Overview
- The Times’ Opinions podcast, which aired Wednesday, featured host Nadja Spiegelman with Hasan Piker and Jia Tolentino debating “microlooting,” or small theft from big retailers like Whole Foods.
- Tolentino said she stole lemons from Whole Foods on several occasions and Piker said he is pro‑stealing from big corporations, arguing companies budget for theft as part of “shrink.”
- The conversation stretched beyond petty theft, with Piker calling bank heists and stealing art “cool crimes” and invoking “social murder” when discussing the killing of a health‑care CEO, while Tolentino floated that “blow up a pipeline” could be framed as tactically acceptable.
- By Friday, coverage in outlets including Fox News, Reason, The Free Press, and the New York Post highlighted sharp criticism from commentators and some New Yorkers who warned theft raises prices and erodes trust.
- No disciplinary actions or corrections from The New York Times or The New Yorker were reported, and the dispute has centered on the ethics of platforming and on claims that loss prevention costs lead to locked cases and store closures.