Topic: Koch Foundation

Facebook has granted a group of academics called "Social Science One" access to 2.2 billion records to study how social media influences elections. The initiative is backed by $25 million from various nonprofits, including the Knight Foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation. Critics express concern over the mass sharing of user data with researchers and question the actual impact of social media on voter behavior.

The hosts discuss the public perception of the Koch brothers, noting their history as anti-Vietnam War activists and their role in founding libertarian institutions like the Cato Institute. They argue that progressive animosity toward the brothers is primarily due to their connection to the oil and plastics industries.