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Who holds AI companies accountable when they get to write the rules? Tech leaders say AI will solve the world’s most complex issues – cure diseases, enhance education, and take us into an era of abundance. Now, they’re sounding the alarm on the dangers of their own technology and positioning themselves as the safeguards while continuing to profit immensely. In this installment of Fragments of a Fragile Order, Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by show producer Aly Honoré to unpack AI companies’ bid for self-regulation, corporate accountability, and the cultish, unquestioning allegiance to artificial intelligence. From warnings about autonomous AI agents to a dangerous superintelligence, this episode examines how the AI industry has created unprecedented risks while positioning itself as the authority best equipped to define and navigate the harms.  This episode also explores the promise that AI will generate enough wealth for everyone to benefit with Universal Basic Income (UBI) and offers a deeper dive into the policy gaps that companies conveniently overlook. Drawing on her work in ethical supply chains, Manpreet connects AI safety pledges to a familiar corporate playbook: voluntary commitments, company-funded evaluations, and accountability on terms the industry helps define.  In this episode, we explore: AI self-regulation: Why voluntary safety commitments can reassure the public while leaving corporate power intactThe business of AI: How venture capital, private wealth, and investor expectations shape the race to build more powerful systems.Universal Basic Income: What it is and the gap between AI-generated profits and meaningful redistribution.AI detection and racial bias: How accusations of AI use intersect with racial bias, linguistic conformity, and assumptions about whose creativity is credible.The AI cult of “technological progress”: How treating AI as inevitable narrows our ability to question who it serves and imagine alternatives.Fragments of a Fragile Order is an Art of Citizenry series connecting the seemingly disconnected events shaping our culture, politics, and everyday lives. Host Manpreet Kaur Kalra and producer Aly Honoré pull at the threads of headlines and cultural shifts to examine the systems of power holding them together. Through candid conversation and critical analysis, this series ask what these fragments reveal about the world we’re building. 📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via PayPal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypalBecome a Paid Subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenryFollow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

The creator economy promised an alternative to the traditional 9-to-5 that offered fame, autonomy, and money (lots of it). But the usual barriers to success never really disappeared, they simply changed. Now, content creators depend on algorithms and advertisers that determine who gets seen, who gets paid, and increasingly, how much of yourself you have to give away to stay relevant. Manpreet sits down with New York Magazine features writer Rebecca Jennings to unpack what she calls the “influencer recession” and the increasingly complicated economics of making a living online. We talk about the power of social media algorithms, AI and manufactured virality, shifting ideals of desirability, rage bait content, and the growing pressure for creators to turn more and more of their lives (and themselves!) into content.  In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, we discuss:  The “influencer recession,” particularly why so many influencers are struggling even as influencer marketing continues to grow as a brand strategyWho holds power in the creator economy (spoiler: it’s not just the platforms!) The commodification of the self and what we give up when our bodies, relationships, identities, and private lives become content in exchange for attention.AI generated content and how it is intensifying competition despite being sloppy and problematicManufactured virality and clipping (the marketing campaigns behind moments that have felt organically viral).What is up with all the rage bait content these days. Shifting standards of beauty, femininity, and desirability, from GLP-1s and declining opportunities for plus-size creators to tradwives, Love Island, and the Bop House. These stories reveal so much more about society and how political ideas (particularly conservative ideology) can spread through lifestyle content without presenting as explicitly “political” (aka everything is political!)At the center of everything is arguably the world’s most scarce and valuable commodity: our attention. Rebecca Jennings is a features writer at New York Magazine covering internet culture. Previously she worked at Vox, where she covered social platforms and the creator economy with a focus on how social media is changing the nature of fame, fashion, money, and human relationships. Her work has explored everything from the joy of reality television to the rise of TikTok and why it feels like suddenly everyone’s an influencer now. She is the author of Be the Bombshell: What Love Island Teaches Us About Dating. 📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via PayPal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypalBecome a Paid Subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenryFollow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Detaining and deporting immigrants has become a lucrative