Podcast appearances and mentions of Russell Vought

In this episode, Ray Cochrane breaks down NVIDIA’s case for world action models, the shift that swaps a robot’s picture-describing backbone for one trained to predict what happens next. He also covers Perseverance closing in on the off-world driving record, a derelict SpaceX rocket stage hitting the Moon, and Anthropic’s rework of Claude Fable 5’s biology safeguards. Finally, he digs into Gemini Omni, Google’s undisclosed trip-planning rankings, the Danube’s record low, and iFixit’s call for Apple to unlock the iPad bootloader. – Want to start a podcast? It’s easy to get started! Sign up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens with a personal update. Wildfires in Eastern Oregon made for a rough week of heavy smoke, and a local building burned down, which he calls a real tragedy. Meanwhile, his work at Blubrry has centered on PowerPress fixes, where reproducing customer-reported bugs remains the biggest headache. Support tickets rarely carry enough detail, and the errors themselves are often too vague to diagnose. Consequently, he is leaning toward a stronger logging and error layer, and he asks experienced developers to share what actually works for them. Beyond VLAs: NVIDIA’s Case for World Action Models The featured story comes from NVIDIA’s developer blog, and it answers a question sitting underneath this year’s robot news. Why do robot arms fall apart the moment anything changes? Move a cup six inches, swap its shape, or change the lighting, and a policy that worked perfectly in training fails. The answer, according to NVIDIA, is not the robot but the model underneath it. For the last few years, the dominant approach has been the vision-language-action model, or VLA, built on an AI that originally learned to describe pictures. Consequently, it recognizes a banana it has never seen, in a kitchen it has never seen, yet it has no idea what that banana will do next. As the article puts it, such a model “does not learn what happens to a mug when the gripper closes, how a towel folds, where an object lands when released.” Because the physics never arrives with the model, every scrap of it has to come out of hand-recorded demonstrations. The proposed fix swaps the foundation entirely. Instead of building on a model that learned to caption images, a world action model builds on one trained to predict how video continues, so the physics is already paid for. Notably, these models output an action and a prediction of what the robot’s cameras will see, in the same pass. Cochrane likens it to forethought, imagining your own motion as you make it. NVIDIA’s implementation is Cosmos 3, pretrained on roughly 767 million images and 348 million videos of real-world dynamics. It ships in 4, 16, and 64 billion parameter sizes named Edge, Nano, and Super, and it runs in real time on a Jetson Thor board bolted to the robot itself. Cochrane recalls his dad owning one of those Jetson boards, and he asks anyone working in robotics to explain how the throughput figures fit together. However, he closes on an open question: where did 348 million videos actually come from? For deeper detail, he points listeners to the source article and to NVIDIA researcher Jim Fan. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting $6.99/month, WordPress hosting $12.99/month, domains $11.99. Website builder trial available. Use codes at geeknewscentral.com/godaddy to support the show. Perseverance Closes In on the Off-World Driving Record Ars Technica reports that NASA’s Perseverance rover is about to take the record for most distance driven on another world. The mark sits at roughly 28 miles, set by NASA’s own Opportunity rover across more than fourteen years before it went quiet in 2018. As Cochrane works out on air, that averages about two miles a year. Perseverance will pass it in roughly five years instead. The difference is a navigation system called AutoNav. Since a radio signal takes several minutes to reach Mars, earlier rovers crept along pre-plotted routes and stopped every half meter to think. Perseverance carries a second computer dedicated to processing what its cameras see, so it plans while the wheels keep turning. Consequently, about ninety percent of its driving is autonomous, against roughly ten percent for Curiosity, and it averages around 110 meters an hour rather than 15 to 18. Cochrane notes researchers finding the rover at planned sites days ahead of schedule, and he wonders aloud whether world action models might drive the next one. A SpaceX Rocket Stage Slammed Into the Moon Next, Smithsonian Magazine covered the Falcon 9 upper stage that struck the Moon on August 5. That stage flew back in January 2025, carrying Firefly’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s Resilience landers, and it was never meant to end up there. SpaceX’s Julianna Scheiman says a mixture of solar activity and gravity nudged the derelict onto a lunar path after nineteen months adrift. Four tonnes of dead hardware arrived at about 5,400 miles per hour. Nobody watched it happen, and the reason is a nice bit of physics. It struck sunlit ground near a crater called Einstein, and no impact flash has ever been detected on the lit part of the Moon. However, the instruments caught the aftermath. South Korea’s Danuri orbiter imaged a dark new mark, while the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope picked up sodium and lithium in the plume, the lithium possibly shed by the rocket itself. Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell quipped that he has “Sir Isaac Newton’s personal assurance that it did indeed hit the moon,” while planetary scientist Hannah Sargeant warns against making a habit of it. Cochrane points out the Apollo landing sites are still sitting up there. Anthropic Reworks Claude Fable 5’s Biology Safeguards Anthropic published a post on how Claude Fable 5 handles biology questions, and the bind is genuine. Biology is the textbook dual-use problem, since the knowledge behind reading your own lab results also helps someone build a weapon. Rather than refusing outright, a classifier watches for risky requests and quietly reroutes them to Claude Opus 5, a capable model without Fable 5’s biological depth. Anthropic calls that mechanism a fallback. The trouble was how often it fired on people doing nothing wrong. This update cut biology-related fallbacks by roughly 85 percent in Anthropic’s own testing, with expected overall drops of 67 percent on Claude.ai and 55 percent on Cowork. Genuinely dual-use territory still trips it, and Anthropic names virology, toxicology, and molecular design. Cochrane hit the old behavior himself and found it irritating, so he welcomes the refinement. Even so, he would rather see a false positive than a model helping someone produce a virus. Five Builders Put Gemini Omni Through Its Paces Google highlighted five builders working with Gemini Omni. Omni is a model rather than an app, and it generates video from text, images, other video, or audio, while also editing footage you already have. Google claims it “combines an intuitive understanding of physics with Gemini’s real-world knowledge,” citing gravity, kinetic energy, and fluid dynamics. As Cochrane observes, that is the same bet NVIDIA is making with robots, only pointed at video generation instead. He also flags a naming collision worth knowing about. NVIDIA calls its architecture an omni-model while Google’s product is simply Omni, two different things landing in the same week. Additionally, he encourages listeners to watch the demos, though he still senses a disconnect in AI-generated video and concedes that knowing its origin may color the impression. Gemini Wants to Plan Your Vacation Another Gemini piece, a how-to on trip planning, drew Cochrane’s sharpest take of the night. Gemini plugs straight into Google Maps, Flights, and Hotels, pulling live locations, reviews, and prices to build an itinerary. Switch on a feature called Personal Intelligence, and it reads across your Google apps, turning a messy trip-planning email chain into a clean master plan. Clever, but he calls it extremely concerning. Once these become services, he expects partnerships to quietly push particular hotels, restaurants, resorts, and destinations onto users. Notably, Google’s post never explains how any of it gets ranked, and the words sponsored, ad, affiliate, commission, and paid never appear once. There is no disclosure of a commercial arrangement, and no denial of one either. Meanwhile the post hands readers off to Viator to book tours without describing that relationship at all. Cochrane suspects the real effect shows up slowly, in the shape of small businesses continuing to disappear. The Senate Blocks a Rule on Who Controls Research Money Science reports that the Senate passed a temporary spending bill in the early hours of Saturday the 8th. The Senate’s version carries a one-paragraph rider the House version lacks, and that rider stops the White House Office of Management and Budget from finalizing a set of proposed rules. OMB builds the president’s budget, clears agency regulations, and controls how approved money actually reaches agencies. The bill itself is a stopgap, which prevents a shutdown without settling anything. The rules reach every organization that takes federal money, a pot of roughly $1.1 trillion across 41 agencies, about $150 billion of it research grants. They would let political appointees second-guess which grants get funded, allow awarded grants to be pulled when the work does not match presidential priorities, and put several countries off limits for research partnerships, China first among them. Senator Susan Collins pushed the block through after telling OMB director Russell Vought the proposal was deeply flawed, noting nearly 500,000 public comments, the vast majority opposed. However, the 90-6 vote is not law. Both chambers are on recess. Vought reportedly said the rule would not have been finalized before December anyway, and the block only lasts as long as the stopgap, which expires December 11. The Danube Falls to a Record Low ESA published a pair of Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite images showing the same bend of the Danube, 45 kilometers upstream of Budapest, photographed a year apart. Cochrane calls the before-and-after shocking, going from green to brown completely. Wire reports put the Budapest gauge near 10 centimeters at the start of the month, about four inches of water, against a previous record of 33 centimeters set in 2018. The knock-on effects arrived fast. Budapest ran short on both power and drinking water, while the shrinking flow concentrated pollution in what remained. Romania hit record lows on its own stretch as well. Cochrane hopes the recovery is already underway. What a Heatwave Actually Does to the Power Grid That river story runs directly into a Carbon Brief factcheck. Nuclear plants cool themselves with river water, so when the Danube dropped, plants in Hungary and Romania throttled back and pulled roughly 2.5 gigawatts off the grid. Romania declared a state of alert in its energy sector, and its navy reportedly used explosives to steer more water toward a plant intake. Carbon Brief then walked through what heatwaves do to each way of making electricity. Nuclear loses efficiency when the cooling water is already warm, though its shutdowns are mostly regulatory rather than mechanical. Gas turbines pull in less air because hot air is thinner, costing capacity. Wind falls off hardest, since a heatwave is a big stalled dome of high pressure and nearly still air. Solar is the surprise: cells genuinely do get less efficient as they heat up, yet total output climbs anyway, with UK solar up 46 percent during a four-day June heatwave against the week before. Butterflies Are on the Move Everywhere A new study in Nature Ecology and Evolution covered 1,758 butterfly species, roughly one in ten of every species we have named. The team pulled 6,182 records from 105 countries, reading non-English research alongside 68 expert write-ups. Four out of five species pushed into new territory, and about 79 percent of the logged shifts traced back to climate change and extreme weather. Separately, 27 percent saw their range shrink somewhere, and 22 percent moved up or down a mountain slope chasing cooler air. That sounds like good news, and it really is not. Expansion means a boundary moved, not that butterflies are thriving, since a species can push its northern edge forward while its southern edge quietly collapses. Lead author Shawan Chowdhury says the shifts turn up on every continent