Minimum wage to go from $7 to $15 this year

Claire Peterson on January 2, 2023

…

Minimum wage: News of an increase in the minimum wage for workers was announced at the start of the year.

Because the federal minimum wage has stood at $7.25 an hour since 2009, workers in more than half of the states have advocated higher pay.

Several states and cities already have set their own minimum wage rates, but most plan to implement them in 2023.

The news

Higher minimum salaries for this year have been declared in 26 states.

The US payroll specialists at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory said that one more state would join the update in July.

According to the Economics Policy Institute, 23 states, including Washington, DC, began implementing the higher compensation on January 1.

As a result, eight million workers will be impacted.

There will be wage increases ranging from 23 cents to $1.50.

States implementing the minimum wage increase

Delaware: $10.50 – $11.75
Illinois: $12 – $13
Maryland: $12.50 – $13.25
Massachusetts: $14.25 – $15
Michigan: $9.87 – $10.10
Missouri: $11.15 – $12
Nebraska: $9 – $10.50
New Jersey: $13 – $14.13 (includes inflation adjustment)
New York: $13.20 – $15 (in and around the city), $14.20 (upstate New York)
Rhode Island: $12.25 – $13
Virginia: $11 – $12

States that will implement the increase later this year

Connecticut: $14 – $15 (July 1 implementation)
Florida: $11 – $12 (September)
Nevada: $9.50 – $10.25 (firms with benefits), $10.50 – $11.25 (firms without benefits)
Oregon: $13.50 (July 1 implementation)

Catalysts

Inflation hit a 40-year high, and people were having difficulty keeping up with rising costs, so last summer, a critical choice was made.

Sebastian Martinez Hickey of EPI said:

“The fact that there’s high inflation really just underscores how necessary these minimum wage increases are for workers.”

“Even before the pandemic, there was no country in the United States where you could affordably live as a single adult at $15 an hour.”

The pandemic and the economic recovery made the wealth divide in America painfully clear.

Over the past two years, significant employers’ initiatives to raise the minimum wage have been sparked by poor working conditions and low salaries.

Additionally, the pandemic contributed to a prolonged gap between the supply and demand for labor.

Labor

Due to a personnel shortage that affected employers during the majority of the year, the average annual hourly salary increased.

Even when workers in competitive industries learned their new pay was higher than inflation, skyrocketing inflation exceeded most compensation.

Californian economics professor Michael Reich said:

“The story is different because wages have been increasing at the low-end, much faster than inflation and much faster than in middle- or high-wage jobs.”

“And that means that many workers, even in the $7.25 states, are already getting paid above the minimum wage.”

“Even though the minimum wage might go up by 7% in many states and cities, labor costs aren’t going to go up anywhere as much as they have in the past,” Reich added.

“Because they have already gone up. That also means that prices aren’t going to go up at [places like] restaurants.”

Impact

Joe Biden, the US president, launched initiatives to boost the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

In 2022, he signed an executive order raising the salaries of contractors and employees of the federal government to that amount.

However, Congress would need to approve any significant changes before they could occur in the country.

Although a fee increase was suggested, it wasn’t included in the legislation for the 2021 Covid-19 relief.

Kevin Werner of the Urban Institute, contends:

“As the gap between that and the federal minimum wage increases, it will be interesting to see if that can kind of spur more momentum for more states to increase their wages or try to get more momentum on the federal level.”

According to a September report from the Urban Institute, the $15 per hour pay adjustment would have an inﬂuence on 56 million workers.

As a result of the new minimum wage, the study simulated two scenarios in which no jobs were lost and two scenarios in which job losses were more remarkable.

“Even in our highest job loss scenario, we still found that on average, the average worker was better off, and that poverty declined overall,” said Werner.

“Even though some individual people who lost their jobs may have been worse off, the net effect was still positive.”

Workers

According to Kevin Werner, the bulk of laborers who would be impacted by the $15 minimum wage are older than 25.

The likelihood of relying on the minimum wage is higher for people of color and those living in poverty.