business, and private equity is financing the infrastructure behind it. In this episode, Manpreet Kaur Kalra and Anna Canning follow the money behind Omni Air International, a charter airline operating ICE deportation flights, and Stonepeak, the private equity firm that owns it. In true Art of Citizenry fashion, we trace Omni’s role in long-haul deportation flights linked to gross human rights violations, pulling back the curtain on Stonepeak’s acquisition, how public pension funds financed the deal, and why voluntary ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) commitments can fall apart when there are no meaningful mechanisms for accountability. We explore: How Omni Air became part of the U.S. deportation infrastructure, including its role in unlawful ICE removals.The human rights abuses linked to deportation flights, including prolonged restraint, torture, denial of due process, and violations of the principle of non-refoulement (learn more in the episode).Stonepeak’s acquisition of Omni Air’s parent company and how much private equity can profit from privatizing government functions (including our waterways!).How public pension funds in progressive states like Washington, Oregon, California, and New York helped finance Stonepeak’s investment in Omni Air – despite their public commitments to immigrant and human rights.Why layers of contractors, corporate ownership, private equity funds, and voluntary ESG commitments can obscure accountability even when the underlying harm is well documented.Tune in as we examine the various ways state violence gets obscured by layers of contracts and ask a larger question: when governments outsource state power, who is ultimately responsible for the harm? Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of immigration detention and deportation, torture, physical restraint, solitary confinement, self-harm, and other forms of physical and psychological mistreatment. Please listen with care. About the Series Private Equity Playbook is a series by Art of Citizenry that examines how private equity is reshaping our everyday lives. In each episode, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra and long-time collaborator Anna Canning investigate private equity in another corner of everyday life, digging into where it’s headed and what that means for us. Suggested Listens and Reading: Art of Citizenry Podcast Episode 34 – Big Beautiful Bill - How Private Equity is Profiting from Immigrant DetentionMother Jones – ICE Deportation Flights Are Getting Longer and CruelerArt of Citizenry Podcast Episode 19 – Profiting From Detention and the Criminalization of ImmigrationUW Center for Human Rights – Abuses in the Air: Sports Travel and the Deportation Industry📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via PayPal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypalBecome a Paid Subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenryFollow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

For much of U.S. history, people harmed abroad by American corporations have had few meaningful pathways into U.S. courts. Wage theft, child labor, trafficking, land grabbing, union busting – corporate impunity has long been insulated by the complexity of global supply chains. Even when the company was headquartered in the U.S., profited in the U.S., or made decisions in the U.S., the law often treated the harm as too distant, too foreign, or too complicated. In this episode of Art of Citizenry, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with Charity Ryerson, Executive Director and Founder of Corporate Accountability Lab. Together, they examine the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), a single sentence passed in 1789 that became one of the few legal pathways for people harmed by corporate impunity abroad to seek accountability in U.S. courts. Over the past two decades, the Supreme Court has narrowed the ATS case by case. Then, in June 2026, the Court closed the door even further in Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe I, a case alleging that the U.S. tech giant helped build a surveillance system used to identify, track, detain, and torture Falun Gong practitioners in China. This episode traces the history of the ATS and examines what its further narrowing means for corporate accountability in an era of globalization and outsourced harm. We look at how corporations use subsidiaries, suppliers, contractors, and jurisdictional complexity to deflect responsibility, and we ask what pathways remain when one of the few tools for transnational accountability is closed even further. We explore:  The origins of the Alien Tort Statute and why a single sentence from 1789 became so important to modern human rights litigation. The Supreme Court’s gradual narrowing of the ATS (and why we shouldn’t be calling this an originalist interpretation) What Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe I means for aiding-and-abetting liability and claims against U.S. corporations accused of enabling human rights abuses abroad. Why aiding-and-abetting liability matters in cases where corporations may not directly commit abuses but allegedly provide the money, technology, logistics, security, or market pressure that makes those abuses possible. The limits of the Torture Victim Protection Act, especially after Cisco, and what possibilities remain for holding individual corporate actors accountable. Where advocates, lawmakers, communities, and movements can go from here. At its core, this is a conversation about power: who gets access to justice, whose suffering is recognized by the courts, and what happens when corporations can profit across borders while accountability stops at the border. 📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives through accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via PayPal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Become a paid subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/ Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

