Words & Numbers
Words & Numbers
Free the People
Episode 491: Redistrict This!
41 minutes Posted Jan 22, 2026 at 12:00 pm.
Introduction and Overview
Fixing a Computer with AI Assistance
Listener Calendar Story and Patreon Banter
AI, Deepfake Porn, and Image Ownership
Grok and AI Image Manipulation
AI Guardrails
Foolishness of the Week: Smithsonian and Trump’s Impeachments
Trump, Impeachment, and Historical Legacy
Does Trump Care About His Legacy?
Midterm Elections and House Control
Gerrymandering, Courts, and State Power
Urban vs Rural Political Divide
Redistricting, Census Rules, and Immigration
Census Overreach and Bad Data
Political Representation and Imperfect Systems
Why America Still Attracts Immigrants
Peaceful Transfers of Power and January 6
Election Denial and Institutional Trust
Political Extremism and Rising Violence
Protests, Policing, and Fear of Government
Midterms, Election Fallout, and Political Violence
Economic Anxiety and Political Anger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Show notes
In this episode, we discuss how artificial intelligence is increasingly blurring the line between assistance and deception, from using AI tools to troubleshoot everyday problems to the growing risks of deepfake images and AI-generated pornography. We examine questions of name, image, and likeness as property, the limits of regulation, and whether government enforcement can realistically keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. We also dive into the foolishness of the week involving the Smithsonian and renewed debates over Trump’s impeachments, before turning to broader political questions about gerrymandering, census data, immigration, and representation. The conversation closes with a look at election denial, political extremism, rising distrust in institutions, and how economic anxiety continues to fuel anger and division across American society.
38:54 Economic Anxiety and Political Anger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices