On today’s show: The Hill reports on how Elon Musk’s weekend email asking federal employees to describe their accomplishments led a number of agencies to push back. Soldiers are arriving at the border — but hardly any migrants are crossing. The Washington Post ’s Arelis Hernández reports from the town of Del Rio. The conservative Christian Democratic Union won elections in Germany on Sunday, likely making its leader, Friedrich Merz, the next chancellor. Reuters reports on how the far-right Alter...
Feb 24, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: Aboard a U.S. deportation flight of mostly Asian migrants to Costa Rica, half were minors, NBC News reports. Meanwhile, hundreds of people deported from the U.S. are being held in a Panama hotel, according to BBC News . Ankush Khardori, a senior writer at Politico Magazine , joins this week’s Apple News In Conversation to examine how Trump is testing the boundaries of executive authority. A Trump Cabinet selection received a rare Republican grilling. The Atlantic has more on the...
Feb 21, 2025•15 min
On today’s show: President Donald Trump denounced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “a dictator without elections” on Wednesday. Reuters reports that major risks loom as Trump upends U.S.-Russia policy. Who can force out New York City’s mayor? Katie Honan from The City joins to discuss this and more questions . Health insurers deny 850 million claims a year. The Wall Street Journal ’s Julie Wernau reports that the few who appeal often win. The Journal also has five steps to take if your...
Feb 20, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: The top Social Security official exited after a clash with Elon Musk’s DOGE over data. The Washington Post ’s Jacob Bogage explains what is happening. Are 150-year-old Americans receiving Social Security checks, as Elon Musk said? Poynter examines the claim. Trump proposed eliminating FEMA and putting states in charge of disaster response. Politico reports red states don’t like that idea. Counter-narcotics programs in Mexico are suffering because of the Trump administration’s fr...
Feb 19, 2025•13 min
On today’s show: A Delta plane crashed at Toronto’s Pearson airport Monday afternoon. All passengers on board were accounted for. NBC News has the latest. Trump voters splinter over his rapid shake-up of Washington. Eliza Collins from the Wall Street Journal examines how some are thinking. European leaders gathered for an emergency meeting after Trump shut them out of Ukraine talks. Reuters explains what happened at that meeting. Plus, a team from Elon Musk’s SpaceX is being brought in to overha...
Feb 18, 2025•13 min
On today’s show: NBC has what to know about a growing measles outbreak in Texas. Meanwhile, changes to a CDC vaccine panel under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could reshape policy. NPR explains how. The Justice Department is in turmoil after prosecutors who were ordered to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams quit in protest. Reuters reporter Sarah Lynch discusses the resignations. Immigrants drive Nebraska’s economy. NPR reporter Jasmine Garsd describes how Trump’s mass-deportations pled...
Feb 17, 2025•13 min
On today’s show: Hamas says it will release hostages as scheduled this weekend. But the future of the ceasefire deal is still somewhat uncertain. NPR ’s Kat Lonsdorf explains what’s going on. New reporting details frequent issues in the airspace near Reagan National Airport, where a helicopter collided with a passenger plane last month. The Washington Post ’s Ian Duncan has the story. Luis Rubiales, the former Spanish Football Federation president, is on trial for alleged sexual assault and coer...
Feb 14, 2025•12 min
On today’s show: Linda McMahon led WWE and the Small Business Administration. The U.S. Education Department may be next. NPR ’s Jonaki Mehta reports on her background and details how the Trump administration targeted an Education Department research arm in recent cuts. The Washington Post reports that McMahon has a record at odds with Trump’s agenda. As the U.S. battles fentanyl, Mexico is fighting the flow of American guns into the country. The Wall Street Journal ’s Zusha Elinson explains why ...
Feb 13, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: The Washington Post ’s Silvia Foster-Frau explains why lawyers worry that migrants sent to Guantánamo Bay are in a “legal black hole.” The Wall Street Journal ’s Brian Schwartz examines the role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and why Trump has turned his attention to it. The Trump administration negotiated the release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia. NBC News details how the move plays into larger talks about ending the war in Ukraine. Plus, ...
Feb 12, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: NPR ’s David Folkenflik explains why CBS stands at the epicenter of Trump’s assault on the media. Immigration arrests in churches? Some clergy say not so fast. Andrea Castillo, federal-immigration reporter for the L.A. Times , has details on the pushback. Trump says minting the 1-cent coin is “wasteful.” Time has what to know about the yearslong debate over whether to stop. Plus, federal authorities appealed an order to unfreeze certain federal spending, Hamas said it will delay...
Feb 11, 2025•15 min
On today’s show: The speed at which Trump and Elon Musk have dismantled USAID has shocked people on both sides of the aisle. The Atlantic ’s Russell Berman explains why. Trump’s new budget chief was previously one of the architects of Project 2025. Politico White House reporter Megan Messerly discusses how, despite Trump’s repeated disavowal of the controversial policy plan during the campaign, we’re already seeing much of it unfolding. Worries over bird flu are growing after the deaths of sever...
Feb 10, 2025•16 min
On today’s show: Bloomberg ’s Annie Massa looks at the potential for conflicts of interest for Trump and those he’s tapped to join his administration. The White House says Elon Musk will regulate his own conflicts of interest. Bloomberg has more. NPR explains why Venezuelans in Florida feel betrayed by Trump. The path to winning at this weekend’s Super Bowl is simple for both the Eagles and the Chiefs. The Athletic ’s Nate Tayor explains. Plus, a federal judge halted the administration’s deadlin...
Feb 07, 2025•15 min
On today’s show: Trump walked back his comments on a U.S. takeover of Gaza. The Wall Street Journal ’s Dov Lieber discusses local reaction to his proposals. Trump signed an executive order to create an American sovereign-wealth fund, and the first thing he says it could do is bid to buy TikTok. Axios has the details. Kendrick Lamar is set to perform at the Super Bowl, and many people are wondering if he’ll bring his beef with Drake to the stage. The Los Angeles Times ’s August Brown lays out wha...
Feb 06, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: Trump proposed a permanent displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Reuters has more. Meanwhile, Trump and Elon Musk are waging a two-front war as Musk does the president’s “dirty work.” Isaac Arnsdorf from the Washington Post has the story. Kate Sosin from The 19th looks at the Trump administration’s moves to restrict the rights of transgender people. Plus, Darren Beattie , who has made past controversial statements, has been named acting undersecretary of state for public diplo...
Feb 05, 2025•13 min
On today’s show: What is USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development? And why do Trump and Elon Musk want to gut it? NPR has more. Trump says President McKinley made the U.S. prosperous through tariffs and cites him as inspiration for his own tariff plan. Historians told the Washington Post that Trump has an incomplete understanding of our 25th president. How worried should you be about bird flu, and what could it mean for your health? Vox ’s Jess Craig explains. Plus, the future of the...
Feb 04, 2025•15 min
On today’s show: Reuters reports that the world is on the brink of a trade war. USA Today explains what it all means for our wallets. Is flying less safe right now? Zach Wichter with USA Today answers the key questions. Semafor ’s David Weigel unpacks what the selection of a new Democratic National Committee chair means for the future of the party. Plus, Elon Musk now has access to a crucial Treasury Department payment system, the NBA trade that shocked the entire league, and the Grammy Awards’ ...
Feb 03, 2025•15 min
On today’s show: What we know about the figure skaters who were on board the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. USA Today reports on the reaction to the crash from the skating world. CNN has a look at how Trump’s Cabinet nominees faced their sharpest bipartisan grilling to date, along with other takeaways from Thursday’s confirmation hearings. Juan Forero with the Wall Street Journal describes what recently deported migrants say about how they we...
Jan 31, 2025•15 min
On today’s show: The latest on the crash between an army helicopter and passenger plane in Washington, D.C. ABC News has live updates. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense questioning during his Senate confirmation hearing for HHS secretary. CNN breaks down what happened. Alex Ward with the Wall Street Journal describes the rush for exemption waivers after the Trump administration temporarily paused funding for foreign aid. Plus, Trump signs the first piece of legislation of his second term, form...
Jan 30, 2025•15 min
On today’s show: The federal government ordered a widespread funding freeze. The Wall Street Journal details the chaos that ensued. Public trust in America’s health institutions hasn’t recovered from pandemic controversies . The Washington Post ’s Rachel Roubein explains how that could impact Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearing. What is DeepSeek, and why did it send tremors through financial markets this week? Bloomberg AI reporter Shirin Ghaffary explains. Plus, the Trump administratio...
Jan 29, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: The Washington Post ’s Dan Diamond explains what the Trump administration’s moves on public health mean for people in the U.S. and abroad. NPR reports on what Palestinians are seeing as they return to their homes in Gaza. The City ’s Gwynne Hogan, who’s been speaking with immigrant families in New York, tells us how they’re on edge over Trump’s promise to deport undocumented people. Plus, how a Chinese AI company is disrupting tech and financial sectors , four-day workweeks are ...
Jan 28, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: Inside the moves Trump’s making to reshape the federal government and workforce. USA Today details his rapid-fire changes. The Chicago Sun-Times reports on federal immigration raids in Chicago that started over the weekend. In the rush to rebuild L.A., one topic is taboo: What should be built differently — or not at all? Doug Smith with the L.A. Times looks into the thorny issue. Plus, Colombia backs down after initially refusing to take in deported migrants from the U.S., the l...
Jan 27, 2025•15 min
On today’s show: Trump’s pardons of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers have fueled a battle over how history will view the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Tom Jackman of the Washington Post examines this. And this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation features reporting on America’s militias with ProPublica’s Joshua Kaplan. California’s attorney general charged a landlord with price gouging amid the wildfires ravaging the city. Los Angeles Times reporter Liam Dillon explains why that might serve as a d...
Jan 24, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: Sahil Kapur of NBC News discusses how Republicans face a high-stakes clash over Trump’s legislative agenda. The ACLU took on Trump in his first term. Laura Kusisto of the Wall Street Journal examines how it will be tougher this time. Should awards season be canceled? Jada Yuan of the Washington Post reports on the quiet debate that happened amid the L.A. fires. Plus, a winter storm slams the Gulf Coast, players and the media clash at the Australian Open, and a symbol of hope amo...
Jan 23, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: CNN examines how cities across the U.S. are preparing for Trump’s immigration crackdown. NPR ’s David Folkenflik explains the tabloid scandal at the heart of Prince Harry’s legal victory against Rupert Murdoch’s publishing arm. Los Angeles County had started to curb homelessness. Will the fires undo that progress? The Washington Post looks at what might happen next. Plus, Trump’s nominee for U.N. ambassador faced questions from senators, Elon Musk’s hand gesture raises eyebrows,...
Jan 22, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: What to know about Trump’s first day in office. CNN breaks down Trump’s pardon of more than 1,000 January 6th rioters and Time explains what is in his executive orders on immigration. NPR’s Sarah McCammon explains how Cecile Richards transformed reproductive care in America as the longtime former president of Planned Parenthood. The women’s rights activist died Monday; she had been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2023. Plus, Trump enters office as a newly minted crypto-billionair...
Jan 21, 2025•13 min
On today’s show: Peter Baker of The New York Times joins to discuss the state of America as President Biden leaves and President-elect Trump is inaugurated. The latest from Gaza, where three hostages were released by Hamas as part of the ceasefire deal. The BBC explains who they are. Israel also released the first wave of Palestinian prisoners. NBC News has the details. Plus, President-elect Trump promised to save TikTok after it briefly went offline over the weekend; a polar vortex is bringing ...
Jan 20, 2025•16 min
On today’s show: The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas appears to be moving forward. Reuters has the details. President Biden is leaving office the same way he entered, by signing a flurry of executive orders. The Washington Post reports the moves could be hard for Trump to undo. Leslie Kaufman, a climate reporter with Bloomberg News , explains how wildfires upended California’s insurance market. Alexa Philippou of ESPN tells us why 2025 will be a big year for women’s professional bas...
Jan 17, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: Israel and Hamas have agreed to pause fighting in Gaza but the deal is already under threat. The Wall Street Journal explains. Biden bid Americans farewell from the Oval Office last night, and Reuters ’ Andrea Shalal told us why he’s leaving with such low public approval. The Trace ’s Samantha Storey explains what 10 years of shooting data reveals about the state of America’s gun-violence epidemic. Plus, a controversial Trump ally is sailing through confirmation hearings to serv...
Jan 16, 2025•14 min
On today’s show: Pete Hegseth faced grilling from Democrats at his confirmation hearing as GOP senators voiced support, CBS News reports. And NBC News breaks down the major takeaways from the hearing. Publishers are taking OpenAI to court over copyright-infringement claims. The suit may have serious repercussions for the future of AI. NPR explains. Xochitl Gonzalez with The Atlantic looks at what was lost when the Eaton Fire tore through middle-class Altadena, California. Plus, South Korea’s imp...
Jan 15, 2025•13 min
On today’s show: Israel and Hamas inch closer to a ceasefire. What to know about special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on Trump's election-interference case. TIME explains why so many incarcerated firefighters are battling the L.A. fires. President Biden attempted to shore up and reflect on his foreign policy legacy in a speech Monday. CBS News has more. And Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon pick, faces a tough confirmation test that begins today. Liz Goodwin, a congressional reporter at the Wa...
Jan 14, 2025•14 min