Werner made the point that raising the federal minimum wage would help those in need.

The CEO of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, Holly Sklar, maintains that raising the minimum wage can also increase consumer demand.

As a result, the local economy will be able to recover.

“Putting needed raises in minimum wage workers’ pockets [is] really the most efficient way you can boost the economy,” said Sklar.

“Those are the people who have to go right back around and spend it.”

References:

These states are raising their minimum wages in 2023. Chart shows where workers can expect higher pay

New Year’s pay boost: these states are raising their minimum wage

Luka Doncic hits triple-double in Mavericks comeback win

Jason Robinson on January 2, 2023

…

Luka Doncic: The point guard for the Dallas Mavericks topped himself on Tuesday night to lead his team to a comeback win against the New York Knicks.

The game

Luka Doncic’s performance was essential to the Mavericks’ campaign this season.

He turned around a nine-point deficit in the final 26.8 seconds of regulation time, severely cutting the New York Knicks’ lead.

Doncic stepped up toward the end of the game, tying the score before completing their win.

The Mavericks’ point guard, like any other player, upped his tempo when the side needed him the most.

The tie

Luka Doncic stood for the free throw with 4.2 seconds remaining.

The Mavericks and Knicks were separated by three points.

Doncic purposely missed his second shot in the hopes that a second Maverick would get the rebound.

The ball eventually ended up in Doncic’s hands after it bounced off the ring and slipped off the Knicks.

He quickly moved for a close-range jump shot.

When the shot went in, he didn’t realize the cheers were coming from the Mavericks fans until he stood up after falling.

While the rest of the team seemed eager to celebrate and Luka Doncic was visibly ecstatic, everyone else decided to stay on defense as the clock ran.

Finishing the game

As the game approached overtime, the Dallas Mavericks maintained their lead.

The Knicks were only able to make two free throws in the opening four minutes as the Mavericks forced overtime.

The Mavericks held off the Knicks with a five-point victory to complete the upset.

Luka Doncic scored seven of the Mavericks’ eleven points in overtime, giving him 60 points overall.

“I’m tired as hell,” said Doncic after the win. “I need a recovery beer.”

Records broken

Luka Doncic had a tremendous game against the Knicks and put up some impressive stats.

The point guard not only scored a career-high 60 points, but added 21 rebounds and 10 assists.

Doncic’s efforts have led to him becoming the youngest player in NBA history to ever register a triple-double of 60 points.

The Mavericks player set a new benchmark and a team scoring record.

Doncic’s performance

The remarkable 21-year career of Dirk Nowitzki was previously overseen by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

He was watching the Knicks game, where the next generation carried on Nowitzki’s legacy.

“We are watching greatness @luka7doncic,” he tweeted. “I’ve never seen anything like that ever.”

Luka Doncic became the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double of 60 points.

James Harden, who achieved a comparable feat with the Houston Rockets in 2018, established the record for the first 60-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist game.

In the past, only Wilt Chamberlain (who did it twice) and Elgin Baylor with a 20-board performance, along with six other players, were able to accomplish the rare 50-point triple-double.

But the icing on the cake goes beyond Doncic’s individual achievements.

NBA teams had a record of 0-13,884 during the previous 20 seasons when behind by more than nine points with 35 seconds or less left on the clock.

Reaction

The Mavericks’ previous record of 53 points (established by Dirk Nowitzki in 2004) was surpassed by Luka Doncic’s 60-point triple-double, which also set a new milestone for the team.

NBA players from the present and the past complimented the point guard on Twitter.

“It’ll be another statue in Dallas,” said Kevin Garnett. “Luka is like that!”

Chris Wood wrote, “@luka7doncic Im sending u a GOAT to yo farm my boy..60..great team W #MFFL.”

Theo Pinson lauded Doncic as one of the NBA’s top players this season in a tweet, writing:

“I don’t want to hear not 1 time that is AT LEAST top 3 in the MVP race all year!!!”

Paul Pierce offered his perspective by saying: “Luke is the best offensive player in the league I said offensive think about it.”

References:

Luka Doncic’s historic 60-point triple-double lifts Mavericks past Knicks in wild comeback

Mavericks star Luka Doncic posts historic triple-double in historic comeback

NBA players react to Luka Doncic’s historic 60-point triple-double

TikTok ban might be pushed back due to its popularity

Jason Robinson on January 2, 2023

…

TikTok: Over the past few years, the video-sharing app has drawn a lot of attention, and a ban looks inevitable.

Security problems have plagued TikTok consistently from the former President Donald Trump’s administration.

However, the business has endured the Trump term.

Since then, it has gained popularity, becoming the most downloaded app in the US between 2020 and 2022.

If the ban were to go into effect, it would have an effect on numerous business owners who were successful on TikTok.

The future of TikTok

In 2020, there were over 100 million users of the video-sharing app.

Over the following years, TikTok’s influence on American culture, influencers’ lives, and business owners’ lives grew.

During that time, Republican governors had started to be cautious of the app.

They recently ruled that state employees are not allowed to install TikTok on devices that belong to the government.

While this was going on, an FCC panel with a Republican majority pressed Apple and Google to take more severe action against TikTok.

A bill to ban the app in the US was introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio and two other US lawmakers.

A thorough investigation into TikTok’s and other social media platforms’ effects on younger users is currently ongoing as the political witch-hunt continues.

On whether the content on TikTok is appropriate for teenage viewers, there are differences of opinions.

Since the TikTok algorithm could lead to the uploading of potentially harmful content, worries concerning it are also frequently voiced.

Criticism

Washington has criticized TikTok because of its parent company’s connections to China.

The concerns grew after a Buzzfeed News report this year revealed that some US user data had been accessed from China.

According to a worker cited in the article, China could see everything.

While this was going on, TikTok acknowledged that some Chinese employees had access to user data from the US.

Negotiations

Negotiations between the video-sharing app and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) date back a few years.

They have been working to reach a compromise that would meet national security concerns while still enabling the app to run.

However, there have been reports of negotiation delays.

According to national security experts, TikTok’s popularity just makes it more challenging to ban the program.

The effectiveness of a ban on TikTok has been questioned by some of its critics.

A bill written by Senator Josh Hawley forbids TikTok from being used on US government devices.

He said last week that he would be okay with a deal between TikTok and the US government that safeguards user data.

“But if they don’t do that then I think we’re going to have to look at more stringent measures,” said Hawley.

The community

Even as lawmakers have stepped up their calls for stricter rules on the app, TikTok users have been developing a sense of community.

The video-sharing app has become a source of income for many people.

Through TikTok, the following were made possible:

Culinary habits
Fashion and beauty trends
Reviving old music
Popularizing new songs

Additionally, US politicians have promoted their campaigns for the midterm elections using TikTok.

The renowned news organization Associated Press, which has been around for 176 years, just joined the app in an effort to reach new audiences.

“So many people, myself included, are always on TikTok,” said user Kahlil Greene.

“That’s where we get our entertainment from, our news from, our musical taste from, our social inside jokes we make with friends come from memes that started on TikTok.”

Green has amassed more than 580,000 followers as a result of his documentation of social and cultural issues, as the “Gen Z historian.”

The Biden administration ultimately took notice of his popularity and invited him to a White House press briefing about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“So much of our culture and lives are driven by TikTok,” Greene added.

“Now that it’s not just something you can rip away easily.”

Popularity

TikTok is unquestionably one of the most popular social networking services in the US.

The company, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, is dedicated to moving user data to Oracle’s cloud platform.

Significant modifications are also being made to isolate US user data from that of other business sectors.

Weeks earlier, TikTok declared it will restructure its US-focused legal, policy, and content moderation teams in collaboration with a special internal committee led by US-based authorities.

In response to the bill, a TikTok spokesperson said:

“It’s troubling that rather than encouraging the Administration to conclude its national security review of TikTok, some members of Congress have decided to push for a politically-motivated ban that will do nothing to advance the national security of the United States.”

“We will continue to brief members of Congress on the plans that have been developed under the oversight of our country’s top national security agencies – plans that we are well underway in implementing – to further secure our platform in the United States.”

In addition, the spokesperson highlighted TikTok’s popularity by saying:

“TikTok is loved by millions of Americans who use the platform to learn, grow their businesses, and connect with creative content that brings them joy.”

Other notes

While other tech companies have been dismissing employees, TikTok has continued to hire staff, particularly American engineers.

Recent job listings suggest that the business may be attempting to build its own domestic warehouse network in an effort to overtake Amazon as the top online retailer.

TikTok’s enormous popularity poses issues for the federal government, according to Rick Sofield, a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP who specializes in export restrictions, national security reviews, and economic penalties.

“I think their minds are made up that ByteDance owning is a national security concern,” said Sofield.

“The reason that we’ve been hung up is it’s too big to fail, and they’re trying to figure out a soft landing.”

“There’s a whole lot of things I think that would have to happen first, before there’s a ban.”

Reference:

TikTok might be too big to ban, no matter what lawmakers say

Maxine Waters firm on having Sam Bankman-Fried attend hearing

Edward Anderson on January 2, 2023

…

Maxine Waters: On Friday, Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters invited Sam Bankman-Fried to a hearing in the House of Representatives via Twitter.

However, the founder of FTX said he wouldn’t be ready by then.

Today, Waters took to Twitter to enforce SBF to attend the December 13 House committee hearing about the FTX collapse.

The invite

Maxine Waters reached out to Sam Bankman-Fried again on Twitter.

This time, she was more adamant about his presence at the hearing.

“It is imperative that you attend our hearing on the 13th, and we are willing to schedule continued hearings if there is more information to be shared later,” Waters tweeted.

The California District 43 representative initially contacted SBF last week.

Early on, Maxine Waters thanked the founder of FTX, as the invitation to testify was not a request or a subpoena.

SBF wrote back to her on Sunday, writing:

“Once I have finished learning and reviewing what happened, I would feel like it was my duty to appear before the committee and explain.”

“I’m not sure that will happen by the 13th. But when it does, I will testify.”

Reiterated invitation

After he turned her down, Maxine Waters’ patience with Bankman-Fried seemed to have run out.

In a second invitation, Waters did not hold back and stressed the importance of SBF’s presence in Washington.

“Based on your role as CEO and your media interviews over the past few weeks, it’s clear to us that the information you have thus far is sufficient for testimony.”

“As you know, the collapse of FTX has harmed over one million people,” she continued.

“Your testimony would not only be meaningful to Members of Congress, but is also critical to the American people.”

Crypto Twitter

The Crypto Space on Twitter took notice of the exchange between Maxine Waters and Sam Bankman-Friede.

One user commented, saying their back-and-forth looks more appropriate.

Meanwhile, another rallied behind the representative, saying:

“Ms Waters, with all due respect – let’s stop flirting with the inevitable outcome and cut the crap.”

“Begin the process of extradition to bring him back to US soil where he can be tried and properly judged for his gross and fraudulent misconduct.”

“Send a subpoena.”

Whether SBF will appear on December 13 remains to be seen, but he already has a long line of officials and regulators waiting to speak with him.

Reference:

US Rep. Maxine Waters insists SBF attend FTX hearing on Capitol Hill

Caroline Ellison and SBF responsible for FTX collapse

Edward Anderson on January 2, 2023

…

Caroline Ellison: The former CEO of FTX’s sister company, Alameda, testified before a judge that she and Sam Bankman-Fried misrepresented lenders about their financial information.

Ellison agreed with the former FTX CEO that Alameda’s lenders were provided “materially misleading financial statements.”

The news

After Caroline Ellison’s trial testimony was given on December 19, SBF was not released on a $250 million bond until three days later, at which point the transcript of her testimony was released publicly.

Judge Ronnie Abrams of the US District Court listened as the former Alameda CEO said, “I am truly sorry for what I did – I knew that it was wrong.”

