There Are No Girls on the Internet

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, the Trump Administration and their collaborators are prosecuting a widespread crackdown on free expression. Karen Attiah has been a columnist at the Washington Post for 11 years, and was the last remaining Black columnist at the newspaper until last week. She was fired, allegedly for being insufficiently mournful over murdered racist Charlie Kirk, but at this point her firing seems less about what she actually said and more about sending a message: dissent will be punished.  But unlike some people (looking at you, Bezos), she has no intention of backing down or going quietly.  Read the letter sent to Karen from the Washington Post's HR chief, informing Karen that she was fired: https://bsky.app/profile/karenattiah.bsky.social/post/3lzbpq3tzck2o SUPPORT KAREN! FOLLOW HER SUBSTACK: https://karenattiah.substack.com/ SIGN UP FOR KAREN’S RESISTANCE SUMMER SCHOOL: https://www.resistancesummerschool.com/   If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories, or email us at hello@tangoti.com    Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!  ||  instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not gonna lie - it's been a rough week. The Trump administration has used Charlie Kirk's murder to crack down on dissent, shocking even their allies with their willingness to threaten critics and trample First Amendment values. But these authoritarians will fail. Bridget is joined by L. Joy Williams, president of the New York NAACP and host Sunday Civics on Sirius XM and wherever you get your podcasts, to recap the latest developments in our slide towards autocracy. Jimmy Kimmel was fired to protect a multi-billion dollar merger of two of the country's biggest broadcast networks: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/nexstar-jimmy-kimmel-suspension-fcc-pressure-1236523812/ Read Karen Attiah's Substack post about her firing from the Washington Post for repeating Charlie Kirk's own words: https://karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-washington-post-fired-me-but Listen to guest co-host L. Joy Williams' podcast Sunday Civics: https://www.sundaycivics.org/  Read the DOJ report about domestic terrorism that the Trump Administration tried to hide. It's surprisingly readable, and unequivocal about the most common perpetrators of domestic terrorism – the far right: https://terrorismresearch.uark.edu/new-nij-article-highlights-decades-worth-of-research-findings-from-the-trc/?ref=404media.co    Michigan lawmakers continue Republicans' assault on speech and war against trans people: https://www.them.us/story/michigan-total-porn-ban-trans-josh-schriver Some good news! Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have teamed up to co-sponsor a bill that would restore funding for suicide prevention among LBTQ+ youth: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2025/09/18/baldwin-introduces-bill-to-restore-988-crisis-line-for-lgbtq-youth/86201082007/ If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories, or email us at hello@tangoti.com Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media! || instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc || youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to our weekly news round up, where we dig into some of the tech stories you might have missed. This week, Bridget is joined by guest co-host Ashley Ray, host of Courier's smart podcast "TV I Say."   CBS just keeps caving harder and harder to appease the Trump administration. https://newrepublic.com/article/199889/kristi-noem-attack-cbs-kilmar-garcia-trump-scam    Creator of porn site "Girls Do Porn" sentenced to 27 years for sex trafficking. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/09/girlsdoporn-founder-27-year-prison-sentence-sex-trafficking    5,000 Podcasts. 3,000 Episodes a Week. $1 Cost Per Episode — Behind an AI Start Up’s Plan: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ai-podcast-start-up-plan-shows-1236361367/    If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories, or email us at hello@tangoti.com    Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!  ||  instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlie Kirk built his career by debating students and spreading rhetoric that was too often dismissed as “spirited debate.”  Now, in the wake of his death, politicians and media outlets are rushing to rewrite his legacy. In this episode, Bridget digs into what Kirk really stood for, why his words mattered, and why violence doesn’t erase bigotry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week in Wired, Taylor Lorenz published an exposé on Chorus, a new force in Democratic politics that is funding Democratic influencers. Her piece has sparked major controversy among political influencers and their observers online.   In this episode, Bridget breaks down what the article reveals (and what it leaves out), and explores what this fight says about money, power, and trust in American democracy. Read the full piece here: https://www.wired.com/story/dark-money-group-secret-funding-democrat-influencers/ If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories, or email us at hello@tangoti.com   Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!  ||  instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's edition, Bridget runs through the news with Producer Mike. Tech companies saying, "Our policies prohibit the harm that is rampant on our platform!" is the theme of today's episode. AI deepfake comic: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/aaaah Meta creates flirty celebrity chatbots without permission, calls it "parody," trains them to talk to children romantically. https://www.reuters.com/business/meta-created-flirty-chatbots-taylor-swift-other-celebrities-without-permission-2025-08-29/ Age verification on adult sites is putting queer adult industry workers at risk, and pushing everyone to sketchier corners of the Internet. https://19thnews.org/2025/09/age-verification-queer-adult-industry-workers/ A Shein merchant used Luigi Mangione’s AI-Generated Face to Sell a Shirt. https://www.404media.co/shein-luigi-mangione-ai-generated-listing-shirt/ Sad abortion news: Texas bans abortion pills from being mailed to anyone in the state. https://19thnews.org/2025/09/texas-abortion-pill-ban/ Positive abortion news: Illinois mandates access for university students. https://msmagazine.com/2025/09/02/chicago-illinois-abortion-pills-birth-control-contraception-college-university-health-center-students/ . Child sex abuse victim begs Elon and X to take down photos of her abuse. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq587wv4d5go If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories (Bridget reads every Spotify comment personally)  or email us at hello@tangoti.com !  Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!  ||  instagram.com/@bridgetmarieindc  || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc  ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rightwing media often spread the myth that trans people are violent or dangerous — a false narrative with zero evidence. These “trans terror” stories persist online and in the news, fueling real-world harm against the trans community. In this episode, Bridget and producer Joey Patt unpack the origins of these myths, explain why they stick, and show how the false idea of “trans terror” makes everyone less safe.   A Trans Pilot Was Falsely Blamed for a Plane Crash. Now She’s Fighting the Right-Wing Disinfo Machine: https://www.wired.com/story/a-trans-pilot-was-falsely-blamed-for-a-plane-crash-now-shes-fighting-the-right-wing-disinfo-machine/   If you’re listening on Spotify, leave us a comment there! (Bridget personally reads them all!) or email us at hello@tangoti.com   Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media  ||  instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this week's News Roundup, Bridget is joined by her longtime friend and colleague Nima Shirazi, co-host of the OG podcast "Citations Needed" about how media shapes power. TikTok Shop Sells Viral GPS Trackers Marketed to Stalkers: https://www.404media.co/tiktok-shop-sells-viral-gps-trackers-marketed-to-stalkers/ ICE Is Using Taylor Swift’s Loophole To Hide Deportation Flights: https://archive.ph/dPDqw#selection-701.0-704.0 Grand jury declines to indict man who threw a sandwich at federal officer in D.C.: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/grand-jury-declines-indict-sandwich-guy-threw-sub-dc-federal-officer-rcna227464 Microsoft Asked FBI for Help Tracking Employee Protests over Palestine: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-asked-fbi-help-tracking-204559938.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALE2eGyVYVuUQ7Iw3XlXK-4gRnbqSdJzXZ25_u0zYLgHcdvssTEXHrj7bNMZM_tlZtpkHkqfKXtoYpqHRsbODfjex4rE0acMyK2n76_-apXRlkREXs1EVL_Dtuxy_HLmIzt0xg-1YLaphFhSffgLJNE-ckWGgjWYy6Dk9NtkGR6c Protesters occupy Microsoft office as company reviews its work with Israel's military: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/27/nx-s1-5518786/microsoft-protesters-office-israel Will Smith tour video criticized for featuring a ‘fake AI crowd’: https://www.the-independent.com/bulletin/culture/will-smith-ai-tour-video-concert-b2813880.html Put on some headphones, listen to all 13 minutes of "Do You Feel Like We Do", and try to remember the last time you felt as excited as the people in the audience: https://open.spotify.com/track/0qqRwBkq7oWv6QnIRLfQKe?si=354474b5d03a4b67 Buy a copy of the important new book "The Podcast Pantheon: 101 Podcasts That Changed How We Listen–From Wtf to Serial." Nima is in there! https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781797232249  Support Citations Needed on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/citationsneededpodcast Listen to Citations Needed: https://citationsneeded.libsyn.com/ Save Our Signs: https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4VKNSNsfJuIVOIu If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories, or email us at hello@tangoti.com ! Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media! Many vids each week ||  instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anil Dash, a pioneering voice in tech, discusses the stark contrast between the early, vibrant internet and today’s corporate-dominated landscape. He reflects on the communal spirit of the late 90s and early 2000s, lamenting how it has been overshadowed by billionaire interests. Dash emphasizes the need for a return to a more inclusive and human-centered online space. He encourages the empowerment of individuals through creative projects and open technologies, advocating for a future filled with fun, compassion, and genuine connection.

Bridget is joined in this week's news roundup by tech journalist Dexter Thomas, prolific writer, videographer, and host of the excellent podcast "Kill Switch". Dex recently wrote a piece in Wired about anime girl VTubers selling out concerts, and how the question of whether they're "real" depends on kayfabe and who you ask: https://www.wired.com/story/anime-girl-vtubers-are-selling-out-concerts-but-are-they-real-depends-on-who-you-ask/  In addition to listening to Kill Sitch, you can follow him on YouTube and social media at "D E X D I G I". DC Disinfo.  Real Footage Combined With AI Slop About DC Is Creating a Disinformation Mess on TikTok: https://www.404media.co/real-footage-combined-with-a-ai-slop-about-dc-is-creating-a-disinformation-mess-on-tiktok/ The Tea App story gets worse. Turns out that weren't just sloppy, they were actively undermining other efforts to keep women safe.  https://www.404media.co/how-teas-founder-convinced-millions-of-women-to-spill-their-secrets-then-exposed-them-to-the-world/ Meta’s flirty AI chatbot invited a vulnerable retiree to New York. He never came back. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/meta-ai-chatbot-death/ If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories, or email us at hello@tangoti.com ! Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media! Many vids each week ||  instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.