Meta's $17 Billion Settlement and Flock Cameras

Meta's $17 Billion Settlement and Flock Cameras

Author: Sarah & Beth September 1, 2026 Duration: 1:11:37
Meta just settled with 47 states for roughly $17 billion over claims it built a product designed to addict teenagers, and Flock cameras are facing a backlash that runs from Lexington's city council all the way to Capitol Hill. Sarah and Beth connect the two stories: both are about building first and asking permission basically never. They dig into whether this is big tech's big tobacco moment, why the product changes in the settlement should probably apply to adults too, what a national license plate database actually does to civil liberties, and where the two of them land very differently on traffic cameras. Underneath it all is Beth's argument that we are increasingly being asked to live in excerpts, and Sarah's that we are chasing a zero-risk society that does not exist. Then Outside of Politics, they come home from Minneapolis with a joy hangover from the first-ever Spice Conference and talk about what four hundred people in one room says about the community they've built. Still Listening is coming — a pop-up book club built around our first book, with free discussion guides and a big online session with Sarah and Beth. Sign up to participate here: https://forms.gle/FnSiAH9uD9GSX4g38 Support the show and get access to News Briefs, Spicy Live bonus episodes, and community: https://pantsuitpolitics.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a media landscape often defined by shouting matches and partisan trenches, Pantsuit Politics offers a different kind of conversation. Hosts Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, two friends from Kentucky, built this independent podcast on a simple but radical premise: you can discuss the news and culture of the day with both conviction and genuine curiosity. What you’ll hear here isn’t debate for its own sake, but a sustained effort to understand the complexities behind the headlines. Sarah and Beth approach each topic with a blend of thorough research and personal reflection, modeling how to engage with difficult subjects without surrendering to outrage or anxiety. Their dialogue proves that thoughtful disagreement and common ground aren't mutually exclusive. This podcast provides a consistent, calming space for listeners who feel exhausted by the usual political noise but still want to stay meaningfully informed. New episodes arrive every Tuesday and Friday, offering regular check-ins that prioritize nuance over kneejerk reactions. It’s the kind of compelling listening that doesn’t just analyze the world, but quietly suggests a better way to talk about it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Pantsuit Politics
Podcast Episodes
Democratic Socialists Are Winning. Now What? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:47
Beth is still on vacation, so Sarah drafted a guest co-host she's been married to for 23 years. Sarah and Nicholas run through the headlines — Iran's "low-key" chess game, the cost of absolutely everything, and the Flock…
My Hometown Is Getting a $100 Billion Data Center [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:34
The breaking news in Sarah's hometown is the breaking news everywhere: Paducah, Kentucky is getting a $100 billion data center. Sarah is joined by Lacey Bowling, head of Paducah Cooperative Ministries, to talk about what…
Talking Ourselves Into Gavin Newsom? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:28
Beth is out for two more weeks, so I've got a guest host: Laura Tremaine, my co-host over at Slow Read. We start in California, where Laura has lived for 25 years, and get honest about Gavin Newsom — the trolling, Prop 5…
Trust But Verify: Teen Driving with Dr. Charlie Klauer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:52
Teen driving is the leading cause of death among adolescents — and most of us are completely winging it when we hand over the keys. Dr. Charlie Klauer is a Research Scientist and Associate Professor of Industrial and Sys…
Inside the Organ Donation System with NYT's Brian Rosenthal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:51
It's easy to check the organ donor box on your driver's license without thinking too much about how organs are treated and routed to people who need them. NYT investigative reporter Brian Rosenthal thoroughly examined th…
What Kids Actually Need When the News is Scary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
Kids who are anxious about the news might not need to hear less — they might need to know more. Tracy Kaplan, creator of The 10 News (a podcast for kids and families ages 8-12), has spent six years helping kids make sens…
Vinok Libraries: Bringing Books to Ukraine's Children [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:21
One of the hardest parts of paying attention to international news is wondering: what can I, one person, do about this? Today's guest, Gwyn Ridenhour, asked herself that question and answered in an extraordinary way. She…
Building Cities (and Lives) Kids Can Actually Move Through [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
While Sarah's on summer break, Beth talks with writer and urban planner Angie Schmitt about giving yourself permission to feel lighter about the news this summer, then digs into what's gone wrong with how American cities…
What Elected Officials Owe Us with Lauren Pinkston [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:20
Beth sits down with Lauren Pinkston, an independent candidate for governor of Tennessee, on the same day Governor Beshear sent Senator Mitch McConnell a letter asking about his month-long hospitalization. They use that s…