“Did you also know that it was illegal?” the court asked her to clarify.

“Yes,” Ellison answered.

Federal charges

Last week, Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, the other co-founder of FTX, pleaded guilty to federal charges for their involvement in the frauds that caused the company’s collapse.

The two had been charged, according to attorneys for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission alleges that they were charged with participating in a scheme to defraud equity investors.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) stated that a revision had been made to its fraud complaint.

Ellison and Wang, according to US Attorney Damian Williams, accepted guilty pleas.

Williams also thanked the assistance of the Bahamas, the US Embassy there, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

The Southern District of New York is cooperating with Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison.

They didn’t disclose their plea deals until Sam Bankman-Fried was on his way from the Bahamas to the US.

The financial statements

The misleading financial statements, according to Caroline Ellison, were derived from “quarterly balance sheets that concealed the extent of Alameda’s borrowing and the billions of dollars in loans that Alameda had made.”

“I agreed with Mr. Bankman-Fried and others not to publicly disclose the true nature of the relationship between Alameda and FTX, including Alameda’s credit arrangement,” said Ellison.

The following people reported about the transcript after reading it:

New York Times
Reuters
Bloomberg

Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press tweeted a portion of the transcript.

Early reports

The employees of FTX and Alameda were either aware of or oblivious of what was happening between the two companies, according to reports that surfaced last week.

Before Ellison and Wang submitted guilty to their charges, the ambiguity was the subject of much speculation.

However, Caroline Ellison’s remarks confirmed rumors that FTX had treated Alameda uniquely.

Alameda was given permission to take money out of its sister company.

Ellison said:

“I understood that FTX executives had implemented special settings on Alameda’s FTX.com account that permitted Alameda to maintain negative balances in various fiat currencies and crypto currencies.”

“In practical terms, this arrangement permitted Alameda access to an unlimited line of credit without being required to post collateral, without having to pay interest on negative balances and without being subject to margin calls or FTX.com’s liquidation protocols.”

The company’s huge debt and what it entailed were both recognized to the former Alameda CEO and others, she said.

“I understood that if Alameda’s FTX accounts had significantly negative balances in a particular currency,” she continued.

“It meant that Alameda was borrowing funds that FTX’s customers deposited onto the exchange.”

SBF

Sam Bankman-Fried and other executives, according to Caroline Ellison, allegedly took loans from Alameda while participating in a number of “large illiquid venture investments.”

She said that she and others had agreed to borrow from FTX in the billions of dollars in order to pay back the loans.

“I understood that FTX would need to use customer funds to finance its loans to Alameda,” Ellison shared.

“Most FTX customers did not expect that FTX would lend out their digital asset holdings and fiat currency deposits to Alameda in this fashion.”

Caroline Ellison also spoke to the FTX collapse victims, saying:

“I want to apologize for my actions to the affected customers of FTX, lenders to Alameda, and investors in FTX.”

“Since FTX and Alameda collapsed in November 2022, I have worked hard to assist with the recovery of assets for the benefit of customers and to cooperate with the government’s investigation.”

“I am here today to accept my responsibility for my actions by pleading guilty.”

References:

Caroline Ellison ‘knew that it was wrong,’ implicates Sam Bankman-Fried

Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang plead guilty, cooperating in FTX investigation

SEC says Ellison, Wang ‘knew or were reckless in not knowing’ about FTX fraud

Robots prove clinical to restaurant industry this year

Leah Cooper on January 2, 2023

…

Robots: The hospitality industry, and restaurants in particular, have adjusted their strategies to incorporate more technology in recent years.

Recently, more AI has been incorporated into restaurants.

For instance, Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing whether robots can make tortilla chips at some of its branches.

Meanwhile, two Sweetgreen locations intend to automate the creation of their salads.

Starbucks wants to upgrade its coffee-brewing equipment to lighten the workload for its baristas.

The progress so far

In 2022, the restaurant industry announced a number of automation initiatives.

Operators scrambled to find solutions for the diminishing staff and growing wages, which led to the decision.

However, efforts have varied during the course of the year.

