Margaret continues her interview with author and activist Cory Doctorow about the role of fiction in making a better world

Margaret continues her interview with author and activist Cory Doctorow about the role of fiction in making a better world

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

As long as there&rsquo;s been oppression, there&rsquo;ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be&mdash;and fight to be&mdash;free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

Part Two: Cory Doctorow on Speculative Fiction for Social Change

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c1e9b619-d0a3-449d-b1af-b4a40019c1b0/transcript

Margaret reads you an essay about how we have to soberly confront the realities of climate change and look for ways we can collectively take action

Source:

https://margaretkilljoy.substack.com/p/beyond-climate-optimism-beyond-climate

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/climate/coral-reef-recovery-time.html

https://ourworldindata.org/electricity-mix

https://interestingengineering.com/culture/carbon-footprint-coined-by-big-oil-to-blame-you-for-climate-change

https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/why-have-i-heard-eating-meat-bad-climate

https://solarunitedneighbors.org/resources/what-to-know-about-plug-in-solar/

Margaret reads you an essay about how we have to soberly confront the realities of climate change and look for ways we can collectively take action
Source:
https://margaretkilljoy.substack.com/p/beyond-climate-optimism-beyond-climate
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/climate/coral-reef-recovery-time.html
https://ourworldindata.org/electricity-mix
https://interestingengineering.com/culture/carbon-footprint-coined-by-big-oil-to-blame-you-for-climate-change
https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/why-have-i-heard-eating-meat-bad-climate
https://solarunitedneighbors.org/resources/what-to-know-about-plug-in-solar/

Beyond Climate Optimism, Beyond Climate Pessimism

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/aa64e21e-db06-415c-9ee0-b4c5001f1cce/transcript

Margaret finishes telling you the sordid history of Automated License Plate Readers and the people who have stood up against them

Sources:

https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/
https://azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen
https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs
https://www.winonapost.com/news/crime/all-of-wpd-s-flock-cameras-stolen/article_9c61aa25-411b-4f2f-a5cd-ca02942f5f9f.html
https://krocnews.com/stolen-flock-cameras-winona-mn/
https://www.winonapost.com/news/wpd-wont-replace-stolen-flock-cameras-citing-public-trust/article_06a67859-2d97-414b-aa8f-d8751ad214bb.html
https://www.military.com/air-force-engineer-accused-of-cutting-down-13-police-cameras-says-they-are-unconstitutional
https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/justice/2025/12/16/timeline-the-brief-troubled-history-of-flock-cameras-in-eugene-springfield/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/09/03/ai-startup-flock-thinks-it-can-eliminate-all-crime-in-america/
https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/flock-cameras-destroyed-nationwide-ice-backlash-2026/
https://ngscinc.com/history-license-plate-recognition
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/automatic-license-plate-readers-legal-status-and-policy-recommendations
https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/
https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/state-house-hopeful-arrested-in-flock-fiasco/article_2bb9aca2-5ede-4f42-9329-a8754aad7350.html
https://www.facebook.com/MontereyCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0YWZxSJqZSBJu2BDQiQQnWUqzNiYEoHxQEgF88NBRjRXfDwQxMtqfNyHoiry5m3Mel
https://www.wlky.com/article/attorney-lmpd-flock-camera-scandal/69895783
https://www.alxnow.com/2026/07/14/alexandria-man-arrested-for-allegedly-destroying-multiple-license-plate-readers/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-sawed-old-braeswood-22370015.php
https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/flock-safety-cameras-vandalized-on-long-island-after-accusations-cop-tracked-lover/
https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/flock-cameras-vandalized-in-monterey-county/
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/03/police-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-getting-pushback-florida/90915780007/
https://web.archive.org/web/20120819233022/http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html
https://www.etymonline.com/word/scofflaw
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/anti-surveillance-mapmaker-refuses-flock-safetys-cease-and-desist-demand
https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/
https://www.eff.org/document/flock-safety-cd-deflockme
https://www.eff.org/document/eff-deflock-letter-flock-safety
https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/
https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/31/kechi-police-lieutenant-arrested-using-police-technology-stalk-wife/
https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/former-kechi-police-lieutenant-sentenced-in-stalking-case/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2015/05/11/paradise-valley-license-plate-camera-reader/27144369/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-show-customers-license-plates-come-under-scrutiny-1475451302
https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/va-alpr.pdf
https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/42/4232.asp
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/10/dea-plans-to-expand-license-plate-surveillance-program/
https://qz.com/1400791/that-road-sign-telling-you-how-fast-youre-driving-may-be-part-of-a-us-government-surveillance-network
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443995604578004723603576296
https://www.docsumo.com/blog/optical-character-recognition-history
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3330771.stm
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18001802465783784125
https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/texas/corpus-christi-police-use-basic-license-plate-readers-not-flock/
https://legislativeanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ALPRS-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf

Margaret finishes telling you the sordid history of Automated License Plate Readers and the people who have stood up against them
Sources:
<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/">https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/ https://azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/ https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs https://www.winonapost.com/news/crime/all-of-wpd-s-flock-cameras-stolen/article_9c61aa25-411b-4f2f-a5cd-ca02942f5f9f.html https://krocnews.com/stolen-flock-cameras-winona-mn/ https://www.winonapost.com/news/wpd-wont-replace-stolen-flock-cameras-citing-public-trust/article_06a67859-2d97-414b-aa8f-d8751ad214bb.html https://www.military.com/air-force-engineer-accused-of-cutting-down-13-police-cameras-says-they-are-unconstitutional https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/justice/2025/12/16/timeline-the-brief-troubled-history-of-flock-cameras-in-eugene-springfield/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/09/03/ai-startup-flock-thinks-it-can-eliminate-all-crime-in-america/ https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/flock-cameras-destroyed-nationwide-ice-backlash-2026/ https://ngscinc.com/history-license-plate-recognition https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/automatic-license-plate-readers-legal-status-and-policy-recommendations https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/ https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/state-house-hopeful-arrested-in-flock-fiasco/article_2bb9aca2-5ede-4f42-9329-a8754aad7350.html https://www.facebook.com/MontereyCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0YWZxSJqZSBJu2BDQiQQnWUqzNiYEoHxQEgF88NBRjRXfDwQxMtqfNyHoiry5m3Mel https://www.wlky.com/article/attorney-lmpd-flock-camera-scandal/69895783 https://www.alxnow.com/2026/07/14/alexandria-man-arrested-for-allegedly-destroying-multiple-license-plate-readers/ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-sawed-old-braeswood-22370015.php https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/flock-safety-cameras-vandalized-on-long-island-after-accusations-cop-tracked-lover/ https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/flock-cameras-vandalized-in-monterey-county/ https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/03/police-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-getting-pushback-florida/90915780007/ https://web.archive.org/web/20120819233022/http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html https://www.etymonline.com/word/scofflaw https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/anti-surveillance-mapmaker-refuses-flock-safetys-cease-and-desist-demand https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/ https://www.eff.org/document/flock-safety-cd-deflockme https://www.eff.org/document/eff-deflock-letter-flock-safety https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/ https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/31/kechi-police-lieutenant-arrested-using-police-technology-stalk-wife/ https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/former-kechi-police-lieutenant-sentenced-in-stalking-case/ https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2015/05/11/paradise-valley-license-plate-camera-reader/27144369/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-show-customers-license-plates-come-under-scrutiny-1475451302 https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/va-alpr.pdf https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/42/4232.asp https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/10/dea-plans-to-expand-license-plate-surveillance-program/ https://qz.com/1400791/that-road-sign-telling-you-how-fast-youre-driving-may-be-part-of-a-us-government-surveillance-network https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443995604578004723603576296 https://www.docsumo.com/blog/optical-character-recognition-history http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3330771.stm https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18001802465783784125 https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/texas/corpus-christi-police-use-basic-license-plate-readers-not-flock/ https://legislativeanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ALPRS-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf</a>

Part Four: The Valiant War on Flock: How People Are Fighting Mass Surveillance

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/194e209c-0065-450f-8f88-b4c0003882a6/transcript

This week, Margaret goes even deeper into the sordid history of Automated License Plate Readers and the people who have stood up against them

Sources:

https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/
https://azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen
https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs
https://www.winonapost.com/news/crime/all-of-wpd-s-flock-cameras-stolen/article_9c61aa25-411b-4f2f-a5cd-ca02942f5f9f.html
https://krocnews.com/stolen-flock-cameras-winona-mn/
https://www.winonapost.com/news/wpd-wont-replace-stolen-flock-cameras-citing-public-trust/article_06a67859-2d97-414b-aa8f-d8751ad214bb.html
https://www.military.com/air-force-engineer-accused-of-cutting-down-13-police-cameras-says-they-are-unconstitutional
https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/justice/2025/12/16/timeline-the-brief-troubled-history-of-flock-cameras-in-eugene-springfield/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/09/03/ai-startup-flock-thinks-it-can-eliminate-all-crime-in-america/
https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/flock-cameras-destroyed-nationwide-ice-backlash-2026/
https://ngscinc.com/history-license-plate-recognition
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/automatic-license-plate-readers-legal-status-and-policy-recommendations
https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/
https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/state-house-hopeful-arrested-in-flock-fiasco/article_2bb9aca2-5ede-4f42-9329-a8754aad7350.html
https://www.facebook.com/MontereyCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0YWZxSJqZSBJu2BDQiQQnWUqzNiYEoHxQEgF88NBRjRXfDwQxMtqfNyHoiry5m3Mel
https://www.wlky.com/article/attorney-lmpd-flock-camera-scandal/69895783
https://www.alxnow.com/2026/07/14/alexandria-man-arrested-for-allegedly-destroying-multiple-license-plate-readers/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-sawed-old-braeswood-22370015.php
https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/flock-safety-cameras-vandalized-on-long-island-after-accusations-cop-tracked-lover/
https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/flock-cameras-vandalized-in-monterey-county/
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/03/police-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-getting-pushback-florida/90915780007/
https://web.archive.org/web/20120819233022/http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html
https://www.etymonline.com/word/scofflaw
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/anti-surveillance-mapmaker-refuses-flock-safetys-cease-and-desist-demand
https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/
https://www.eff.org/document/flock-safety-cd-deflockme
https://www.eff.org/document/eff-deflock-letter-flock-safety
https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/
https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/31/kechi-police-lieutenant-arrested-using-police-technology-stalk-wife/
https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/former-kechi-police-lieutenant-sentenced-in-stalking-case/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2015/05/11/paradise-valley-license-plate-camera-reader/27144369/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-show-customers-license-plates-come-under-scrutiny-1475451302
https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/va-alpr.pdf
https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/42/4232.asp
https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/10/dea-plans-to-expand-license-plate-surveillance-program/
https://qz.com/1400791/that-road-sign-telling-you-how-fast-youre-driving-may-be-part-of-a-us-government-surveillance-network
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443995604578004723603576296
https://www.docsumo.com/blog/optical-character-recognition-history
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3330771.stm
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18001802465783784125
https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/texas/corpus-christi-police-use-basic-license-plate-readers-not-flock/
https://legislativeanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ALPRS-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf

This week, Margaret goes even deeper into the sordid history of Automated License Plate Readers and the people who have stood up against them
Sources:
<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/">https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/ https://azmirror.com/2019/07/08/arizona-police-agencies-gather-share-license-plate-data-but-few-ensure-rules-are-being-followed/ https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/aurora-police-detain-black-family-after-mistaking-their-vehicle-as-stolen https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs https://www.winonapost.com/news/crime/all-of-wpd-s-flock-cameras-stolen/article_9c61aa25-411b-4f2f-a5cd-ca02942f5f9f.html https://krocnews.com/stolen-flock-cameras-winona-mn/ https://www.winonapost.com/news/wpd-wont-replace-stolen-flock-cameras-citing-public-trust/article_06a67859-2d97-414b-aa8f-d8751ad214bb.html https://www.military.com/air-force-engineer-accused-of-cutting-down-13-police-cameras-says-they-are-unconstitutional https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/justice/2025/12/16/timeline-the-brief-troubled-history-of-flock-cameras-in-eugene-springfield/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/09/03/ai-startup-flock-thinks-it-can-eliminate-all-crime-in-america/ https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/flock-cameras-destroyed-nationwide-ice-backlash-2026/ https://ngscinc.com/history-license-plate-recognition https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/automatic-license-plate-readers-legal-status-and-policy-recommendations https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/ https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/state-house-hopeful-arrested-in-flock-fiasco/article_2bb9aca2-5ede-4f42-9329-a8754aad7350.html https://www.facebook.com/MontereyCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0YWZxSJqZSBJu2BDQiQQnWUqzNiYEoHxQEgF88NBRjRXfDwQxMtqfNyHoiry5m3Mel https://www.wlky.com/article/attorney-lmpd-flock-camera-scandal/69895783 https://www.alxnow.com/2026/07/14/alexandria-man-arrested-for-allegedly-destroying-multiple-license-plate-readers/ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/flock-camera-sawed-old-braeswood-22370015.php https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/flock-safety-cameras-vandalized-on-long-island-after-accusations-cop-tracked-lover/ https://nypost.com/2026/07/29/us-news/flock-cameras-vandalized-in-monterey-county/ https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/03/police-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-getting-pushback-florida/90915780007/ https://web.archive.org/web/20120819233022/http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html https://www.etymonline.com/word/scofflaw https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/anti-surveillance-mapmaker-refuses-flock-safetys-cease-and-desist-demand https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/ https://www.eff.org/document/flock-safety-cd-deflockme https://www.eff.org/document/eff-deflock-letter-flock-safety https://www.kwch.com/2022/11/04/kechi-police-lieutenants-arrest-puts-flock-technology-under-scrutiny/ https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/31/kechi-police-lieutenant-arrested-using-police-technology-stalk-wife/ https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/former-kechi-police-lieutenant-sentenced-in-stalking-case/ https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2015/05/11/paradise-valley-license-plate-camera-reader/27144369/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-show-customers-license-plates-come-under-scrutiny-1475451302 https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/va-alpr.pdf https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/42/4232.asp https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/10/dea-plans-to-expand-license-plate-surveillance-program/ https://qz.com/1400791/that-road-sign-telling-you-how-fast-youre-driving-may-be-part-of-a-us-government-surveillance-network https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443995604578004723603576296 https://www.docsumo.com/blog/optical-character-recognition-history http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3330771.stm https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18001802465783784125 https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/national-news/texas/corpus-christi-police-use-basic-license-plate-readers-not-flock/ https://legislativeanalysis.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ALPRS-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf</a>

Part Three: The Valiant War on Flock: How People Are Fighting Mass Surveillance

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2a9bc6bd-56a9-41e6-b6a8-b4be000f5ad0/transcript

Part Two: Cory Doctorow on Speculative Fiction for Social Change

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