Back in the day, we didn't have access to our weird uncle's every political thought. In the age of social media, though, we all too often do, making avoiding politics at family gatherings all the more difficult.

Endless Thread listeners share their stories of familial strife, and how they plan to navigate an especially politically divisive holiday season with integrity, humor, and love.

Credits: This episode was written by Ben Brock Johnson and produced by Grace Tatter. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. It was hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.

"Have you ever felt a deep personal connection to a person you met in a dream only to wake up feeling terrible because you realize they never existed?"

More than a decade ago, someone posted this question to Reddit. It was a popular post with many responses. But one response would go beyond the realm of popularity into something else. Internet canon, perhaps?

The Redditor gave a detailed account of their life. It was a good life, they said. But one day, it came to a crashing halt — because of a lamp.

The post would go on to inspire hundreds of memes and boggle the minds of countless people. Endless Thread's Ben Brock Johnson brings co-host Amory Sivertson the story of the strange lamp.

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Credits: This episode was produced by Ben Brock Johnson and Dean Russell. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. Our co-hosts are Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.

Truth Social is not just a Twitter knock-off. While the social media platform that Donald Trump launched after he was banned from Twitter in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol only has about 600,000 monthly active users (of what appears to be five million total accounts), it might play an important role in the presidential election.

Truth Social is where journalists go to get Trump's unfiltered takes. Even Vice President Kamala Harris is on it. Perhaps more importantly, Truth Social represents a significant proportion of Trump's personal net worth, making it potentially a critical tool for wealth and power.

Endless Thread decodes why Truth Social matters to all Americans, whether they're posting on X, or truthing on Truth Social, with help from misinformation and disinformation-focused Professor Jo Lukito, and Pro Publica's Robert Faturechi.

Show notes:

Trump Media Whistleblower Blasts Company for Outsourcing Jobs Abroad as Betrayal of “America First” (ProPublica)

Trump Media Quietly Enters Deal With a Republican Donor Who Could Benefit From a Second Trump Administration (ProPublica)

Trump loses $1.3 billion in net worth after the worst-ever day for his social media stock (CNN)

What to know about Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform (PBS News)