Topic: Tacos

The discussion on ultra-processed foods shifted to the economics of healthy eating, with the hosts arguing that home-cooked meals are often cheaper than fast food. They cited the example of a Taco Bell tostada, which can be replicated at home for a fraction of the price using higher-quality ingredients. Listeners were encouraged to buy beef directly from ranchers to save money and improve their metabolic health, particularly in low-income settings.

Houthi rebels claimed to have sunk the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, a claim the ship's captain, Christopher Hill, dismissed as "comical" via social media. Hill posted videos of "Taco Tuesday" and the ship's facility dog to maintain morale. The hosts discuss the high cost of maintaining a carrier strike group in a combat zone.

A rapid-fire news segment covers Dollar Tree closing 1,000 stores, the European Union's approval of the Artificial Intelligence Act, and Taco Bell closing dining rooms in Oakland due to crime. The segment also touches on the failed partnership between Elon Musk and Don Lemon on the X platform.

The show concludes with a travel report preview for Spain and a series of end-of-show music mixes. The final segment features a satirical song about the homelessness and sanitation crisis in San Francisco, referencing a "20-pound bag of poop" found on the street. The hosts sign off with their traditional catchphrases and credits for the "Techno Experts."

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open episode 1570 by discussing IHOP's new "Pancake Taco" menu item. The conversation shifts to the 4th of July holiday, including a musician friend's visit to Nashville and the spectacle of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Joey "Jaws" Chestnut's victory with 62 hot dogs is noted as a uniquely American tradition.

The hosts contrast "native advertising"—ads that look like news stories—with their own "value-for-value" model. They mock the "seamless" integration of brands into podcasting, using Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza and Oreo research as examples of corporate manipulation. The segment emphasizes that No Agenda was built on listener support rather than the "midroll ads" that have become standard in the industry.

The episode wraps up with a humorous anecdote about an ant invasion and a musical montage featuring themes of "Value for Value." The mix includes news clips about the popularity of Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza and a study comparing the addictive qualities of Oreos to drugs. The hosts sign off with their traditional "Adios Mofos" and a reminder to support the show at dvorak.org/na.

George Monbiot proposed replacing traditional meat with "microbial protein" produced through precision fermentation in factories. Simultaneously, Taco Bell is testing a new soy and pea protein meat alternative in Alabama, a move the hosts compare to the futuristic "Demolition Man" scenario where all restaurants are Taco Bells.

NPR utilizes "embedded content modules" in its podcasts to bypass strict radio regulations regarding native advertising. While traditional broadcasts are limited to simple sponsorship credits, the podcast format allows for more integrated promotional segments, such as a recent ad for a Mexican-style taco pizza. This distinction allows the network to monetize digital content more aggressively than over-the-air signals.

Taco Bell is launching "Mexican Pizza: The Musical" on TikTok featuring Dolly Parton and Doja Cat to celebrate the return of the menu item. This follows a suspicious two-minute segment on NPR that appeared to be an undisclosed native advertisement. The discussion also critiques Taco Bell's experimental menu items, such as their "mealy" seasoned french fries.

The hosts identify a two-minute segment on NPR about the return of Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza as a "native ad." The piece features comedian Rima Parikh discussing the item's popularity among South Asian Americans. The hosts argue the segment's precise timing and promotional content violate NPR's traditional journalistic standards.

National delivery delays are causing "outages" of food and beverage items at Taco Bell and Starbucks, including a shortage of hot sauce. The used car market is also seeing extreme inflation, with dealers offering thousands of dollars over lease payoffs for three-year-old vehicles. These disruptions are attributed to a combination of labor shortages and quasi-universal basic income policies.

A Taco Bell employee's video went viral after he was fired for refusing to remove a Black Lives Matter face mask. The manager in the video claimed the mask violated company policy against bringing politics into the workplace, while the employee argued he was standing up for his community. The incident sparked the trending hashtag RIP Taco Bell and calls for the manager's termination.

A satirical interview segment features "Bill" from a taco shell manufacturing facility. The discussion touches on the absurdity of corporate "native ad" podcasts and the engineering of "stand-up" taco shells with flat bottoms.

The hosts discuss the selection of show artwork and titles, noting the high volume of "taco" themed submissions following a previous episode. They ultimately selected a piece by Mike Riley titled "Environmental Projection Agency," inspired by an Al Sharpton teleprompter error.

A host provided a scathing review of the new Burger King hard-shell taco, describing it as a "soggy piece of shit" that fails to live up to its commercial imagery. The discussion compared the product to the Jack in the Box taco and criticized Taco Bell's recent attempt to enter the french fry market. The hosts joked about starting a "Shellcast" podcast dedicated to taco reviews.

Taco from Den Dolder was knighted as Sir Taki following a significant donation. The hosts reflected on the success of a recent meetup in Iowa and challenged producers in the San Francisco Bay Area to organize an event that could compete with the scale of the upcoming Texas "No Jendependence" gathering.

Israeli firm Aleph Farms is developing cultured meat grown from cells in a lab, aiming to provide a slaughter-free alternative to traditional beef. Proponents argue this technology is necessary to meet global demand and combat climate change. Skeptics question the "mouthfeel" and texture of lab-grown steaks compared to natural cuts of meat.

The program concluded with observations on the rising popularity of authentic Northern Mexico-style tacos in New York City, noting the price difference between street trucks and sit-down restaurants. The hosts signed off with a "Trump-heavy" music mix and a reminder for listeners to support the show through the value-for-value model. The next episode is scheduled for the following Thursday.

Adam Curry revisits a 2013 clip from ABC News that he now identifies as an early example of "native advertising." The segment featured a human-interest story about customers "screaming" for a new Taco Bell product. Curry argues that major news networks frequently integrate paid corporate promotions into their standard news broadcasts under the guise of reporting.