On today’s show: Daniel Flatley of Bloomberg News explains Trump’s tariff policies and some of the economic pressures around them. The Guardian examines why the Department of Education is investigating allegations of antisemitism on college campuses. CNN ’s Deidre McPhillips looks at what happened the last time the U.S. faced a significant measles outbreak — and the valuable lessons learned from the public-health response. Plus, the House passed a stopgap funding measure to av...
Mar 12, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: Immigration authorities arrested Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate who led demonstrations on campus. NBC News reports on how Trump has promised that it’s the first of many such arrests to come. Amanda Coletta , Canada correspondent for the Washington Post , explains how Trump’s actions have affected politics in the country. Justine Calma, science reporter with The Verge , joins to discuss the impact of cuts at the Nation...
Mar 11, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: House Speaker Mike Johnson introduced a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown scheduled for Friday. NBC News reports that Trump is on board but that it’s unclear if Republicans have the votes to pass the bill in either chamber. Sanne Wass, a reporter in Denmark for Bloomberg , joins to discuss how Trump’s comments about taking over Greenland have shaken up the territory’s upcoming elections. The Wall Street Journal ’s Kristina Peter...
Mar 10, 2025•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: Aaron Wiener of the Washington Post joins to discuss the confusion among federal workers as some returned to offices with canceled leases . ProPublica ’s Joshua Kaplan explains how an evangelical pastor and House Speaker Mike Johnson came to share a home in Washington, D.C. Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins joins this week’s Apple News In Conversation to talk about a bitter succession drama in the Murdoch family. Plus, Trump backs off certain tariffs, the fir...
Mar 07, 2025•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: ProPublica ’s Andy Kroll examines how Trump’s cuts at the IRS could make it harder for the federal government to root out fraud. Dylan Baddour of Inside Climate News joins to explain a case at the Supreme Court pitting Texas against the federal government on nuclear-waste disposal. Leslie Patton, a consumer reporter at Bloomberg News , examines what happened to one company as the backlash to black-plastic kitchen utensils grew. Plus, the Supreme C...
Mar 06, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress last night, for the first time in his second term. In his speech he covered a wide range of topics as Republicans cheered and Democrats staged small protests. NBC News has the key takeaways. Trump has said he wants Palestinians out of Gaza. NPR breaks down a plan proposed by Egypt to keep them there and rebuild. Plus, Republicans are being advised not to hold in-person town-hall events after angry constituents confronte...
Mar 05, 2025•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: Trump’s tariffs against Mexico, Canada, and China went into effect Monday night, and China and Canada quickly retaliated. The Washington Post examines what it could all mean for the price of goods, and Bloomberg looks at the possible economic fallout in Mexico. Ann Marimow from the Washington Post joins to discuss an unusual case before the Supreme Court today pitting Mexico against U.S. gun manufacturers. The Wall Street Journal ’s Tarini Parti explains how th...
Mar 04, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: After a contentious meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, European leaders rallied around Ukraine and pledged increased economic and military support. ABC News has the details on the new aid and a proposed framework for a peace deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Desmond Butler with the Washington Post reports that Elon Musk – whose DOGE team is trying to cut down on government funding — is himself one of the biggest beneficiaries of taxpayer money, having recei...
Mar 03, 2025•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: Zelenskyy and Trump will meet in Washington today to discuss a mineral-sharing agreement. The Wall Street Journal ’s Ian Lovett explains the stakes, and the Journal also reports on why it will be difficult to extract those minerals from Ukraine. Mary Steurer with the North Dakota Monitor told us about a trial that started this week involving Greenpeace. Environmentalists have warned that the trial could bankrupt the group and threaten the future of advocacy wo...
Feb 28, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: Aviation-safety reporter Darryl Campbell from The Verge explains why air travel remains safe, despite a recent string of crashes and near misses. NBC News ’s Lawrence Hurley talks about how a “reverse discrimination” case made its way to the Supreme Court and why the justices might rule unanimously on it. Three men who were recently detained by the Trump administration at a high-security military prison in Guantánamo Bay told Washington Post report...
Feb 27, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: Republicans narrowly passed a budget framework in the House, USA Today reports. The Washington Post ’s Jacob Bogage explains what happens next. Greg Ip with the Wall Street Journal unpacks what Trump’s attempting to do about inflation, and how voters are perceiving the issue in the early days of his presidency. Families with trans children are asking where they go from here, following the Trump administration’s actions targeting trans people. The N...
Feb 26, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s show: NBC reports on how Republicans in districts across the country faced furious voters at recent town halls, signaling that the Trump administration’s honeymoon period is waning. Pentagon staffers are concerned that personnel cuts will hurt critical work. The Washington Post ’s Alex Horton has the story. ProPublica ’s Lizzie Presser explains how pregnancy in Texas has become more dangerous as a result of the state’s abortion ban. P...
Feb 25, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Feb 24, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Feb 21, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ste...
Feb 20, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 T...
Feb 19, 2025•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 br...
Feb 18, 2025•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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&rsquo...
Feb 17, 2025•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Feb 14, 2025•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Zus...
Feb 13, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ab...
Feb 12, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 spen...
Feb 11, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Feb 10, 2025•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Feb 07, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 &rs...
Feb 06, 2025•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 undersecre...
Feb 05, 2025•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Feb 04, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 leagu...
Feb 03, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 migra...
Jan 31, 2025•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