It will be years before utilizing robots pays off for businesses or replaces employees, according to experts.

David Henkes, the principal of the restaurant industry analysis firm Technomic, said:

“I think there’s a lot of experimentation that is going to lead us somewhere at some point.”

“But we’re still a very labor intensive, labor-driven industry.”

Early struggles

Prior to the pandemic, hiring and retaining workers was a challenge for restaurants.

Those who were laid off looked for other jobs as the pandemic just made the issue more evident.

The National Restaurant Association reports that a shortage of competent workers prevents three-quarters of restaurants from operating at full capacity.

Although restaurant operators increased pay to entice personnel, the rising cost of food also put pressure on profits.

Automation-focused startups presented themselves as the solution, saying that robots are more dependable than burnt-out humans at completing tasks.

They noted that artificial intelligence allows for more precise drive-thru order entry into computers.

Automation

Most of the announcements in 2022 came from Miso Robotics, which secured $108 million in November.

They were valued at $523 million, according to Pitchbook.

The company’s most significant invention is a robot named Flippy.

Flippy may be configured to prepare chicken wings and burgers for a monthly rental fee of $3,000.

White Castle promised to install 100 additional Flippy models while renovating four locations.

A new tortilla chip-making robot named Chippy is now being tested by Chipotle Mexican Grill at a site in California.

Miso’s CEO, Mike Bell, stated:

“The highest value benefit that we bring to a restaurant is not to reduce their expenses, but to allow them to sell more and generate a profit.”

Flippy hasn’t been able to go past the testing phase at Buffalo Wild Wings after operating there for more than a year.

Other progress

One of the privately held startups that Inspire Brands claimed it collaborated with to automate the frying of chicken wings is called Miso.

Startup Picnic Works produces equipment for adding cheese, sauce, and other condiments on top of pizza.

A Domino’s franchise is now testing the technology in Berlin.

As a starting point, Picnic Works charges $3,250 per month to hire out its equipment.

CEO Clayton Wood claims that the subscription makes the technology more affordable for smaller businesses.

According to Pitchbook, Picnic Works raised $13.8 million at a $58.8 million valuation.

Panera Bread has been testing automated ordering using AI technologies.

It also has a temperature and volume tracking Miso system to improve the quality of the coffee.

“Automation is one word, and a lot of people go right to robotics and a robot flipping burgers or making fries,” said Panera Bread chief digital officer George Hanson.

“That is not our focus.”

Even with the advancements, success is not guaranteed.

Beginning in 2020, Zume ceased employing robots to prepare, cook, and deliver food.

Instead, the company focused on food packaging.

Labor

Workers and labor advocates frequently criticize employers for eliminating jobs through the use of robots and automation in the workplace.

Meanwhile, restaurant operators have touted their efforts as a way to improve working conditions and eliminate more challenging tasks.

The process of creating salads will be automated at two new Sweetgreen locations that will be built next year using technology created by the startup Spyce.

The new restaurant model, according to Nic Jammet, co-founder and CCO of Sweetgreen, requires fewer workers for shifts.

Jammet noted that lower turnover rates and more employee satisfaction were secondary advantages.

According to Dalhousie University economist Casey Warman, the industry’s penchant for automation will lead to a permanent drop in the number of workers.

“Once the machines are in place, they’re not going to go backwards, especially if there’s large cost savings,” said Warman.

He continued by saying that the pandemic significantly decreased resistance to automation.

In the early stages of the pandemic, customers were accustomed to grocery store self-checkout lanes and relied on mobile apps to make their food orders.

Ball State University assistant professor Dina Zemke studies consumer perceptions of restaurant automation.

Customers were sick of restaurants’ limited hours and slow service, Zemke noted, because of a labor shortage.

In a third-quarter Technomic study, 22% of the owners of more than 500 restaurants said they were investing in equipment that would eliminate the need for kitchen staff.

19% of households also started using labor-saving technologies for ordering.

Skepticism

Although there are benefits to automation, it is still uncertain whether there will be any cost savings.