where butterflies occur. Additionally, monitoring gaps leave Central Africa, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and the Amazon Basin barely counted at all. Cochrane recalls hearing years ago that butterflies were disappearing in Hawaii, and he invites listeners spotting unfamiliar species locally to contribute what they see. Primates Make Friends Across Species Cochrane called this one a fun find. A study in the journal Primates, led by Cyril Grueter at Oxford, gathered 427 documented cases going back to the 1970s across 88 primate species and 127 partner species. Play and grooming dominated at 139 and 136 cases, alongside carrying, huddling, food sharing, and even adoption. Primates usually started the interactions themselves, with juveniles playing most, adult females handling grooming and caregiving, and adult males least likely to join in. The examples are remarkable. Japanese macaques on the island of Yakushima groom sika deer and climb on their backs, a silverback gorilla cradled a tiny wild bushbaby, and wild capuchins in Brazil adopted an infant marmoset in a bond that held for weeks. However, Grueter rejects the pet-keeping headline and prefers the hedged term proto-pet keeping. The actual claim is smaller and more interesting: curiosity, tolerance, caregiving, and play have roots running far deeper than humans do. iFixit Tells Apple to Unlock the iPad Finally, an opinion piece from Charlie Sorrel at iFixit struck a chord. This fall, iPadOS 27 drops support for a batch of older iPads, including the 8th-generation iPad, the third-generation Air, the fifth-generation mini, and the first-generation iPad Pros. Cochrane owns one of those Pros and reports it still works fine. Those devices will not break, but they stop getting OS and security updates until apps abandon them and the battery gives out. The obvious second life is Linux, except the bootloader stays locked. Apple’s iBoot will not load anything else, unlike a Mac, a PC, or most Android phones. Sorrel argues it “should be a user choice, not a vendor choice,” and Cochrane agrees flatly. You own the device, so why does Apple decide what runs on it? He compares the situation to jailbreaking, and he suspects most consumers have never pushed back simply because it never occurs to them. Nevertheless, he hopes an unlock eventually breathes new life into hardware that still works perfectly well. Cochrane wraps with housekeeping: become a GNC Insider at geeknewscentral.com/insider, email geeknews@gmail.com, subscribe to the newsletter, and grab a modern podcast app at podcastapps.com. He thanks GoDaddy for over twenty years of keeping the show on the air, and he signs off wishing listeners a wonderful evening. The post The Robot That Imagines First #1872 appeared first on Geek News Central.

Produced by KSQD 90.7 89.5 & 89.7FMWho is the Man Behind the Curtain? It's Russell Vought!Be Bold America!August 7, 2026 “We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. … When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.” – Russell Vought, Director, US Office of Management and Budget Public service was viewed as an honorable profession. In 1986, Ronald Reagan uttered words that were designed to divide The People from their Government. Those words were:“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.”Through the decades, these words have been disastrously effective. Now, neighbors and families have been successfully divided and many do see public servants as villains.This will be an important show with a very courageous guest. Two New York Times articles were written about Jenna Norton and her efforts to inform the public and the tragic budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Did you know that there is an informal organization called the “Civil Servants Coalition” comprised of federal employees who are on the front lines directly watching the harm being done to your government?Jenna Norton, a federal employee herself, will join “Be Bold America!” in her PERSONAL CAPACITY to explain the most devastating actions the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, is doing to the National Institutes of Health, Science, and other departments throughout the federal government.

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Today, RFK Jr pauses a billion dollars in Medicaid to California and Minnesota; Rep. Jamie Raskin is seeking documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's foreign contacts; IRS Chief Frank Bisignano spied on colleagues when he worked at JPMorgan; Trump and the OMB are violating the Impoundment Control Act by ignoring Congressional appropriations; an appeals court has overturned the release order of Mohsen Mahdawi; an appeals court has denied Peter Navarro's bid to overturn his contempt of Congress conviction; and a federal judge says Trump has to hand over his financials in discovery in the BBC libel case; plus Allison delivers your Good News. Thank You, Fast Growing Trees Get 20% off your first purchase  FastGrowingTrees.com/dailybeans The Daily Beans is proud to partner with Miles Taylor and our friends at DEFIANCE.org For a limited time, members of the Daily Beans community can receive a FREE 3-month full membership to DEFIANCE.org and gain access to one of the fastest-growing pro-democracy movements in America. Join here: https://www.defiance.org/beans Join The Daily Beans and give a gift today to ensure The Trevor Project can continue its crucial work in the face of continued challenges. Donate to The Trevor Project - Daily Beans Podcast The Latest Breakdown→ Epstein Survivor Recounts Meeting With Todd Blanche StoriesRFK Jr pauses $1bn Medicaid funding to California and Minnesota Raskin seeks documents into Jeffrey Epstein's foreign contacts - Live Updates - POLITICO IRS Chief Frank Bisignano Spied on Colleagues When He Worked at JPMorgan - WSJ Congress rejected some of Trump's proposed budget cuts. OMB is making them anyway. US appeals court raises prospect of re-arrest of pro-Palestinian advocate Mahdawi | Reuters Judge says Trump must hand over financial records to BBC - POLITICOGood Trouble Check your voter registration status →Vote.orgVoter Registration Deadlines - Vote.org →Help save Texas from Ken Paxton! →Urge Democrats to Oppose and Stop Trump's Crypto Corruption | Indivisible Guide →Defiance.org/beans →Show up for our Libraries - action.ala.org →Stand With Minnesota →ICE List  →iceout.org Good NewsGrassRoots Garden | Food for Lane County – Eugene, Oregon INDIVISIBLE KANSAS CITY sfcva.org dana-goldbergs-southwest-funnyfest Oct 9 -Email Dana@DanaGoldberg.com for sponsorship informationTickets for Dana Goldberg: Outrageous - Sep 23 - Den Theater - Chicago  →Share your Good News & Good Trouble - The Daily Beans →Beans Talk audio -beans-talk.simplecast.com →Email Dana LGBTQ Owned eating establishments in your area - hello@mswmedia.com Subject: “Dana's Project” Subscribe to the MSW YouTube Channel - MSW Media - YouTube Our Donation Links The Trevor Project - trevorproject.org/beans Blue Wave California - https://secure.actblue.com/donate/msw-bwc Donate to Public Citizen - https://citizen.org/beans/ Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Pathways to Citizenship link to MATCH Allison's Donationhttps://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_86ff5236-dd26-11ec-b5ee-066e3d38bc77&WidgetId=6388736 Join Dana and The Daily Beans in support of Human Rights Campaign http://onecau.se/_ekes71National Security Counselors - Donate, ActBlue.com/donate/msw-bwc, WhistleblowerAid.org/beans Dr. Allison Gill - The Breakdown | Allison Gill, Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com - Bluesky, MSW & The Daily Beans Podcast @muellershewrote - Instagram, MSW Media - YouTube →Federal workers - email AG - fedoath@pm.me Dana Goldberg - Dana is on Patreon! At Dana's Dugout, @dgcomedy - Bluesky, @dgcomedy - IG, Dana Goldberg - Facebook,  DanaGoldberg.com More from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | Allison Gill Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everything is getting worse, but the country hasn’t collapsed. This is all by design. Donald Trump is a useful idiot for the people behind the scenes and Project 2025, most notably Russell Vought. The Trump administration is using the nation’s finances like a personal piggy bank for themselves and large corporations while gutting agencies that provide critical services. The misconception is that Trump is driving things into the ground. He’s not. He’s just making things so shitty that the corporate state looks good in comparison. Resources ProPublica: “Their Entire Apparatus Is Exposed to Our Strategy” ProPublica: “We Want the Bureaucrats to Be Traumatically Affected” Yahoo: This Trump Official Promised To Traumatize Federal Workers — Watch His Words Come Back To Haunt Him The New York Times: Two Dead and Scores Rescued as Flooding Engulfs Central Texas IMF: World Economic Outlook Update, July 2026: Global Economy in Crosscurrents of War and Technology ProPublica: “Put Them in Trauma”: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda The New York Times: Why Silicon Valley’s Most Powerful People Are So Obsessed With Hobbits U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M06 Results U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Producer Price Index News Release summary - 2026 M06 Results U.S. News: Trump Administration’s Changes to the CFPB Cost Americans $19B, a New Report Says KFF: In Preliminary Rate Filings, ACA Marketplace Insurers Largely Propose Double-Digit Premium Increase For 2027, Following a Steep Climb This Year National Association of Realtors: NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 5.4% Decrease in June The New York Times: Cyclospora Cases Rise Rapidly, With No Source Yet Confirmed The New Yorker: The Human Cost of DOGE’s War on U.S.A.I.D. The Washington Post: The gaps in CDC’s public health data are creating dangerous blind spots Axios: Measurement tweaks will make inflation data look better UNFTR Resources Episode: “Russputin” and the Tsar. Episode: Project 2025. Video: U.S. Financials in Free Fall | Graham, McConnell, and the Strait of Hormuz Video: Trump Is a Useful Idiot for the People Behind the Scenes. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibilitySupport the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the way out the door, Russell Vought finally heard words he's needed to hear ages ago. ICE goon outed by his ex-wife for murdering an innocent man. Todd Blanche and his pettifoggers get busted making up legal precedents. Dem Ohio Gov nominee shoots herself in the foot . . . with Democrats.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Donald Trump will in his primetime address to the nation present new evidence about election security and potential foreign interference and the "findings" will "shock" listeners; Senate Judiciary Committee holds a second day of hearings on the nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General. Witnesses include former Attorney General John Ashcroft, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse and a mother whose daughter was the victim of a crime by an illegal alien; White House teleprompter operator is accused of making nearly $100,000 in prediction market bets about what President Trump would say in speeches; Senate confirmation hearings for Labor Secretary Nominee Keith Sonderling and TSA Administration nominee David Cummins; Russell Vought, Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, testifies before the Senate Banking Committee; House Speaker Mike Johnson pulls from the House floor before a final vote a controversial veterans benefits overhaul bill; Secretary of State Marco Rubio says at an international conference on political terrorism hosted by the State Department in Washington that the greatest threat comes from terrorists on the political left. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

