On this week’s Podcast Top 5, Emily Soule dives into the latest in podcasting: Podcasts are now a major news source, with 54% of U.S. adults tuning in and Republicans reportedly trusting them twice as much as Democrats. YouTube launches YouTube Labs, offering AI music hosts that bring trivia, stories, and commentary to your playlists.

Over in the UK, HERA, a female-founded video podcast network, is putting women front and center in media. And Megaphone-hosted publishers on Spotify are getting a major ad tech upgrade, including video ads, clickable ads, and smarter targeting with first-party data.

Plus, this week’s podcast pick is Drop A Pin, where The Wonton Don and Uncle Chaps take listeners on hilarious, wild, and sometimes profound adventures around the world. Discovered via mowPod Charts, it’s the perfect mix of travel, comedy, and storytelling.