McDonald’s tested order-taking technology for drive-thrus years ago after acquiring the AI startup Apprente.

Months after announcing the test, the fast food giant sold the unit to IBM as part of a collaboration to improve the technology.

In over twenty Illinois test branches, the voice-ordering program’s accuracy was only 80%, falling short of the targeted 95% accuracy.

During an earnings call this summer, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski discussed automation.

“The idea of robots and all of those things, while it maybe is great for garnering headlines, it’s not practical in the vast majority of restaurants,” said Kempczinski.

“The economics don’t pencil out. You’re not going to see that as a broad-based solution anytime soon.”

However, the potential for automation in trivial tasks is higher.

White Castle vice president Jamie Richardson asserted that innovations like Coca-Cola Freestyle machines had a bigger impact on sales.

“Sometimes the bigger automation investments we make aren’t as earth shattering,” said Richardson.

Reference:

Why restaurant chains are investing in robots and what it means for workers

The Last of Us announce podcast to accompany the show

Edward Anderson on January 2, 2023

…

The Last of Us: Because of the upcoming HBO adaptation of the game, fans of The Last of Us are excited that 2023 is less than a week away.

HBO kept the excitement going by announcing a companion podcast for the show after the release of teaser pictures and an official trailer.

Troy Baker, who provided Joel’s voice in the video game, will make an appearance on the The Last of Us podcast.

Beyond the video game, Baker is involved in other projects.

He also plays a role in the show.

In addition, he’ll also host the podcast that accompanies it.

The show

The Last of Us is a 2013 PlayStation 3 video game that has been adapted into a television series by HBO.

Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a carpenter forced to become a smuggler, and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, will be the main protagonists of the television show.

Ellie is essential to understanding the Apocalypse, hence she plays a key part in both platforms.

The television adaptation of The Last of Us will cover the first game in the series, as well as its downloadable feature, The Last of Us: Left Behind.

Three weeks before the main plot’s events in Left Behind, Riley and Ellie’s relationship is featured.

Podcast

Troy Baker, who has been confirmed to play a new character for the show, will host the companion podcast, according to a statement from HBO Max.

The show’s creators, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, will go through each episode with Baker, scene by scene.

Although the first episode of the podcast hasn’t yet been released, many believe it will broadcast following the January 15 release of The Last of Us.

The Last of Us is not the first well-known television program to have a companion podcast produced.

In-depth podcasts by the production teams or the series’ stars on currently airing TV shows have become highly popular.

Craig Mazin, the co-creator of The Last of Us, is one of many who saw the value of podcasts.

He had previously made a significant contribution to the podcast that dissected each episode of the HBO miniseries The Chernobyl Podcast.

The Last of Us may have been inspired by the podcasting experience.

How the series varies from the game will likely be discussed on the podcast.

HBO podcasts

One of the big studios to benefit from the launch of a podcast companion to their show is HBO.

HBO also created companion podcasts for Succession and House of the Dragon in addition to Chernobyl.

The first season of the acclaimed show was covered in The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon, which featured several noteworthy guests, including co-creator Ryan Condal.

Meanwhile, HBO’s Succession Podcast delves deeper into the machinations of the Roy family.

With the aid of journalists, psychologists, and members of the show’s staff, to name a few, the podcast links the content to actual events.

Other podcasts

The Office and the groundbreaking superhero series Smallville are two more well-known TV programs that have made the transition to podcasts.

Instead of the studios, the stars made the podcasts.

Office Ladies was conceived by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who respectively portrayed Pam Beesly and Angela Martin on the television sitcom The Office.

Producer Greg Daniels, actors Steve Carrell and John Krasinski, and more have appeared as guests on the show.

Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum co-host Talk Ville.

In the prequel series Smallville, the two actors played a young Clark Kent/Superman and Lex Luthor.

The Last of Us viewers will probably learn more about the show’s plot, characters, and other changes.

Additionally, once the companion podcast launches, they will discover some intriguing insider information.

Reference:

Last of Us show getting companion podcast from Joel video game actor