The White House isn't planning to review the so-called Department of Government Efficiency's performance as the Elon Musk-launched project that eviscerated large swaths of federal agencies winds down, its top budget official said Tuesday. During a House Appropriations hearing, Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Chairman Dave Joyce noted that DOGE has been “pretty much eliminated” in the proposed fiscal 2027 budget. The Ohio Republican then asked Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought if he planned to present any documentation on “what exactly DOGE accomplished” in terms of “reductions in dollars spent” and “people at agencies.” Vought answered that the administration has “no plans to do … a closing DOGE report,” though it is “happy to give you our assessment of that work” saying he thinks “it made some really important strides.” An executive branch funding proposal for fiscal 2027 released in January called for $8 million to the OMB-housed Information Technology Oversight and Reform bucket to fund DOGE. The 2027 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act (H.R.8495), introduced in April, also appropriated $8 million for ITOR, though DOGE wasn't mentioned by name in the bill. The White House's fiscal 2027 budget proposal, also released in April, requested $35 million for DOGE. The CIA has reorganized several of its key acquisition and tech directorates to better embrace emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing as they reshape “the reality of conflict and asymmetric warfare,” Director John Ratcliffe said Tuesday. During rare public remarks at the AWS DC Summit, Ratcliffe pointed to recent CIA-supported operations in Venezuela and the Middle East, including the rescue of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle pilot in Iran, as examples of the outsized impact of technology on the agency's intelligence operations. Recognizing there's no shortage of conflict or crisis around the globe, Ratcliffe said the CIA does not have the luxury of relying on what's worked in the past. Instead, the agency must position itself as a leader in adopting cutting-edge technologies. With that in mind, the CIA has undertaken a “fundamental reshaping” of its “entire approach to technology,” Ratcliffe said. That includes overhauling its digital innovation office, reconstructing its commercial tech procurement strategy, streamlining communication channels with industry and elevating its offensive cyber capabilities as a core mission function. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Donald Trump says he alone can fix Washington — but is one unelected official actually running the show? Chris and Jarv are joined by journalist Andy Kroll to discuss the rise of Russell Vought, the budget chief using the Office of Management and Budget to quietly expand Trump's power from inside the White House. Back us on Patreon – we need your help to keep going. Get ad free episodes, extra bits and merch: https://www.patreon.com/c/americanfriction We're now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media:  BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfric.bsky.social Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jake Preston. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's actually driving the Trump administration? Our good friend and emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Norm Ornstein, joins Al to follow the blueprint laid out by Project 2025.The chief architect of Project 2025, Russell Vought, now runs the Office of Management and Budget, the perfect position to carry out The Project's agenda. Norm and Al cover the human cost of gutting USAID, DOGE's chaotic assault on the federal workforce, an immigration crackdown that's begun alienating the Hispanic voters who swung to Trump in 2024, and a cabinet culture so consumed with flattery that Ornstein calls it the "Lickspittle Olympics."Plus, Trump promised to keep us out of wars, but with the ongoing conflict with Iran, the Venezuela invasion, preparations around Cuba, and a growing rift with NATO, it seems like he might not have been fully honest with the American people.Norm discusses how this administration's corruption dwarfs every previous White House scandal combined. And what should Democrats actually do if they retake Congress? Is impeachment smart politics or a distraction? And what does a credible "Project 2029" look like?LISTEN to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY VISITING OUR SPONSORS:Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Get free shipping and 365-Day returns at https://www.quince.com/frankenSave money on your insurance bills with SelectQuote! Visit https://www.selectquote.com/franken

June 3. 2026US Supreme Court allows Alabama to use a 2023 map that had been ruled as unconstitutional because it violates the Fourteenth Amendment and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, As Trump deteriorates mentallly and physically Republican lawmakers and the administration try to grab as much power as possible, Promises of an end to the war on Iran fizzle and the economy is slowing as oil prices increase and credit card delinquencies reach new highs, Russell Vought proposes that OMB should have control over research grants, Trump signs order stripping civil service workers of protected status, And Trump nominates William Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, one of the most important positions in the government, Pulte has no experience in intelligence and his nomination threatens the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Democrats and some Republicans are pushing back on Pulte's nomination, There has been pushback in the House where a resolution passed telling Trump to stop its strikes on Iran or get congressional approval and a measure that would aid Ukraine advanced, Trump did not react well.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

Javier Milei is brash and audacious, and he loves Donald Trump. But in many ways Donald Trump is the one who is following Milei. Argentina has an 18 month head start on Russell Vought’s wet dream of implementing a harsh libertarian doctrine. For a while it looked like everything Milei did was succeeding. He tamed inflation, created an export surplus and got back on track with debt service. Economic shock doctrines that rely on austerity for the masses and corporate giveaways always wind up the same, however. It was only a matter of time. The wheels are coming off Milei’s project this year as inflation is back, money is tight and people are pissed. America’s canary came out of the coal mine with black lung. Resources Buenos Aires Times: Economic activity posts biggest slump since 2023 Argus Media: Argentina inflation eases to 32.6pc in March | Latest Market News Argus Media: Argentina economy has sluggish start to 2026 Peterson Institute for International Economics: Argentina’s fragile monetary framework risks renewed volatility BBVA Research: Argentina Economic Outlook. March 2026 Americas Quarterly: Argentina’s Polarization Threatens Milei’s Pro-Market Agenda Americas Quarterly: REACTION: Milei’s Decisive Midterm Election Victory Paul Krugman: Why Is Trump Bailing Out Argentina? - Paul Krugman New York Times: Milei Vowed to Fix Argentina’s Economy. Then Came a New Crisis. Newsweek: Trump’s Argentina bailout sparks fury among farmers, Republicans Al Jazeera: Argentina Senate approves contentious Milei-backed labour reforms Buenos Aires Times: Pure polarisation in Congress – Milei delivers partisan speech full of insults Buenos Aires Times: Sharp drop in Argentina’s poverty rate delivers boost for Milei LatinNews: In brief: Argentina renews China currency swap line UNFTR Resources Video: Milei Promised Miracles, Delivered Chaos—Trump Is Next Essay: Don’t Cry for me Milei, Argentina. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hugh discusses Iran and talks with Russell Vought, Fred Ryan, Eliana Johnson, Vic Matus, Josh Kraushaar, Mollie Hemingway (book), and Daniel Bassali.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday on the News Hour, Israel and Lebanon agree to a 10-day ceasefire, but will Hezbollah abide by a truce it didn't negotiate? As White House budget director Russell Vought testifies before Congress, we check in on his efforts to implement Project 2025. Plus, a look at the Trump family's business dealings during this administration, the profits they've made and the ethics in question. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Today's Headlines: Trump announced a 10-day Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, claimed the Iran war is "going swimmingly," and said Iran agreed to hand over nuclear material — which Iran has not confirmed. The head of the International Energy Agency warned Europe has roughly six weeks of jet fuel left due to the Strait of Hormuz situation, with possible flight cancellations and energy shortages ahead. Congress failed for the third time to pass a War Powers resolution to curb the Iran war, this time losing 214-213. At $10 billion a week, the White House budget director refused to say how much the war will cost, explaining that costs "fluctuate." It was a full day of congressional hearings. RFK Jr. faced the first of seven back-to-back days of testimony. Trump nominated an actual doctor — a 24-year public health veteran — to lead the CDC, which is genuinely surprising. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll testified that he pushed back against Hegseth's general-firing spree, with Republicans on the committee taking his side. Pete Hegseth quoted Pulp Fiction instead of the Bible at a Pentagon prayer service. Budget director Russell Vought testified that DHS is "disintegrating." ICE deported 442,000 people last year, but only 38% had any kind of criminal record — pending charges included.Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal ICE agent with assault for pointing his gun at drivers on a state highway — the first case of its kind, with 17 more incidents under review. An 86-year-old French widow of an American military veteran has been in ICE detention since April 1st, after missing an immigration appointment while settling her late husband's estate — reportedly tipped off by his son over an inheritance dispute. A judge blocked above-ground construction on Trump's White House ballroom pending congressional authorization, though underground bunker work continues. His 250-foot DC arch cleared a federal design review despite massive public opposition. Spirit Airlines could liquidate as early as this week. United Airlines' CEO pitched Trump on merging with American Airlines — which would control nearly 40% of the global airline market. Democrats won New Jersey's special election by 59 points. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NYT: Pope Leo, Amid Standoff With Trump, Says ‘Woe to Those Who Manipulate Religion' Axios: Trump announces 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon WSJ: Cease-Fire Between Israel and Lebanon Takes Effect WaPo: Trump says Iran agrees to hand over ‘nuclear dust' AP News: AP Exclusive: Europe has 'maybe 6 weeks of jet fuel left,' energy agency head warns Axios: House hands Trump a win with failed Iran war powers vote The Hill: Cease-Fire Between Israel and Lebanon Takes Effect CNN: Public health veteran is Trump's pick to lead CDC as administration shifts tone on vaccines WaPo: Republicans back Army Secretary Dan Driscoll amid clash with Hegseth The Hill: Hegseth shares air rescue group's ‘Pulp Fiction' prayer at Pentagon service The Hill: White House budget director Vought declines to tell senators cost of Iran war The Hill: White House OMB Director Russell Vought: DHS ‘disintegrating' Axios: ICE deported 442k people in fiscal year 2025 The Hill: France calls on US to release 86-year-old widow of veteran detained by ICE NYT: ICE Agent Charged With Assault After Motorists Say He Brandished Gun NYT: Judge Again Halts Aboveground Construction on Trump Ballroom WaPo: Trump's 250-foot arch receives early design approval as public pans it CNBC: Spirit Airlines could liquidate as early as this week, sources say The Guardian: United Airlines CEO reportedly pitched merger with American, sparking competition fears | Business NYT: Analilia Mejia, a Progressive Democrat, Wins Mikie Sherrill's House Seat Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I never thought I'd be glued to my screen at 6 AM on this crisp April 13th, 2026, watching the legal world swirl around President Donald Trump like a storm over Mar-a-Lago. But here we are, listeners, with the U.S. Supreme Court diving headfirst into his bold Executive Order 14160, challenging the very heart of birthright citizenship. According to Rutgers Law School's analysis of key issues to watch in 2026, this order seeks to redefine who qualifies for U.S. citizenship by birth, potentially clashing with the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Immigration and Nationality Act. Oral arguments heated up just days ago on April 1st, as reported in coverage from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court proceedings, where lawyers like Peter J. Brann for the Senate President and David M. Kallin for the League of Women Voters of Maine squared off against Timothy C. Woodcock for the Republican National