What happens when the way we make sense of the world is mediated by platforms designed to reward speed, outrage, and attention? In this episode of Art of Citizenry, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with Dr. Kate Starbird, professor at the University of Washington and co-founder of the UW Center for an Informed Public. They discuss rumors, misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, AI-generated content, and the fragile state of trust in our communication ecosystem. Every day, we’re confronted with an overwhelming volume of information. Breaking news alerts, viral videos, social media posts shared by friends, influencers, politicians, and strangers. We scroll through competing claims about everything ranging from elections to natural disasters, and increasingly, content generated by artificial intelligence.  But misinformation is not only a problem of falsehoods. It is also a problem of uncertainty. Rumors spread because it is human nature to try to make sense when things are not clear. And social media platforms have transformed that deeply human process into something more dangerous, more fragmented, and easier to manipulate. Together, we explore:  What misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and rumors mean.  How misinformation spreads and why rumors are a deeply human response to uncertainty. How disinformation campaigns blur the lines between intent, belief, and amplification.  How influencers have become the modern-day interpreters of reality. The ways in which social media platforms, influencers, and algorithms have changed the speed, structure, and power of public understanding. What AI-generated content, election rumors, and declining trust mean for democracy. What it means to participate responsibly in an information ecosystem where trust itself is increasingly contested. This conversation asks us to consider the bigger question: can a society govern itself if people no longer believe they can know what is happening? And if we want to hold social platforms accountable for the worlds they help create, we also have to ask who has the power to enforce that accountability, and whose definition or truth is protected when they do. Meet Our Guest Kate Starbird is a Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington and co-founder of the UW Center for an Informed Public. Her research sits within the fields of human-computer interaction and crisis informatics — or the study of how social media and other digital technologies are used during crisis events. Currently, she focuses on the spread of online rumors, misinformation, and disinformation during crises, elections, and breaking news events. In particular, she investigates the *participatory* nature of rumors and online disinformation campaigns, exploring both top-down and bottom-up dynamics. 📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives through accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via PayPal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Become a paid subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/ Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Patagonia is a vast region spanning southern Chile and Argentina. It is also the name of a multibillion-dollar outdoors company that has spent more than 50 years turning the region’s landscapes and mythology into a symbol of wilderness and adventure. Now, Patagonia Inc. is suing drag queen and climate activist Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement and dilution. But beneath all the legal questions lies a more complicated one: How did a U.S. corporation acquire the power to control the commercial meaning of a geographical area in the first place? This episode is an invitation to think beyond whether Pattie Gonia’s name is too similar to Patagonia’s trademark and to instead delve deeper into who defines the meaning of a place and what happens when that power becomes privately owned. In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by Professor Alexandra Roberts, a scholar of trademark law at Northeastern University, to unpack the legal questions at the center of the case and the deeper ethical questions hiding beneath them. Together, they examine the mechanisms that underpin trademark law, the colonial logic of commodification, corporate personhood and what it would mean if nature were to be granted similar rights.  In this episode, we explore: What Patagonia must prove in its trademark infringement and dilution claims against Pattie Gonia Why the “duty to police” argument is often overstated in trademark disputes How a company can acquire trademark rights in a geographic name and reshape public meaning The colonial mythology of Patagonia as an empty wilderness and the Indigenous histories obscured by that narrative What Rights of Nature and corporate personhood reveal about whose interests the law recognizes Potential reforms to better protect geographic, cultural, and Indigenous terms 📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives through accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via PayPal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Become a paid subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/ Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Instant Pot didn’t just go bankrupt, it became another casualty of private equity’s complex financial maneuvers. In this episode of our series The Private Equity Playbook, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra and collaborator Anna Canning trace how one of the most beloved kitchen gadgets of the 2010s became a textbook case of everything private equity does to the things we own, the places we live, and the communities we call home. From its origins as an internet phenomenon to its collapse under millions in manufactured debt, the Instant Pot story hits every ingredient of the private equity recipe: roll-ups, debt-loading, dividend recaps, antitrust, factory closures, and even a bizarre MAGA branding scheme. We connect Instant Pot’s story to the shuttering of the Pyrex factory in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, anti-immigrant scapegoating during the 2024 election, and the increasingly surreal overlap between political influence, lobbying, and consumer brands. In this episode, we explore: What a dividend recapitalization actually is, and how private equity firms extract money from companies while offloading any financial risk. The use of private equity roll-ups – raising major questions about monopoly power and market concentration. How the closure of the historic Pyrex factory in Charleroi, Pennsylvania became a case study in capitalist scapegoating and racist political rhetoric. Why antitrust law often fails to stop private equity consolidation. The bizarre story of the MAGA Instant Pot, including the attempted launch of Trump-branded home goods, the role of lobbying firms amid looming antitrust scrutiny, and how an effort to curry political favor reportedly backfired into an intellectual property dispute with the Trump Organization. How public pension funds help finance private equity takeovers. 📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via PayPal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Become a Paid Subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/ Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

We're taught to think of economics as an objective truth. But what if economics isn't neutral at all? What if it's a story shaped by power and by a history that has been carefully edited? A story that celebrates innovation and progress while quietly erasing extraction, exploitation, and the violence behind how wealth became concentrated geographically. In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with economist Carolina Alves about colonialism, capitalism, development economics, and the Eurocentric foundations that continue to shape global economic policy today. Together, they unpack how mainstream economics often separates markets from history, obscuring the role colonial extraction, slavery, and unequal trade played in building modern wealth. From informal labor markets to communal economic models rooted in reciprocity, this conversation challenges the idea that Eurocentric economic systems represent a universal path toward prosperity. 📌 Note: Due to some audio quality challenges during the recording, we’ve included transcript excerpts to help listeners follow the conversation and engage with the ideas discussed in the episode — visit: artofcitizenry.com/podcast/decolonizing-economics We explore: What it means to challenge the Eurocentric assumptions embedded within mainstream economic theory Why GDP and economic growth became dominant measures of success How development economics emerged during the decolonization era Why many Global South economies remain structurally dependent within the global economic system The tension between economic growth and inequality under capitalism and whether inequality is a flaw within capitalism or structurally embedded within it "Decolonizing economics is about something more foundational than representation. It’s about repositioning the vantage point entirely.” – Carolina Alves Carolina Alves is Associate Professor in Economics at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) at University College London, and a Fellow in Economics at Girton College, University of Cambridge.  Read: “Decolonizing Economics: An Introduction” by Devika Dutt, Carolina Alves, Surbhi Kesar, and Ingrid Harvold Kvangraven,  📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via Paypal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra Explore past episodes of Art of Citizenry Podcast: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

In December 2025, the University of Utah became the first major college athletic program to take private equity investment, spinning off its commercial operations into a for-profit company. Half a billion dollars and a public university now answering to Wall Street. In this episode of our series The Private Equity Playbook, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by collaborator Anna Canning to trace how college athletics went from extracurricular programs serving educational missions to financialized assets in a private equity portfolio. This is a story about what happens when the logic of investor returns takes the wheel at a public university, and ultimately, who gets left behind. Spoiler: it's not the programs already generating millions. It's women's sports and all those other sports that may no longer make financial sense to a firm looking to make quick returns on their investment. For decades, the NCAA built a billion-dollar industry on the backs of athletes classified as "amateurs," barring them from receiving fair compensation while coaches pocketed millions and broadcast deals soared. That system only cracked when courts forced it to. NCAA v. Alston. The House v. NCAA settlement. We trace how a wave of legal pressure cracked open the system and how private equity arrived right on cue to profit from the chaos. In this episode, we explore: How Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) rights, and a slew of legal cases set the stage for private equity to swoop in and why this deal is unlikely to remain unique.  How the University of Utah's deal is structured – what moved to the new for-profit entity, what stayed with the athletic department, and why the "we retain control" narrative deserves scrutiny. Who is behind Otro Capital and what their investment thesis tells us about what comes next for college sports. Why women's sports, Title IX protections, and non-revenue generating athletic programs are at particular risk when investor returns become the driving metric for decisions. The ongoing legal fight over athlete employee status. 📌 Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Contribute via PayPal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Become a Paid Subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/ Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Starbucks built its brand on the idea of the “third place.” But over the past decade, the company has quietly unraveled the very conditions that made that promise possible. In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with Megan Erickson, a Philadelphia-based barista and member of Starbucks Workers United, about the growing labor movement inside Starbucks. Together, they examine the widening gap between the company’s “third place” narrative and the working conditions faced by baristas across the United States. From unpredictable scheduling and low wages to stalled union contract negotiations and ongoing allegations of union busting, this conversation examines how Starbucks became one of the most prolific labor law violators in modern U.S. history and how organizing by Starbucks Workers United has helped reignite the labor movement across the United States. This podcast episode breaks down what union organizing looks like in practice, what “good faith bargaining” requires under U.S. labor law, and why thousands of Starbucks workers have gone on strike demanding fair pay, reliable hours, and workplace protections. In this episode, we explore: Starbucks union movement: the rapid rise of Starbucks Workers United and coordinated organizing across hundreds of U.S. stores Labor law violations and union busting: over 1,100 unfair labor practice charges filed with the NLRB, including allegations of retaliation, store closures, and bad-faith tactics Contract negotiations and corporate leadership: how union bargaining shifted following the arrival of CEO Brian Niccol Working conditions at Starbucks: low wages, unpredictable scheduling, chronic understaffing, and barriers to accessing benefits Good faith bargaining under U.S. labor law: what the National Labor Relations Act requires and how delays, cancellations, and surface bargaining undermine negotiations Solidarity and community care in labor organizing: how striking workers built mutual aid networks, including a community-run strike kitchen, demonstrating how worker solidarity extends beyond the picket line “When the systems in place fail to care for the people who make them run, solidarity gives us the power to build our own systems of care.” – Megan Erickson How to take action: Delete the Starbucks app Find your local union store at sbworkersunited.org/map Sign the pledge at nocontractnocoffee.org Follow and support Starbucks Workers United at sbworkersunited.org 📌Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives.  Contribute via Paypal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra Explore Past Episodes of the Art of Citizenry Podcast with Manpreet Kalra: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often framed as a technological breakthrough. But behind the headlines is a deeper question: who owns the infrastructure shaping how we communicate, create, and understand truth? In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, we slow down the AI conversation to ask harder questions – not just about what these systems can do, but who built them, who profits from them, and what we give up by using them. Manpreet Kalra is joined by Vauhini Vara, author of Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age and longtime journalist covering Big Tech, to unpack the structural forces at play behind the AI boom. Together, we explore how AI is less a neutral technology than a mirror of the economic and ideological forces that built it. A social system shaped by corporate incentives, embedded bias, and the quiet erosion of our ability to define truth for ourselves and what it means for all of us when the infrastructure shaping that truth is privately owned, profit-driven, and constantly learning from us. This isn't a conversation with easy answers. It's about sitting with complexity, and the uncomfortable reality that opting out is rarely simple. In this episode, we explore: Why AI bias is more than a technical glitch and how it reflects deeper social and economic power structures. The legal battles over AI training data, including The New York Times v. OpenAI and Bartz v. Anthropic