Show Notes for Thursday, January 15, 2025

Thursday, January 15, 2026

What We're Talking About

The news we couldn't ignore if we tried

Medicaid Paid Out $400 Million To Dead ‘Recipients’ In Just One Year

The Federalist— A recent watchdog report found that the federal Medicaid program mistakenly paid more than $400 million in benefits in a single year to individuals who were already deceased, with auditors noting that only about half of those improper payments were eventually recovered. The findings highlight ongoing concerns about how effectively states monitor eligibility and update records, raising the risk that outdated information allows taxpayer money to go to so-called “ghost” recipients rather than people who need medical care. Federal agencies use a broad definition of improper payments, which can include anything from clerical errors to benefits paid to ineligible individuals, and analysts say similar issues have appeared repeatedly in audits over the years, though the total amounts vary depending on how the data is measured.

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Don't Dig! Teenage Best Friends Die After Sand Hole They Dug Collapses...

NY Post— Two 14-year-old best friends, George Watts and Derrick Hubbard, were killed in a tragic accident at Sportsman Park in Florida after a hand-dug sand tunnel they were digging collapsed, burying them beneath unstable “sugar sand.” The tunnel was estimated to be four to five feet deep, and concern grew when the boys failed to answer their phones around lunchtime, prompting their parents to search the area and discover their bikes and shoes near the sand pit. Emergency crews recovered the teens about 30 minutes later and attempted life-saving measures before transporting them to the hospital, where Hubbard was pronounced dead at the scene and Watts died later on Tuesday. Family members, friends, and their middle school community remembered the boys as inseparable and adventurous, and grief counseling has been made available to students affected by the loss.

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Google AI Gemini Gets Update

Android Authority— Google is rolling out a beta upgrade to its Gemini AI assistant in the U.S. called “Personal Intelligence,” a feature designed to deliver more personalized help by connecting information across a user’s digital life. With permission, Gemini can draw from Google apps such as Gmail, Photos, Search, and YouTube to offer tailored responses and suggestions, moving beyond simple prompts to provide insights like travel advice based on past trips or help with tasks tied to a user’s own data. Google emphasizes that the feature is optional, turned off by default, and allows users to control which apps are linked, and it is initially available to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers on mobile, web, and iOS, with broader access planned later.

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Think Twice Before You Use The Office Water Cooler

Study Finds— Scientists are cautioning that office water coolers may not be as clean as many people assume, after a review of roughly 70 studies found that dispensers often contain higher levels of bacteria than tap water. Researchers say slimy biofilms can build up inside tubing, spigots, and filters, allowing bacteria such as Pseudomonas and coliforms to persist even after routine cleaning, with some samples worldwide exceeding recommended safety limits. Experts warn this could pose health risks, particularly for people with weakened immune systems, and advise that anyone relying on water coolers should ensure they are regularly and thoroughly cleaned and properly maintained.

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Ask Uncle Bobby

Bad advice for good people.

As heard on the B-Team Morning Show

Each weekday, some poor soul writes in for help. Uncle Bobby gives them the worst advice we can legally put on the air.

January 24 · Today's Letter

Dear Uncle Bobby,

I am exhausted from covering for my team while they coast and take credit. I keep fixing their mistakes and leadership barely notices. How do I stop feeling invisible without blowing up my job?

Buried Alive In Suck-Up Syndrome
Overtime Atlas

Want to hear what Bobby actually told them?

Read Today's Bad Advice →

Today's Holidays

Celebrate the weird stuff. We do.

Holiday #1 of 4

National Hat Day

National Hat Day. Because apparently, what this country needed was a sanctioned excuse to parade around in headgear like confused magicians and failed rodeo clowns. It’s the one day a year people pretend their personality can be stapled to their scalp, and somehow the fedora still makes a comeback like an unkillable rash. Celebrate it however you like—just know that somewhere, a bald man with a novelty sombrero is calling it "his moment."

Hear this bit on the show