Sex tapes, hush money, and Hollywood's secret economy

Plus: uniting the national grid, the terrible T-Mobile/Sprint merger, and the rise of Clubhouse. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 02.25.21   SHOCK VALUE Texas' Icy Disaster Makes the Case for Uniting the US Grid BY MATT SIMON The national grid is split into sections that can't share much power. Connecting them won't be cheap or easy, but it will help usher in the future of energy.   OPINION The Terrible T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Must Be Undone BY HAL SINGER It should have never been allowed, and it's led to anticompetitive behavior. The Antitrust Division needs to roll it back.   SOCIAL MEDIA Clubhouse Is Booming. So Is the Ecosystem Around It BY ARIELLE PARDES A wave of startups, features, and tools has sprung up around the popular audio app. And some are looking to cash in.   BACKCHANNEL Sex Tapes, Hush Money, and Hollywood's Economy of Secrets BY AMANDA CHICAGO LEWIS Meet Kevin Blatt, the celebrity fixer who's a master at shepherding compromising material off the internet—or into the hands of the highest bidder. GET WIRED Get 1 year of WIRED access for less than $1 a month. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.   MOVIES Lapsis and the Rise of Gig-Economy Sci-Fi BY KATE KNIBBS Like Sorry to Bother You, Noah Hutton's feature debut uses genre to prod the callous excesses of capitalism   REGULATION California Can Now Enforce Its Net Neutrality Law BY JON BRODKIN, ARS TECHNICA A judge ruled earlier this week on the law, which has faced challenges from lobbyists representing internet providers as well as the Trump administration.   OLD SCHOOL Teaching Classic Lit Helps Game Designers Make Better Stories BY CINDY FRENKEL Are you game? See How Homer, Faulkner, and Ibsen can help.   BUYING GUIDE The 5 Best Apps to Get Live TV Without Cable BY MEDEA GIORDANO AND GEAR TEAM You don't have to give up sports or talk shows when you cut the cord. These apps let you stream the same TV channels over the internet.   FIRST PLACE How This Old-School Road Runner Learned to Love Virtual Races BY ALYSSA AGES Virtual racing means cool swag, inventive race-day encouragement, and a pre-race bathroom to call your own. Here's how you can get to the starting line.     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or Manage your newsletter subscriptions