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The dark side of modern therapy culture | The Gray Area - September 28, 2026 - Vox

We were told that airing our personal trauma in public would set us free. Instead, we got “the trauma script,” celebrity branding, and performative empathy.

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In today's episode, guest host Christine Emba talks with cultural theorist and professor Catherine Liu, author of "Traumatized: The New Politics of Public Suffering." In this scathing book, Catherine argues that our modern obsession with the "trauma script" isn't a radical act of liberation, but rather a distraction from widening economic inequality. They discuss why identity pluralism has eclipsed class struggle, how public therapy speak undermines democratic debate, and why we must move away from commodified self-absorption to focus on collective political and economic change.

00:00 Intro

01:32 Origins of the trauma script

04:22 Class struggle vs individual suffering

12:18 Identity pluralism and the politics of public suffering

16:45 Public confessions and the trauma brand

24:27 From consciousness-raising to the self-help industry

32:50 Reclaiming boundaries

Guest Host Christine Emba, columnist and author

Guest: Catherine Liu, author of Traumatized: The New Politics of Public Suffering

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The AI election | America, Actually - September 26, 2026 - Vox

A recent New York Times/Siena poll found that less than 1 percent of voters view artificial intelligence as a top priority this election cycle. But is that really the case? Will Lawrence, a progressive congressional candidate in Michigan, is betting his campaign on the opposite. The co-founder of the environmental group Sunrise Movement has pivoted from climate and housing activism to taking on Big Tech.

Vox’s Astead Herndon talks with Lawrence about how AI fits into the wider progressive movement, and whether panic over the rapidly advancing technology represents something deeper about who will ultimately control the future of the US economy.

00:00 Why AI panic is spreading

02:41 From activist to congressional candidate

04:47 Why AI became a campaign issue

05:53 The backlash against data centers

07:42 Should America hit pause on AI?

09:05 Is AI a bubble or a revolution?

10:13 The fight over AI surveillance

11:52 What happens if AI replaces jobs?

15:35 How the Progressive Movement changed

19:50 Why Trump won Michigan

20:29 Lawrence responds to controversial remarks

23:07 Can AI become a bipartisan issue?

23:49 Is AI really the crisis of our time?

26:16 Takeaways

America, Actually publishes video episodes every Saturday tackling key issues in politics, culture, and the economy. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel to get them. Listen to episodes of America, Actually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.

If you enjoy our reporting and want to learn more, sign up for Astead’s weekly newsletter, Midterms, Actually. Just go to www.vox.com/midtermsactually to learn more, and get in-depth analysis about this year’s election right to your inbox.

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The AI double squeeze: job loss and predatory debt | The Gray Area - September 25, 2026 - Vox

Inside the financial double squeeze of AI job loss.

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In today's episode, Vox senior reporter and producer Miles Bryan talks with writer Daniel Kolitz about his piece for The Baffler, "Paid Phones." Kolitz explains what it felt like to be among the first wave of workers displaced by generative AI. The two of them talked about how fintech payday loan apps use hidden fees and subscriptions to profit off of desperate borrowers, and how an online community on Reddit is organizing a quiet resistance against predatory lenders.

00:00 Intro

04:17 The golden age of SEO ghostwriting

09:39 The arrival of ChatGPT and job displacement

15:16 Entering the world of “friendly” cash advance apps

24:37 The Reddit ACH revocation community

31:59 The economic outlook of AI job loss

36:24 Climbing out of debt

Guest Host: Miles Bryan, Vox Senior Producer and Reporter

Guest: Daniel Kolitz, author of Paid Phones

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