Megan Garcia says her teenage son, Sewell Setzer III, died by suicide after developing a harmful attachment to an AI companion chatbot. She has filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, accusing the company of negligence.

In this episode of Now You Know, Megan looks back on some of the warning signs other parents might find useful as they navigate this digital age. We also speak to one of her lawyers, Meetali Jain, about this unique case.

In this episode:

• Megan Garcia, (IG), Mother of Sewell Setzer III
• Meetali Jain, Lawyer, Director & Founder | The Tech Justice Law Project

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana, Zaina Badr, and our Host, Samantha Johnson.

Munera AlDosari is the engagement producer. Aya Elmileik is our lead of engagement.

Our sound designer is Joe Plourde. Our video editor is Catherine Hallinan.

Jo de Frias is Now You Know’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or be in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

How can African art be reclaimed and re-defined so that African voices are amplified? Like in many other fields, people from the continent have been overlooked or underrepresented in the art world. So how can that change?

In this episode of Now You Know, we chat with Adora Mba from ADA Contemporary Art Gallery in Ghana. She tells us about her mission to showcase emerging African artists and reshape Western perceptions of Africa through art.

In this episode:

Adora Mba, (IG), Founder | ADA contemporary art gallery (IG)

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Zaina Badr, Fahrinisa Campana, and our Host, Samantha Johnson.

Munera AlDosari is the engagement producer. Aya Elmileik is our lead of engagement.

Our sound designer is Joe Plourde. Alex Roldan mixed this episode. Our video editor is Catherine Hallinan.

Jo de Frias is Now You Know’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Diana Buttu is a Palestinian international human rights lawyer who’s previously been involved in negotiations with Israelis. Often the only woman at the negotiating table, Diana brings a unique perspective to the complex dialogue surrounding peace.

In this episode of Now You Know, she shares her experiences navigating the challenges of high-stakes discussions and offers a firsthand account of life in the occupied West Bank.

In this episode:

Diana Buttu, (X or IG), International Human Rights Lawyer

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ruby Zaman, Fahrinisa Campana, Zaina Badr, and our Host, Samantha Johnson.

Munera AlDosari is the engagement producer. Aya Elmileik is our lead of engagement.

Our sound designer is Joe Plourde. Our video editor is Catherine Hallinan.

Jo de Frias is Now You Know’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

On January 19, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect. But Gaza lies in ruins with at least 46,000 Palestinians killed, and two-thirds of all buildings now damaged or destroyed.

In this episode of Now You Know, we speak to Gaza-based Communications Specialist for UNICEF, Rosalia Bollen, about what a ceasefire means for Palestinians in Gaza right now, especially for the children, and what’s ahead on the path to rebuilding lives and communities.

* This episode was recorded on January 21, on day three of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Since then, Israel has killed a number of Palestinians in Gaza.

In this episode:

• Rosalia Bollen, ( X ), Communications Specialist in Gaza | UNICEF

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana, Zaina Badr, Ruby Zaman and our Host, Samantha Johnson.

Munera AlDosari is the engagement producer. Aya Elmileik is our lead of engagement.

Our sound designer is Joe Plourde. Our video editor is Catherine Hallinan.

Jo de Frias is Now You Know’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Online dating is one of the surest and quickest ways to meet someone. The possibilities of finding what you’re looking for are as wide as the internet search. Sometimes you find who you want, but for more and more women, swiping left has exposed them to untold dangers. Increasingly, online dating has become a space where women are being exposed to sexual violence and abuse.

This week on Now You Know we talk to Jackie Cruz, a sexual violence researcher, about how women can stay safe on dating apps.

In this episode:

• Jackie Cruz, (X), Sociologist | Cofounder, Beyond Compliance

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana, Ruby Zaman, Zaina Badr, and our Host, Samantha Johnson.

Munera AlDosari is the engagement producer. Aya Elmileik is our lead of engagement.

Our sound designer is Joe Plourde. Our video editor is Catherine Hallinan.

Jo de Frias is Now You Know’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

After going undiagnosed for years, Ayah Jaghoub discovered she had two autoimmune diseases and thyroid cancer. She speaks to Samantha about her journey, and the years of neglect she says she experienced by the medical industry. We also talk to an endocrinology consultant to better understand thyroid issues.

On this episode of Now You Know, we want to know why it can take so long to get a diagnosis, and how thyroid cancer impacts women differently to men.

In this episode:

• Ayah Jaghoub, (IG), Thyroid cancer patient

• Dr. Tania Jaber, Endocrinology Consultant

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Zaina Badr, Fahrinisa Campana, Ruby Zaman, and our Host, Samantha Johnson.

Munera AlDosari is the engagement producer. Aya Elmileik is our lead of engagement.

Our sound designer is Joe Plourde. Our video editor is Catherine Hallinan.

Jo de Frias is Now You Know’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Today, we bring you on the Now You Know feed True Crime Reports, a new global crime show from Al Jazeera Podcasts. Crime stories from the global south and beyond that often haven’t reached the outside world. Find them wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe.

Thabo Bester: Prison Break

Thabo Bester is South Africa’s most notorious con man. In 2012, he was locked away for life for murder and rape.

But when in 2022, a fire suddenly breaks out in Bester’s cell, and nothing but a charred body remains, the country’s in shock. Is that the end of Thabo Bester?

This is a story about how a serial rapist worked his way into South Africa’s most exclusive circles and about how he almost escaped justice.

Listen to the premiere episode of True Crime Reports from Al Jazeera.

In this episode:

• Glenda Paul, (@GlenniePaul), Forensic Investigator at IRS Forensic Investigations
• Marecia Damons, (@mareciadamons), Journalist, GroundUp News

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg, and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.

Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari.

Production Coordinator: Archan Mohile.

Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf.

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

In 2024, Jasmin Paris became the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons, a 100-mile race that snakes through Frozen Head State Park in the state of Tennessee. The runners have 60 hours to finish the course and Paris completed it with only seconds to spare.

On this week’s Now You Know, we speak to Paris about what it takes, physically and mentally, to be the only woman to have completed the Barkley Marathons since it was established in 1989.

In this episode:

• Jasmin Paris, (X / IG), Ultrarunner | Veterinary Clinical Lecturer at University of Edinburgh

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana, Ruby Zaman, Zaina Badr, and our Host, Samantha Johnson.

Munera AlDosari is the engagement producer. Aya Elmileik is our lead of engagement.

Our sound designer is Joe Plourde. Our video editor is Catherine Hallinan.

Jo de Frias is Now You Know’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube