embrace of Silicon Valley AI barons is pushing him out of step with his own base on jobs, kids’ safety and state power.
Pardons & corruption: A nursing-home magnate steals tens of millions, does three months, pays nearly $1 million to scandal-plagued lobbyists – and walks away with a full Trump pardon, as the president cashes in on crypto and foreign perks.
Grab bag: AOC’s growing political machine and 2028 ambitions, a “golden age of travel” dress-code crusade, and the right-wing media war over Epstein, Nick Fuentes, and who owns MAGA after Trump.
Communication Q&A: How long should you really prepare for a big speech – and what matters more than your slide deck?
🔔 Support the show:
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Filtered: Rich Aren’t Fleeing NYC, Mexico’s Trade Flex & Trump’s New Corruption Storm

Today on Filtered with TJ Walker, we follow the money and the power:

Warner Bros Discovery in play – Paramount, Comcast and Netflix line up with bids that could reshape Hollywood, streaming, and cable all at once.
The right-wing YouTube economy – Conservative podcasters and influencers turn “vote with your wallet” into a powerful ad machine, building a parallel media-commerce ecosystem.
AI in the recording studio – AI-generated tracks are now charting and signing major deals. What does that mean for working musicians and the future of creativity?
The A.I. boom vs. everyone else – Data centers, chips and utilities boom while much of the broader economy slows. How fragile is this model?
Eli Lilly’s $1 trillion moment – GLP-1 “skinny shots” dominate revenue and profit as questions about pricing, access and long-term consequences grow louder.
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation – A symbol of what happens when a MAGA icon stops toeing the Trump line.
Trump & Zohran Mamdani – A democratic socialist mayor-elect and a populist president find common ground in the Oval Office. What does that signal for cities, markets and movements?

Listen in for forward-looking analysis on media consolidation, AI, pharma power, and the evolving Trump era – all through the lens of how narratives are sold to you every day.

Filtered: Billionaires, Bots & Skinny Shots: Who’s Really Running Things?

Americans keep being told we’re hopelessly divided. The data says otherwise. In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we begin with a massive Gallup democracy survey, which shows that Americans are surprisingly united on several key issues: rejecting political violence, supporting leaders' willingness to compromise, embracing free speech, and even embracing multiculturalism. The “civil war” may be more of a media storyline than a public reality.
Then we turn to Fox News’ own polling, which delivers brutal news for Donald Trump: voters overwhelmingly say the economy is bad and they blame Trump more than Biden, even on grocery prices.
Next, we break down Trump’s latest social media outburst, accusing Democratic lawmakers of “sedition, punishable by death,” and the rare moment when top Republicans publicly say, “I don’t agree with that.” Is his grip finally slipping?
We cleanse the palate with New York’s first “aroma ad” in the Grand Central subway, where vanilla-pine holiday scent replaces the usual underground stench.
Finally, we look at Rupert Murdoch’s California Post, a West Coast spin-off of the New York Post, and ask if this is real innovation or just another Murdoch misfire in a state where the New York Times has quietly become the dominant “local” paper.
In the grab bag, we cover powerful new research showing midlife exercise can cut dementia risk by up to 45 percent, and a growing wave of congressional Republicans who are, very cautiously, planning for a post-Trump future.
If you care about democracy, media power, your wallet, and your brain, this one’s for you.

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