ICE Is Turning Real Conflict Into Viral Content

In this episode of “Galaxy Brain,” host Charlie Warzel speaks with the reporter Ryan Broderick about how the internet’s fragmentation of attention and facts has bled into real-world political violence in Minneapolis this month. From the viral spread of a right-wing video about day-care fraud in Minnesota to the aggressive ICE activity in the region that followed, the episode charts how online content routinely shapes government action and public perception.

Broderick, who spent days in Minneapolis after the shooting of Renee Nicole Good, describes what he saw on the ground: how protesters and law enforcement are behaving differently this time around, especially with regard to filming and digital organizing. The conversation explores a novel and concerning feedback loop where what happens online spurs real-world interventions, which then generate more content for audiences elsewhere, compounding division and uncertainty about what’s true.

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00:00 Introduction
01:38 The Dual Realities of America
04:44 Renee Goode, ICE Protests, and Documentation
07:07  Ryan Broderick on His Experiences in Minneapolis
10:14 The Role of Technology in Protests
13:01 Content Creators and ICE
22:12 The Administration's Media Strategy
24:55 The Influence of Right-Wing Media
29:45 The Impact on American Society
38:52 The Future of ICE and Trumpism
43:58 How Did We Get Here?
46:11 Conclusion