How AI systems can reinforce confirmation bias and shape our perception of truth Why Big Tech’s incentives matter when the infrastructure of communication and tools shaping public knowledge are privately owned The relationship between users and tech companies; and why exploitation and convenience can coexist Alternative models for technology governance, from public infrastructure to nonprofit platforms AI isn’t just a technical system. It’s a social and economic one. The outputs we see reflect the data they’re trained on, the incentives of the companies building them, and the broader political economy of the internet. If we want different outcomes from AI, the conversation must expand beyond engineering fixes to include questions of ownership, accountability, and power. Vauhini Vara is the author of Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age, named a best book of the year by Esquire, Slate, and Publisher’s Weekly and a winner of the Porchlight Business Book Award. Her previous books are This is Salvaged, which was longlisted for the Story Prize and won the High Plains Book Award, and The Immortal King Rao, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of the Colorado Book Award. She is also a journalist, currently working as a contributing writer for Businessweek. 📌Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives.  Contribute via Paypal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra Explore Past Episodes of the Art of Citizenry Podcast with Manpreet Kalra: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with Minnesota State Senator Erin Maye Quade from the epicenter of ICE’s siege. Across Minnesota, intensified immigration operations have made daily life unsafe and unpredictable, destabilizing families and threatening people’s basic autonomy and human rights. From masked agents going door to door and idling near schools to racially profiling and arbitrarily kidnapping children and adults, the federal government has carried out an occupation marked by unlawful tactics designed to intimidate and detain.  The conversation moves beyond the headlines to unpack the lived reality on the ground. Senator Maye Quade explains why documentation and constitutional observing have become critical tools of protection, how mutual aid networks are sustaining families, and what meaningful accountability could require in the months and years ahead. We explore: What Operation Metro Surge looks like on the ground and how ICE is using racial profiling to terrorize communities.The importance of constitutional observing and documentation as tools for accountability.Community resilience in the face of state violence and how mutual aid networks are sustaining families through rent support, food distribution, childcare, and emergency response as families shelter in place.The possibilities of state-level action amid federal overreach.What other states and communities should prepare for if this playbook spreads.Meet Our Guest Minnesota State Senator Erin Maye Quade made history in 2022 as the first out lesbian, the first Black mom, and one of the first Black women elected to the Minnesota Senate. She serves as Vice Chair of both the Education Policy and State and Local Government Committees, and she is a member of the Human Services and Education Finance Committees. Senator Maye Quade has successfully led initiatives to expand reproductive freedom, protect LGBTQ+ rights, safeguard election integrity, and promote literacy, among other key priorities. Pay Attention. Stay Informed. Take Action.  Want to show up in a meaningful way? Visit StandWithMinnesota.com to contribute to mutual aid efforts and connect with trusted support resources.Know your rights and build communication networks with neighbors. Preparation and community are powerful forms of defense. Download red cards in your preferred language: ilrc.org/redcardsContent warning: This episode includes descriptions of state violence, please take care while listening.  📌Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives.  Contribute via Paypal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypalSubstack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra Explore Past Episodes of the Art of Citizenry Podcast with Manpreet Kalra: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

JOANN (forever “Joann Fabrics” in our hearts) didn’t just “go out of business,” it was engineered to collapse. In this episode of our series The Private Equity Playbook, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by collaborator Anna Canning to trace how a beloved craft-store chain went from being a hub for makers to a debt-loaded financial instrument.  This isn’t a story about changing consumer tastes or “retail trends.” It’s actually about debt, extraction, and what happens when the logic of Wall Street collides with the fabric of daily life.  From JOANN's origins in Cleveland’s garment-manufacturing era to its pandemic boom and rapid collapse, we break down what happens when private equity enters the picture: a leveraged buyout that loads a company with debt, management fees that drain resources, and cost-cutting that hollows out the very labor and expertise the business depends on. Along the way, we connect JOANN’s downfall to the rise of fast fashion, the history of DIY economics, and the way private equity continues to enter our lives.  