Children's educator and YouTube star Ms Rachel has used her social media to advocate for the safety of children all over the world - but when she used her platform to call attention to the plight of children in Palestine, she was accused of being paid by Hamas. This week, Brittany is joined by Defector managing editor Samer Kalaf and The Guardian's data editor Mona Chalabi to unpack why it's suddenly so controversial to advocate for kids.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Online discourse has become a fun part of enjoying and dissecting big pop culture events. But after seeing all the commentary around Ryan Coogler's Sinners - one of the biggest cultural juggernauts of the year - Brittany has one question: are we in a media literacy crisis? Difference of opinion is one thing, but it feels like some viewers are missing important clues or misreading the film entirely - and it doesn't stop with Sinners. To help work through this, Pop Culture Happy Hour's Aisha Harris and Code Switch's B.A. Parker join the show to figure out what this could mean for the way we engage with the world at large.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's been seven years since the Supreme Court legalized sports betting outside of Nevada. For some, it's a hobby that spices up a game, but for others it's become a side hustle or investing strategy. And in a time where 60% of U.S. households don't earn enough to afford basic costs of living... that can be a problem.This... is Money Troubles. And for the next few weeks, we're looking into the ways everyday people are trying to make ends meet... and what it says about how our culture views labor, basic needs, or even our favorite pastimes.Today on the show, writer Manny Fidel and journalist Danny Funt join Brittany to get into how sports betting is changing the way we watch sports, and what that means for the love of the game.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The highly anticipated federal trial against Sean "Diddy" Combs has begun. The hip-hop mogul is facing charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, and could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. So why is his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, telling the court they're going to "take the position that there was mutual violence" in his relationship with the singer Cassie Ventura?Brittany is joined by author Beverly Gooden and Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson to discuss why "mutual abuse" can often come up in celebrity trials and why the concept itself is inherently flawed.Listen to Brittany's past coverage of Diddy by clicking here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Should AI give you a voice? Even when you've been murdered?An AI avatar of a murder victim addressed his killer in court last week, and it may have been the first admittance of an AI-generated victim impact statement in a US court. Chris Pelkey, who was shot in a road rage incident in 2021, was recreated in a video made by his sister to offer forgiveness to his killer. This could mark the start of a new relationship between AI and the law, but will it change the relationship between us and the law? And what are the broader impacts we might see on our culture? Brittany sits down with NPR digital news reporter Juliana Kim and Brandon Blankenship, assistant professor and director of the pre-law program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, to find out.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Concert tickets are more expensive than ever, and according to Live Nation, 2023 was the biggest year ever for concert turnout and ticket sales. So why are indie artists turning to OnlyFans to pay the bills? This is PART ONE of our new series, Money Troubles. And for the next few weeks, we're looking into the ways everyday people are trying to make ends meet... and what it says about how our culture views labor, basic needs, and even our favorite pastimes. In this episode, Brittany sits down with NPR culture reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento to get into the economic factors driving musicians to digital sex work and what that says about the music industry's dwindling middle class.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The leftward shift of Gen Z women is one of the most dramatic political trends happening right now. Polling data from Gallup found that 40% of young women aged 18-29 self-describe as liberal compared to 28% of the same demographic at the beginning of the century. So what's causing a new generation of young women to move to the left?Brittany is joined by founder of the Up and Up Newsletter, Rachel Janfaza, and New York Times reporter, Claire Cain Miller. Together they discuss what we should make of the growing political gender gap between young men and young women.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration wants their recent tariffs to function as incentives for Americans to produce more of our own goods in our own factories. And one poll shows that 80% of us say the country would be better off if more Americans worked in manufacturing. But why do people on both sides of the aisle want these jobs back so much? What have we lost culturally with the loss of factory jobs that we want to bring back? And ultimately - how does the fantasy of bringing more factory jobs back stack up against the reality of how American manufacturing works today? Brittany is joined by Vox senior correspondent Dylan Matthews and Montclair State University associate professor Jeffrey Gonzalez to find out.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

They did THAT. The biggest designers and celebrities showed up at the 2025 Met Gala, everyone from Rihanna to Madonna. And in this special bonus episode, Brittany and her guests break down the best and worst looks of the night.Culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith, Editor-In-Chief Antoine Griffith, and Brittany award the highs and lows of the night to Teyana Taylor, Rosalia, Colman Domingo, Miley Cyrus, Diana Ross, and more. Who was on top, and who was on the bottom of the list?Editor's Note: After this episode published, a representative of Henry Taylor, who collaborated with Pharrell Williams on the outfit worn by Lisa Manobal to the 2025 Met Gala, said in a statement to Vulture that none of the images of the women on the outfit were of civil rights icon Rosa Parks.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's the first Monday in May. AKA it's time for the annual Met Gala. Or as some call it, "fashion's biggest night." Celebrities will walk the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art hoping their looks live up to the annual theme of the gala. This year's theme is a special one. It's called "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," and it's the very first Black fashion tradition to be selected for the theme of the Costume Institute's fundraiser. Brittany and her guests, culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith and editor-in-chief of Black Fashion Fair Antoine Gregory, discuss how celebrities can be sure to be on theme and how the theme is rooted in the very first fashion statements made by enslaved people.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Have you been feeling a little Conclave-pilled lately? Well, you're not alone. In the aftermath of of Pope Francis' passing, the world is buzzing at the eligible bachelors who could lead the Catholic Church. So what should we expect for the real-life Conclave? And why does it matter even if you're not Catholic?Brittany is joined by Jason DeRose, NPR's Religion Correspondent, Antonia Cereijido, host of the LAist's Imperfect Paradise podcast. Together they discuss how the Conclave works and what impact Pope Francis' legacy will have on the direction of a church with over 1.4 billion followers worldwide.Follow Brittany on socials @bmluseLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Pencil skirt. Kitten heels. Tiny glasses. And a little dark edge. These are just some of the elements of one of the most enduring fashion trends of the past couple of years: the office siren. But we're not just seeing this twist on office norms in fashion: we're also seeing it in TV shows like Severance and Industry, and with musicians like The Dare and FKA Twigs. So what are people expressing by reimagining office fashions? Brittany is joined by NPR's Life Kit producer Margaret Cirino to discuss the "freakification" of office wear — its long lineage in fashion, and what office tensions this trend is speaking to right now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy