Jimmy Donaldson — AKA "MrBeast" — has taken YouTube by storm, racking up more than 330 million subscribers with his cleverly edited videos of stunts ranging from performative philanthropy to Fear Factor-esque challenges. Ryan Broderick, creator of the Garbage Day newsletter and host of the podcast Panic World, tells Ben and Amory about the awkward past, the controversial present, and the uncertain future of MrBeast.

Show notes:

• Panic World's MrBeast episode with Ben and Amory
• Garbage Day, the newsletter
• "In the Belly of MrBeast" (Time)
• "Willing to Die for MrBeast (and $5 Million)" (The New York Times)
• "From baking to MrBeast: Meet the YouTuber taking on the platform’s biggest creator" (NBC News)

The shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson captured the internet's attention last week. Then, a suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was arrested, and social media really went wild. Why, in a week of historic headlines from around the world, did this story captivate so many, so thoroughly?

Show notes:

Suspect in CEO’s Killing Had Discussed His Health Struggles on Reddit (The New York Times)

r/GetNoted (Reddit)

What Can We Learn From the C.E.O. Shooting Suspect’s Goodreads History? (The New York Times)

Credits: This episode was produced by Grace Tatter. Sivertson. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus. It was hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.

Anyone who has been a kid before knows that there are few joys in life like finding a really cool stick.

That is the basis of Official Stick Reviews, a viral account on Instagram that has amassed 2.5 million followers in just a year and a half.

But what is it about sticks that inspires this universal enthusiasm? In this episode, Amory and Ben join producer Frannie Monahan for a walk in the woods to look for answers, and some sticks of their own.

Show notes:

Official Stick Reviews (@officialstickreviews)

Sticks. And the People Who Love Them. (NYT)

Earliest Evidence of Wooden Construction Uncovered (Scientific American)

Credits: This episode was produced by Frannie Monahan. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus. It was hosted by Frannie Monahan, Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.