Filtered with TJ Walker

Filtered: ISIS Ambush in Syria, Brown Shooting, NRA Cash Crunch, Doug Jones Alabama Bid

Three Americans are killed in an ISIS-linked attack in Syria, prompting renewed scrutiny of U.S. presence and retaliation talk. A shooting at Brown University leaves two dead and eight critically injured, fueling a wider debate about guns in America. We also look at the NRA’s shrinking finances and insider culture, and Doug Jones’ bid for Alabama governor amid reminders of the Roy Moore scandal. Plus: a student Question of the Day on why milestones make big goals easier.

Filtered: Venezuela Tanker Seizure & Global Trade Risk, AI Order vs State Laws, Vietnam Surplus, Doge, ACA Subsidies

A fast-moving briefing on the global ripple effects of ship seizures, the latest federal-versus-state clash over artificial intelligence regulation, Vietnam’s record trade surplus with the United States despite tariffs, Elon Musk’s assessment of the “Department of Government Efficiency,” and the Senate’s deadlock on Affordable Care Act subsidies, putting premium increases on track.
Chapters00:00 Headlines / cold open01:14 Welcome and setup03:33 Ship seizure and the global trade precedent18:12 Break19:14 Executive order targeting state artificial intelligence laws30:02 Sponsor message30:20 Vietnam’s record surplus with the U.S. despite tariffs39:48 Musk on “Doge” and the limits of job-cutting programs49:09 Break50:09 Senate health-care deadlock and expiring subsidies01:05:31 Audience Q&A / live discussion01:09:01 Closing

Filtered: Disney x OpenAI Sora, Canada’s H-1B Play, Tourist Social Screening, and WaPo’s A.I. Podcast Problem

Disney is making a watershed A.I. move: a $1B investment in OpenAI and a deal to bring 200+ Disney/Pixar/Marvel/Star Wars characters into Sora-generated short videos, raising big questions about creator compensation, brand control, and whether legacy IP can crowd out new storytelling.
Then: Canada launches a major talent push, fast-tracking pathways for U.S. H-1B holders, while the U.S. rolls out a $1M “gold card” residency option, fueling debate over whether America is pricing out the next generation of innovators.
Also, A new U.S. proposal could require tourists from visa-waiver countries to submit 5 years of social media, plus extensive personal data, potentially chilling tourism and hitting travel-dependent states.
Finally, The Washington Post’s A.I.-generated personalized podcasts face credibility problems after reported errors, while A.I. video becomes a political weapon, highlighted by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s A.I. response clip to a viral White House post.
Sources referenced in this episode: The New York Times, Associated Press, Semafor, Mirror (US).
Subscribe for more media, tech, and politics, filtered with calm context.
Video Chapters:
00:00:18 – Opening / What’s ahead00:02:40 – Disney invests in OpenAI; Sora adds Disney characters00:14:31 – Canada recruits U.S. talent; U.S. “gold card” contrasts00:26:20 – U.S. tourist social-media screening proposal and fallout00:37:25 – WaPo A.I. podcasts controversy; A.I. politics accelerates00:53:52 – Closing takeaways
#TJWalker #Filtered #Disney #OpenAI #Sora #AIvideo #DisneyPlus #Canada #H1B #Immigration #GoldCard #Tourism #CBP #Privacy #WashingtonPost #AIPodcasts #GavinNewsom #MediaEthics #TechNews #Politics

Filtered: Anderson Cooper’s Power Play, Kids’ Brains on Social Media, AI Reality TV Fail, Ukraine Peace Risks

On this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we start with Anderson Cooper’s quiet power play at CNN, a new deal that cements him as the network’s most versatile and durable storytelling force, spanning nightly news, New Year’s Eve, long-form reporting, podcasts, and books. What can the rest of us learn from a legacy anchor who didn’t get left behind in the streaming and AI era?
We then unpack new research drawing a sharp line between ordinary screen time and social media, with platforms like TikTok and Snapchat strongly linked to rising inattention in children. TV and video games don’t show the same pattern. We explore what that means for parents, kids, schools, and regulators.
Next, we review Non-Player Combat, a 100% AI-generated reality show so glitchy, derivative, and emotionally flat that it becomes a case study in what happens when technology is used to replace creativity rather than empower it.
In the geopolitical segment, we examine a U.S.-drafted peace framework for Ukraine that pressures Kyiv to surrender a heavily fortified “Fortress Belt” line, potentially locking in Russian territorial gains and redefining Europe’s security architecture for years to come.
We close with U.S. politics: Democrat Eileen Higgins’ landslide win in Miami’s mayoral race and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval bump, fresh signs that anti-Trump sentiment is reshaping the landscape heading into the 2026 midterms.
Finally, in a listener Q&A, TJ answers what a communications expert and online creator actually does day-to-day, and how to build a resilient communication career in a world of AI, fragmented media, and constant political storms.
Approximate Audio Timecodes
00:00 – Opening & overview
02:00 – Anderson Cooper’s deal and media versatility
12:20 – Social media, ADHD, and kids’ attention
27:10 – AI reality TV as a cultural warning
35:55 – Ukraine’s peace dilemma and territorial concessions
49:30 – Miami, Newsom, and the anti-Trump backlash
58:00 – Q&A: What does a communications expert actually do?
Listen on: Podbean · Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · moreHost: TJ Walker - media, messaging, and public-speaking strategist

Filtered: Hollywood Power Grab, Smart Glasses & AI Deepfake Chaos

In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we examine four big fault lines where media, technology, and power are colliding:
The Battle for Warner Bros. DiscoveryParamount Skydance launches a hostile, Saudi- and Kushner-backed bid for WBD while Netflix pursues its own acquisition of the studio and HBO streaming assets. We explore why both deals worry Hollywood, one for corruption risk, the other for dangerous concentration of power. 
Google’s New Gemini Smart GlassesGoogle returns to the smart-glasses arena after the failure of Google Glass, aiming to compete with Meta’s Ray-Ban devices. We revisit why Glass failed, how Meta’s glasses are used today, and why public backlash—from bans to smashed glasses on the subway- shows the social contract around constant recording is not resolved. 
AI Deepfakes and the Information CrisisAI videos generated by tools like OpenAI’s Sora are going viral, including fake food-stamp interviews that stoke racism and policy outrage and even fooled Fox News. We discuss how poor labeling, platform incentives, and weaponized disinformation campaigns are eroding citizens’ ability to know what is real. 
Saudi Arabia’s Red Carpet and Rapid LiberalizationHollywood stars at the Red Sea Film Festival have been accused of helping whitewash an authoritarian regime. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has lifted a 35-year cinema ban, allowed women to drive, and opened up to concerts, festivals, and global pop culture. We explore whether engaging through culture and capitalism can push the region in a more liberal direction, even while serious human-rights abuses persist. 
Listen in for a nuanced, forward-looking take on how big money, AI, and geopolitics are reshaping what we watch, what we believe, and what kind of societies we live in.

Filtered | Football Rules TV: Meta Retreats, Job Market Confuses, Coaches Cash Out

The most-watched regular-season NFL game in history, a trillion-dollar tech giant quietly backing away from the metaverse, a job market that looks strong and shaky at the same time, college football coaches getting paid tens of millions to do nothing, and podcasts that may be crowding out your own thoughts.
In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we cover:
Meta’s Metaverse Retreat – After burning more than $70 billion on virtual reality, Meta is slashing its metaverse ambitions and pivoting hard to AI, smart glasses, and extended reality. What went wrong, and what does that say about tech hype?
Layoffs vs Jobless Claims – Over 1.1 million layoffs announced this year, yet weekly jobless claims remain near 3-year lows. Is this a hidden slowdown, an AI-fueled reshuffle, or both?
Football Owns the Screen – CBS’s Chiefs–Cowboys Thanksgiving game averaged 57+ million viewers and peaked above 61 million, becoming the most-watched regular-season NFL game ever. How did football become the last true mass-audience event in American life?
College Coaching Buyouts & Tax Dodges – Universities owe roughly $228 million in buyouts to 15 fired coaches this season alone, pushing total severance since 2012 over $1 billion, much of it subsidized by tax-deductible booster donations.
What Podcasts Do to Our Brains – Why nonstop listening isn’t really multitasking, how it drains cognitive resources, and how silence and simple walks restore the brain’s default mode network and your ability to think your own thoughts.
Listen in for a clear, no-nonsense breakdown of how money, media, sports, politics, and technology intersect, and what it means for your career, your wallet, and your attention.

Filtered: Affordability, Power & a President Unraveling: Trump Tariffs, Truth Social Meltdown & the Left’s Big Lesson

In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we look at how affordability, power, and presidential behavior collide, from Costco’s lawsuit over Trump tariffs to a late-night Truth Social meltdown and the surprising idea that progressives should learn from Trump’s brutal efficiency in using government power.
What we cover:
Costco vs. Trump’s Tariffs
Why Costco is suing over reciprocal and fentanyl tariffs
The December refund deadline could cost importers billions
Why tariffs are basically sales taxes on American consumers
Chanel’s Subway Runway in New York City
Turning an abandoned subway platform into a global fashion moment
Everyday commuters as inspiration instead of royalty
The communication lesson: do something different, or be ignored
Trump Calls Affordability a “Con Job”
From “affordability president” to calling affordability a fake narrative
Fact-checking inflation history vs. Trump’s claims
How mixed, muddled messaging is eroding his perceived economic strength
Trump’s Midnight Truth Social Binge & Midday Naps
Hundreds of posts in a night: Obama tribunals, Venezuela surrender, Canada conspiracies
Cameras catching the president nodding off in cabinet meetings
What constant social media use does to attention, judgment, and sleep
What the Left Can Learn from Trump’s Brutal Efficiency
Biden’s stalled chargers, green projects, and infrastructure vs. Trump’s fast (if harmful) actions
The left’s dilemma: loving government power for some things, fearing it for others
The “Robert Moses problem” and why Democrats can’t seem to build housing, transit, or clean energy
Personal Development: Daily Priorities & Deep Work
Why a single clear priority beats a 40-item to-do list
Guarding your 3–4 highest-energy hours each day
How sustained focus turns years of small steps into big outcomes
About the ShowFiltered with TJ Walker takes the top business, technology, economic, and culture stories of the day and filters them through the lens of communication skills and personal development, so you don’t just understand the news, you get better at navigating your own life and work because of it.

Filtered: Self-Driving Lives Saved, Social Media Tribes & Big Tech’s Media Bubble

Self-driving cars are now logging millions of fully driverless miles, and the data say they are dramatically safer than human drivers. So why are we still accepting more than 1.3 million road deaths a year worldwide? In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we unpack the numbers, the psychology, and the politics behind autonomous vehicles.
Then we turn to the new map of American life online: Pew Research’s latest survey on where different ages, races, classes, and political groups actually spend their time on social media, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, X, Threads, Truth Social, and more.
Next, we examine how Big Tech is building its own media bubble: venture firms, CEOs, and platforms creating friendly podcasts, in-house journals, and AI tools that promote flattering narratives while bypassing independent journalists.
We also look at a thorny workplace case: a worker fired over an ICE joke in an office where edgy banter was the norm. Is it legal? Probably. Is it fair? That’s more complicated, and we break down what it means for your own career communication strategy.
Finally, we dive into sleep and performance: what a bad night does to your brain, why five hours of sleep is like being mildly drunk, and the most effective research-backed ways to rescue your day after terrible sleep, without sabotaging the next night.
Segments
Self-driving cars as a public-health intervention
The real social media map of America (Pew data)
Big Tech’s “cheerleader media” and billionaire echo chambers
Fired for a joke: navigating fairness and risk at work
Rescuing your day after a bad night’s sleep
Listener Q&A: Keeping online audiences engaged