In this episode, we explore: How Joann Fabrics went from zero debt to total collapse after a private equity-led leveraged buyout loaded the company with over a billion dollars in obligations and ongoing management fees.What a leveraged buyout actually is, and how private equity firms use company debt, not their own money, to finance acquisitions and extract returns.The history of U.S. garment manufacturing, from unionized apparel hubs like Cleveland to offshoring, fast fashion, and the shift of sewing from necessity to hobby.How private equity hollowed out JOANN's core strengths (the expertise of its employees) while using a brief boom during the pandemic to obscure deep structural damage, and how JOANN's collapse rippled outward to destabilize adjacent industries.The bipartisan political support underpinning private equity’s takeover of our lives and why consumer choice can’t solve this.📌Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives.  Contribute via Paypal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal Become a Paid Subscriber on Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/ Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Impact investing is often framed as a win–win: do good, generate a positive social or environmental impact while still earning a financial return. But what does that actually look like in practice and who carries the risk when things don’t go as planned?  In this episode of Art of Citizenry, Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by Dr. Peter Hinton, impact investor and Associate Fellow at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, to unpack the financial architecture behind impact investing — debt, equity, and quasi-equity — and what these instruments really mean for social enterprises and impact-driven businesses on the ground. Together, they trace the field’s roots from faith-based socially responsible investing and the rise of microfinance to today’s trillion-dollar impact investing market. Along the way, they dig into the hidden risks of hard currency loans and the tension between investor expectations and the realities faced by entrepreneurs and communities. They tackle one of the field’s thorniest questions: how do you measure social impact without overburdening the very organizations you’re trying to support?  This episode dives into: The financial architecture of impact investing: how debt, equity, and quasi-equity shape risk, power, and investor-investee relationships.Historical roots of the field, from faith-based socially responsible investing and microfinance to today’s global impact investing ecosystem.Global power dynamics, including currency risk, capital flows, and the implications of hard-currency loans for entrepreneurs in emerging markets.The challenges of measuring social impact, why standardized metrics fall short, and how reporting requirements can burden social enterprises.Community-centered evaluation and accountability, exploring methods that elevate beneficiary voices and prioritize cultural and linguistic contexts.Whether you’re new to impact investing or wrestling with its limitations from the inside, this episode offers a grounded, critical, and hopeful look at what a more equitable approach could look like. 📌Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives.  Contribute via Paypal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypalSubstack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra Explore Past Episodes of the Art of Citizenry Podcast with Manpreet Kalra: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Coffee, Silicon Valley, and… George W. Bush's former roommate? In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by long-time collaborator Anna Canning as they kick off a new series on private equity by tracing what happens when big finance meets something as everyday as your morning cup of coffee. Philz Coffee made headlines earlier this year when the iconic San Francisco coffee company got bought by private equity firm Freeman Spogli in a deal that cancelled all employee common stock options. Together, Manpreet and Anna dig into what happened, breaking down the complex financial maneuvers and unpacking how this conclusion was both unexpected and not all that surprising. In this episode, we explore the case of Philz Coffee while touching on: What private equity is and how “leveraged buyouts” and high-risk financial engineering shape our daily livesThe hierarchy of who gets paid when investors are involved and what Philz’s decision to cancel worker stock tells us about whose investments really matterHow consolidation in coffee offers insights into the  broader patterns of the global economy where consolidation has become the name of the gameThe people, let’s be real…men…behind Freeman Spogli, the firm’s origins, and ties to U.S. politics.Why transparency, journalism, and informed communities are essential for pushing back on corporate impunityTune in as we begin to unmask corporate consolidation in coffee and beyond: Nestlé’s and JAB’s coffee empires, the pressure on small ethical roasters, historic low coffee prices for farmers, and how firms like Freeman Spogli have been quietly reshaping everything from grocery chains to farmers’ livelihoods. We connect the dots between colonialism, capitalism, and financialization, showing how risk is repeatedly pushed down onto workers (and farmers) while profits are siphoned off at the top. 📌Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives.  Contribute via Paypal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypalSubstack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra Explore Past Episodes of the Art of Citizenry Podcast with Manpreet Kalra: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes