What went wrong with 23andMe’s business model and what it means for data privacy
23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and its co-founder and CEO has resigned as the struggling genetic testing company continues its push to cut costs. San Francisco-based 23andMe announced on Sunday that it will look to sell “substantially all of its assets” through a court-approved reorganization plan. Anne Wojcicki, who co-founded 23andMe nearly two decades ago, is also stepping down as CEO effective immediately, the company said — but will remain on the 23andMe board. Her resignation comes just weeks after a board committee rejected a nonbinding acquisition proposal from Wojcicki, who has been trying to take the company private. And Wojcicki intends to still bid on 23andMe as the company pursues a sale through the bankruptcy process. 23andMe has faced an uncertain future for some time. Beyond battles to go private, the company struggled to find a profitable business model since going public in 2021. Privacy concerns related to customers’ genetic information have also emerged, notably spanning from a 2023 data breach — along with questions around what new ownership could mean for users’ data. Today on AirTalk, we’ll discuss why the business model of 23andMe was doomed to fail and what its possible sale means for consumers’ data. We’re joined by Alicia McElhaney, bankruptcy reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and Brian E. Ray, professor of law and Director of the Center for Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection at Cleveland State University.
With files from the Associated Press
A new desalination technology promises reliable water. But is there a cost?
A new desalination technology from the Menlo Park-based company OceanWell is attempting to address the state’s water challenges. California already uses desalination techniques at a few plants across the state, but they’ve been a lightning rod for controversy due to their environmental impacts. This new technology, however, which includes 40-foot long pods lowered onto the ocean floor, aims to generate fresh water without the environmental drawbacks. Some local water districts, like Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, have already bought in. Joining us this morning on AirTalk to explain how the technology works and how it might become a reliable supply of water is Robert Bergstrom, chief executive officer of OceanWell, a California-based water technology company and David Pedersen, general manager of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.
Do genes determine who we are or our environment? A new book tries to find the answer
Science has come a long way in analyzing our DNA and predicting individuals' predisposition for certain behaviors and ailments. The polygenic index, or PGI, a quantitative measure that can tell you someone's height, likeliness of depression, and even predict educational achievement, is an enticing tool that seems to prove that everything we do all leads back to our genetic make-up. But the longstanding debate of nature vs. nurture may be too black and white, as Dalton Conley, professor of sociology at Princeton University, explains in his new book The Social Genome (W. W. Norton & Company, 2025). Our genes can indicate which environments we may seek out or be drawn to, but our environment also influences how those genes get expressed and developed. The genes of our parents, partners, and friends, also play a role. The genes of our parents determine which traits get passed on to us, but our parents' genes can also influence how they decide to raise us, and how they interact with each other. Who we are and where we end up in life is less a circumstance of chance, and more of a cocktail of genetic predispositions and environmental influences. Today on AirTalk, we're joined by Dalton Conley to talk about his new book The Social Genome and discuss how genetics and the environments in which they form influence everything from our appearance to who our friends are.
FBI probes Tesla-centric violence – we dig into the acts and what’s considered ‘domestic terrorism’
Attacks on property carrying the logo of Elon Musk’s electric-car company are popping up across the U.S. and overseas, along with protests nationwide in response to the billionaire’s work with the Trump administration, cutting federal funding and the workforce. As it stands, there have been federal charges made with some of these Tesla-related crimes, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting a probe into the violent activity, with FBI Director Kash Patel having referred to these acts as “domestic terrorism.” This begs the question: What’s considered domestic terrorism? And will the trends continue as Elon Musk continues to hold a prominent voice in the Trump Administration? Joining us today is David Ferris, electric vehicles reporter for POLITICO, and Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, professor emeritus at CSUSB and chair of California’s Commission on the State of Hate. We also want to hear from you! Are you a Tesla driver? Have you experienced any negative behaviors? Has the situation influenced how you feel about driving the car? Call us at 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
With files from the Associated Press
What’s the story behind your nickname? Listeners share what their nickname means to them
What’s in a name? Quite a bit, actually. At least according to Gordon Allport, a founding voice in the psychological study of personality, who said in 1961, “the most important anchorage to our self-identity throughout life remains our own name.” And for some, that anchor point is their chosen nickname. Whether self-established or hand-delivered by friends or family, every nickname comes to us with a story — a journey of self discovery, an inside joke, or, perhaps, a reflection on identity. Cultural background may even have its influences. Today on AirTalk, we want to hear from you. How did your nickname come about? And what does it mean to you? What impact has your nickname had on you? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
