TikTok’s podcast boom might be a bust

This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more. The common wisdom goes that video is the key to podcast discovery: you take the juiciest clips from your show, hope one goes viral every now and then on TikTok, and then that wider (and younger) audience becomes your new listeners. … Read more

6 potential Cinderella stars who could bust your 2024 March Madness bracket, from Keisei Tominaga to Shahada Wells

Cinderella stories come in all shapes and sizes. The 2023 NCAA Tournament had just about all of them. From a 16-seed knocking off a 1-seed to a 15-seed reaching the Sweet 16 and a 9-seed reaching the Final Four, there were some unforgettable moments from players and programs few had any familiarity with entering March. … Read more

Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack: BlackCat Hackers Quickly Returned After FBI Bust

Six days before Christmas, the US Department of Justice loudly announced a win in the ongoing fight against the scourge of ransomware: An FBI-led, international operation had targeted the notorious hacking group known as BlackCat or AlphV, releasing decryption keys to foil its ransom attempts against hundreds of victims and seizing the dark web sites … Read more

Apple, Samsung expose Microsoft’s real AI challenge (Hint: It rhymes with bust)

olm26250/Getty Images We’re all wandering through the world searching for something to rely on. Someone, too. People and things let us down and so often it’s the people who made the things inciting most of the disappointment. Also: Microsoft accidentally revealed why people don’t trust tech companies So we’re touchingly committed when we find people … Read more

CES 2024 or bust, Superpedestrian e-scooters hit the auction block and Fisker struggles to meet sales goals

The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free. Hey-o! Howdy readers and welcome back to The Station, your weekly newsletter on all things transportation. I hope you enjoyed the New Year! I appreciated a … Read more

Kodak Black’s Attorney Says Rapper Didn’t Have Cocaine During Drug Bust

Kodak Black’s attorney says the rapper’s arrest for cocaine possession is a case of mistaken identity … at least when it comes to the drugs cops allegedly found on him. Bradford Cohen, Kodak’s lawyer, just reacted to his client’s most recent arrest in Florida, saying … “In this latest case, my belief is that the … Read more

Can China’s Baby Bust Be Reversed? Don’t Count On It

In late October, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the National Women’s Congress that “We should actively foster a new type of marriage and childbearing culture.” Such a statement is rich coming from a man, especially one who leads a party that for decades actively and sometimes brutally enforced family planning policies. It is also delusional: … Read more

Tiffany Haddish Could Be Restricted From Using Drugs and Alcohol After DUI Bust

Tiffany Haddish needs to be barred from consuming drugs and alcohol after her latest DUI arrest in California … at least that’s what prosecutors want in Georgia, where she also has a DUI case. According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, state prosecutors in Georgia want a court there to modify the bond conditions … Read more

Brazilian police bust international drug mule ring in Sao Paulo

Police in Sao Paulo have discovered what appeared to be a drug mule ring in the western part of the city ByThe Associated Press November 23, 2023, 4:10 PM RIO DE JANEIRO — Police in Sao Paulo on Thursday detained more than 30 individuals belonging to what appeared to be a drug mule ring in … Read more

Microsoft, Amazon Help India’s CBI Bust Call Center Frauds

Image: fongbeerredhot (Shutterstock) Calling up an IT department for help can be a frustrating experience—the only thing more frustrating is getting scammed out of money. Microsoft, Amazon, and Indian law enforcement identified a potential fraud ring with a ton of tech confiscated during searches in the country. Top 5 Shopping Tips for Amazon Prime Day … Read more