Episode 201: Automation, Male Baldness, and Paula White

Past Present

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the anxiety over automation, new treatments for male baldness, and the controversial Trump spiritual advisor Paula White.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Automation and its effect on American jobs was a core theme at this month’s Democratic debate. Natalia referred to Rick Wartzman’s book The End of Loyalty: The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs in America, excerpted in POLITICO. Natalia also referenced this timeline chronicling fears of automation, at
• A raft of new products has emerged to fight an old problem: baldness. Natalia recommended Danielle Friedman’s InStyle article about the rebranding of baldness remedies by the wellness industry.
• Trump spiritual advisor Paula White has written a new book, endorsed by several evangelical leaders who once distanced themselves from her. Niki drew on Kelsey McKinney’s Buzzfeed article about televangelist Jim Bakker. In Episode 24, we discussed “Trump’s Evangelicals.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended a podcast on which she appears at a comedy club, “Nevertheless, She Existed.”
• Neil discussed Joseph Berger’s New York Times article, “How Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy.”
• Niki shared Austin Grossman’s Atlantic article, “Monocles Were Never Cool.”