You Should Listen to Paxton Smith

I am more confident about the future after listing to Paxton Smith on the Pivot podcast. Paxton is the bright, intelligent, and bold valedictorian who hijacked her own speech to say what was really on her mind in the wake of the anti-choice legislation signed by Texas Governor Greb Abbott.

Although she took some good-natured ribbing at the end for her current decision to study entertainment and pop music performance at the University of Texas, I suspect she knows exactly what she is doing. It suggests to me that she is a pragmatic person that does not want to get stuck spinning her wheels with by-the-book activism and speeches.

She understands that pop culture moves people and sways opinion. And that is how you move the needle in the direction you want.

Trump Takes Office, TikTok’s Brief Shutdown, and Crypto Cronyism – Pivot

Kara and Scott are coming to you on a Wednesday to discuss President Trump’s inauguration, and his barrage of Day 1 executive orders. Then, TikTok is back in the U.S. after briefly shutting down: what happens next? Also, President Biden’s last-minute pardons, Vivek Ramaswamy’s DOGE departure, and the First Couple’s meme coin frenzy. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us on Bluesky at @pivotpod.bsky.social. Follow us on TikTok at @pivotpodcast. Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at nymag.com/pivot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices