2. The estate of John B. McLemore is suing the producers of “S-Town.” The suit alleges that McLemore, the subject of the podcast series, was exploited by the show’s creators, who divulged intimate details of his personal life without his permission. “S-Town” producer Julie Snyder said the lawsuit “lacks merit.” The show was a massive hit, and Participant Media recently acquired the rights to turn the podcast into a feature film. - AP

3. Data suggests podcasts are overtaking blogs in popularity. An analysis of Google Trends data shows more people are now searching for the term “podcast” than “blog,” the latter of which has been on a steady decline since 2013. Even terms associated with blogging, like “WordPress plugin,” are declining in search volume. Data may also suggest that the creation of new podcasts is lagging behind demand. - SEARCH ENGINE JOURNAL

4. The audio documentary “The Wilderness” launched its first four episodes on Monday. The show, produced by Crooked Media and hosted by former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau of “Pod Save America,” is a 15-part series that dissects the failed Democratic Party strategy in the 2016 presidential election. “It’s a party that is rebuilding and is rediscovering the grassroots energy that has always propelled it,” he told The Guardian. - VULTURE

8. POD Digital Media is a new podcast network branding itself as the first to target multicultural audiences. The network hosts more than 100 shows, including podcasts from Angela Yee and Charlamagne tha God, who hosts radio’s “The Breakfast Club”.

9. Gimlet and Squarespace have received more than 5,000 entries in their contest to find America’s next great podcast host. - ADWEEK

10. RadioPublic has released an upgrade for its Android Auto in-car app, including voice support.

5. Comedy podcasts make up nearly 20 percent of the iTunes Top 200. An analysis by Barrett Golding showed that shows about comedy, news & politics and society & culture dominate the ranking. Additionally, “new media” or podcast-only production houses like Gimlet or Panoply produce more of the top-200 shows, but traditional broadcasters and publications tend to have the most successful shows by chart position. NPR is podcasting’s single most-dominant publisher; Podtrac reports that the public radio giant had more than twice as many unique monthly downloads in the U.S. last month than its closest competitor, WNYC Studios. - CURRENT

6. The fourth annual IAB Podcast Upfront on September 6 will include presenters from ESPN, NPR, iHeartMedia and Westwood One. HowStuffWorks, Midroll, Panoply, Univision, Wondery, and WNYC Studios will also be on hand to preview their upcoming shows for the benefit of potential podcast advertisers. IAB exec Anna Bager said she expects “nothing less than a packed room of marketers and media buyers anxious to tap into the power of this compelling medium.” - INSIDE RADIO

1. Wondery’s new “Inside Jaws” podcast is drawing interest from Hollywood for a TV adaptation. “We’ve got people pursuing TV rights for this series right now,” host Mark Ramsey said in an interview for TheWrap’s “Shoot This Now” podcast, though he did not name any specific producers or studios. The seven-part series covers the making of “Jaws,” from the real-life shark attacks that inspired the film to the behind-the-scenes story of director Steven Spielberg. Ramsey is also developing “Pops,” a podcast about music legend Louis Armstrong. - THEWRAP

2. The BBC’s rush to release its new audio player “drained resources” within its radio and music departments and sparked internal debate regarding the future of third-party content on the app. BBC staff, who designed the app to appeal to younger listeners, are now debating whether BBC Sounds should include non-BBC shows to make it a “Spotify for podcasts,” sources told BuzzFeed. Separately, a source told Podnews that the new app will indeed include independent podcasts eventually. - BUZZFEED

3. UK-based Joe Media will launch two new podcasts later this summer. The media company will debut a business podcast about young British entrepreneurs in July, and a sports show next month. Joe Media has grown rapidly since launching last October, building its third studio in London and growing its staff to eight, including Simon Clancy, a former BBC sports editor. Its flagship series, “Unfiltered with James O’Brien”, has been downloaded 3 million times since its debut last fall. - DIGIDAY

4. After public complaints, Castbox will no longer publish unauthorized, modified versions of podcast RSS feeds to its platform. A review by James Cridland confirmed that all podcasts that appeared on Castbox would be sourced from an unauthorized Castbox-created RSS feed, which would strip the podcasts of their original copyright notices, show notes, and links. In comments to Cridland and on the Podcast Movement Facebook group, the company said that the modified feeds were meant for internal purposes and to meet Google SEO standards, but that they’ve now been taken offline. - PODNEWS

5. Bob Edwards, formerly of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” is hosting a new podcast from AARP. “An AARP Take on Today” will be a topical podcast for listeners age 50 and over, covering health, aging, work, entertainment, and money. It’s one of two AARP podcasts; the other, “The Perfect Scam,” debuted in April and covers America’s biggest scam stories. Podcasts offer a venue for AARP to reach “the fastest growing segment of listeners,” said AARP exec Martha Boudreau. - RADIO INK

6. In-house legal professionals are more likely to prefer podcasts to video, according to new marketing research. The PR firm Greentarget published its 2018 State of Digital and Content survey, finding that 27 percent of respondents ranked podcasts highly as a preferred content medium, compared to just 19 percent for video. Legal professionals said they appreciate the entertainment value of podcasts and their potential for creative storytelling. - LAWFUEL

7. Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in Germany, especially among younger listeners. A survey from the digital group Bitkom revealed that 22 percent of Germans listen to podcasts, up from 14 percent in 2016. The figure is even higher - 30 percent - for Germans in demographics between 14 and 50. Research last month from Reuters Institute spoke to podcasting’s increasing popularity internationally, and the medium had the furthest reach globally in South Korea, Hong Kong, Spain, and Ireland. - RAIN

8. A podcaster says he impersonated U.S. Senator Bob Menendez to prank call President Donald Trump. “Stuttering John” Melendez said he was able to circumvent White House staff, including Jared Kushner, and speak directly to President Donald Trump while he was onboard Air Force One. He published the audio from the call on his podcast. The prank earned him a visit from the Secret Service, and he has contacted Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing Stormy Daniels, for legal advice. - CBS NEWS

9. Beyerdynamic has released a new $179 USB microphone meant to offer “studio-grade” audio quality for musicians and podcasters. - THE VERGE

10. Looking for a soundtrack to your summer road trip? USA Today lists the 13 best podcasts to listen to while you’re on the road. - USA TODAY

8. Just because your podcast is on Google Play, that doesn’t mean it’s now also on the new Google Podcasts app. James Cridland offers a guide to getting your podcast on Google Podcasts and Google Assistant-powered devices. - PODNEWS

9. The knockout stage of the 2018 World Cup begins Saturday, so it’s the perfect time to start listening to one of Discover Pods’ seven best soccer (or football) podcasts. - DISCOVER PODS

10. The ACLU’s new weekly podcast “At Liberty” debuted this week. Host Lee Rowland, a former ACLU attorney, explores civil rights issues of the day; the first two episodes discussed reproductive rights and immigration. - ALL ACCESS

1. Anchor has updated its Terms of Service to “clarify” wording that suggested the company would retain ownership rights to podcasts published on its platform. Both Justin McLachlin of the sci-fi podcast EOS 10 and Andrew Orr of The Mac Observer shed light on questionable language in the policy, which said that Anchor users must grant the company “a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid, sublicensable and transferable license” to their shows. Anchor CEO Michael Mignano responded to McLachlin’s tweets, clarifying that podcasters retain full rights to their shows and that the TOS, which has been revised, relates only to distribution rights. But, McLachlin says the policy is still too broad. - NIEMAN LAB

4. RadioPublic has launched an equity crowdfunding campaign that will allow anyone to invest in the company. The podcast platform has already raised funding from a group of investors that includes PRX, The New York Times, American Public Media, WGBH, McClatchy, and, most recently, Bose. Now, the company hopes to raise another $1.07 million by September 3, with perks available at different funding levels. As of publishing time, the campaign has raised $XX,XXX. - RAIN

6. The podcast “Mobshot: My Life in the Mafia” podcast is being adapted for TV. Long-time Los Angeles morning radio host Gary Bryan will serve as executive producer on a TV adaptation of the show, which centers around the life of host Vince Ciacci. Ciacci, a reformed mobster, spends each episode recounting stories from his time in the New York and Los Angeles underworlds. The podcast is based on his autobiography of the same name. - DEADLINE

4. The popular sleep podcast “Sleep With Me” has been downloaded 70 million times, while “Sleep With Silk” has been downloaded 8 million times. The Ringer’s Kate Knibbs covered the rising popularity of sleep podcasts, interviewing “Sleep With Me” host Drew Ackerman and “Sleep With Silk” host Harris (a pseudonym). Both hosts say they’re careful in how they produce and edit episodes of their shows, aiming to maximize relaxation for the listeners who rely on their shows to fall asleep. - THE RINGER

5. Two U.S. congressional candidates from Illinois have launched rival campaign podcasts. Republican U.S. Representative Peter Roskam launched “Stories from the Sixth,” while his Democrat rival Sean Casten launched “PodCasten with Sean Casten.” Both shows will feature updates from the campaign trail and interviews with constituents in Illinois’ Sixth District. The race is expected to be closely watched on a national level; Hillary Clinton won the traditionally Republican district by 7 points in the 2016 presidential election, and Democrats believe they can flip the district blue. - NAPERVILLE SUN