Committee. The stakes? A doctrinal earthquake that could reshape immigration law for generations.Just last week, on April 7th, G37 Chambers' International Legal News roundup from March 30 to April 3 highlighted the White House defending Trump, stating he was making the entire Middle East region safer amid foreign policy firestorms. But back home, the courts are buzzing. Picture this: the Supreme Court also just rejected Colorado's ban on conversion therapy in a March 31st update noted by Rutgers Law professors, a win for broader civil rights debates that echo Trump's administration priorities on limiting judicial overreach.Meanwhile, in a twist tying sanctions to legal battles, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, issued then revoked a license for paying defense attorneys in the Southern District of New York case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores de Maduro, per G37 Chambers. They're on the SDN List, facing narcotics and firearm charges after a dramatic U.S. Army Operation Southern Spear rendition. Their lawyers argue it violates Sixth Amendment rights to counsel and Fifth Amendment due process—echoes of constitutional fights Trump knows all too well from his own past tussles.And don't sleep on Trump v. CASA, Inc., where the Supreme Court in June ruled that universal injunctive relief likely exceeds federal courts' equitable authority, as detailed in Goodwin's emerging issues report for 2026. This curbs sweeping injunctions, handing a victory to executive actions like Trump's. With the D.C. Circuit eyeing CFPB overhauls under acting director Russell Vought, who wants to slash 88% of staff, these rulings signal a federal retrenchment aligning with Trump's deregulatory push.As the sun rises over Washington, D.C., these battles paint Trump as the epicenter of 2026's legal drama—citizenship clashes, sanction skirmishes, and court curbs on power. It's a high-wire act, listeners, blending policy wins with constitutional showdowns.Thanks for tuning in, and come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

  A myriad of forces reshape the payments industry everyday.  Whether it is new technology, new regulations, or new attacks by fraudsters, it can be tough to keep up with the ever-changing landscape.   In this episode, we discuss how payments professionals can learn about all of these factors and more at the Innovative Payments Conference, taking place at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC, April 29 through May 1.  Brian Tate, the IPA's CEO, talks about what's on the agenda for the upcoming conference, including:   Russell Vought, head of OMB and acting director of CFPB, talking about the future of the Bureau and Regulation, and  David Wasserman, of the cook Political Report, providing a nonpartisan analysis of the upcoming Midterms.  We will also have sessions on things like AI, EWA, Fraud, and Open Banking. Additionally, the IPA has also arranged a special tour of The FBI Experience immediately after the conference for those interested in learning about the history of the Bureau.   This podcast was recorded on March 26, 2026. Things may have changed by the time you hear it.   Registration is now open at this link: Innovative Payments Conference. Listeners can get $25 off the price of registration when they use the code Podcast. Make sure to capitalize the first letter. 

Earlier this year, Congress pushed back on the Trump administration's attempts to slash funding for many science research programs, and restored that money to the budget. But despite the funds existing in the budget, they have not yet been released to some researchers.  Science journalist Alexandra Witze joins Host Ira Flatow to walk through the details of the government funding process, and her recent report in Nature about the funding slowdown.  Guest: Alexandra Witze is a correspondent for the journal Nature. She's based in Boulder, Colorado. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Nicolle Wallace covers the threat to the safe and secure elections Americans have enjoyed and are promised by the Constitution. According to new reporting from MS NOW, Donald Trump is directing his counsel's office to find legal ways to establish more roadblocks to casting votes at polling locations nationwide. Trump is urging this despite his own legal counsel warning that such action could get him in deep legal trouble. Later, Nicolle covers the stunning story out of New York City today where a student was pulled out of her residential building at Columbia University by immigration agents who, according to Columbia's acting president, “made misrepresentations” about who they were and what they were doing there to gain entry to the building. For more, follow us on Instagram @deadlinewh To listen to this show and other MS NOW podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. For more from Nicolle, follow and download her podcast, “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace,” wherever you get your podcasts.To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

National Treasury Employees Union v. Russell Vought

Radell Lewis breaks down the biggest political stories shaping America right now on this week's Purple Political Breakdown. First, the global movement to ban children from social media is gaining serious momentum Australia has already removed millions of underage accounts, Spain is holding platform executives criminally liable, and France, Denmark, the UK, and others are following suit. Discord is rolling out teen-by-default settings in March 2026. Meanwhile in the U.S., the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA) awaits Senate action as half of all states now have age verification mandates. Radell weighs the privacy debate against children's safety and explains why the "they'll just go somewhere worse" argument doesn't hold up.Then, the deep dive: Project 2025 is no longer a boogeyman talking point it's policy. Trackers show the Trump administration has initiated roughly 53% of Project 2025's domestic proposals, with key authors like Russell Vought, Peter Navarro, and Brendan Carr now occupying the exact roles they wrote about in the Heritage Foundation's blueprint. Radell walks through Schedule F and what it means for 50,000 federal employees losing civil service protections, the DOJ's weaponization against political adversaries like James Comey and Letitia James, the tariff trade war and the pending Supreme Court ruling that could trigger over $100 billion in refunds, the EPA's historic rescission of the endangerment finding on climate change, DEI rollbacks, school vouchers, Planned Parenthood funding cuts, and what's still on the agenda including the Comstock Act.Plus: the DHS government shutdown explained, Democrats' demands for ICE accountability after Operation Metro Surge, the DOJ dropping charges against two Venezuelan men after ICE agents were caught lying under oath, the explosive Pam Bondi hearing on the Epstein files, the Trump-Harvard standoff, Trump Rx and whether it actually helps anyone, America's dropping corruption ranking, and why Americans are feeling less optimistic than ever. Radell wraps with good news including a breakthrough gene therapy for eye disease and AI-assisted breast cancer detection saving lives.New episodes every Sunday. Rate five stars, share with friends and family, and download the Alive Podcast Network app to support the show.Keywords: Project 2025, social media ban children, Schedule F, government shutdown DHS, ICE accountability, Epstein files, Pam Bondi hearing, Trump tariffs Supreme Court, EPA climate change rollback, Heritage Foundation, KOSMA, age verification, DEI rollback, Planned Parenthood funding, Trump Rx, Harvard funding, Operation Metro Surge, SAVE Act, political podcast, nonpartisan news, purple politicsStandard Resource Links & RecommendationsThe following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation: PODCAST NETWORKALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/ CONVERSATION PLATFORMSHeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/ UNITY MOVEMENTSUs United - A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/ BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATIONOtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/ VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACYEqual Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/starFuture is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/ POLITICAL ENGAGEMENTIndependent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/ GET DAILY NEWSText 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now) ALL LINKShttps://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdownThe Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle! Also if you want to be apart of the community and the conversation make sure to Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9

David Waldman delivers a lovely Friday the 13th KITM Valentine. May everyone you know receive exactly what they deserve. Speaking of romance, Kristi Noem fired a Coast Guard pilot for coming between her (and probably Corey Lewandowski's) favorite blanket. Corey's security blanket would be a badge and a gun, if he had them. The heated rivalry between Kristi and her non-botoxed twin, Tom Homan continues to rage behind the scenes. Who would think that Jared Kushner would be implicated in a national security scandal with Tulsi Gabbard and foreign nationals? Yeah, well, everybody. When John A. Sarcone III was caught unlawfully impersonating a US Attorney, the Northern District of New York appointed the most qualified attorney for the position, Donald Kinsella. That is just about the opposite of what the Trump administration wanted, and they fired Kinsella in under 4 hours, preferring to have no one at any wheel. ICE says that they are leaving Minneapolis, to places where they are wanted, who will soon learn to not want them. Meanwhile, most U.S. Attorneys and their staffs are bugging out of Minnesota, shutting down the vindictive prosecutions on their way out. The healing will take years, however, as the sickness continues to spread. The SAVE tool creates confusion and chaos, as it was designed. Pam Bondi, She-Wolf of the DOJ, will soon present Donald K. Trump with 10 billion dollars, but for now spends her time freeing accused drug dealers. Budget director Russell Vought found some money nobody needed anymore and put it into an entourage. Jeanine Pirro will be suing someone for $250,000 after a large wooden block leapt into the path of her staggering.

"You either need to call it fascism or you need to invent a new word with more or less the same meaning." — Jonathan RauchJonathan Rauch's viral Atlantic essay has reignited the debate over what to call the Trump administration. Having previously settled on "semi-fascist," Rauch now argues that Trump ticks all 18 boxes on his checklist of fascist characteristics — from the glorification of violence and territorial ambitions to Carl Schmitt's philosophy of "enemies, not adversaries." We spar over whether the term obscures more than it reveals: Is this really fascism, or just authoritarianism with American characteristics? The conversation sharpens around Minneapolis, where citizens were shot face down, and the government initially denied it happened. You don't do that to win votes, Rauch argues — you do it because you believe that's how the social contract should work. He predicts Trump will fail to turn America into a fascist country but warns that institutions like the newly expanded ICE will outlast this administration. About the GuestJonathan Rauch is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He is the author of nine books, including The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth (2021), Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy (2025), and Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought (1993). He received the 2005 National Magazine Award.ReferencesThinkers discussed:·      Carl Schmitt was a Nazi political theorist whose "friend-enemy distinction" argued that politics is fundamentally about identifying and crushing enemies, not managing disagreements with adversaries.·      George Orwell wrote in his 1946 essay "Politics and the English Language" that "the word 'fascism' has now no meaning except insofar as it signifies something not desirable."·      Hannah Arendt was a German-American political theorist and refugee from Nazi Germany whose book The Origins of Totalitarianism examined both Nazism and Stalinism, preferring "totalitarianism" to "fascism" as the more encompassing term.Historical figures:·      Benito Mussolini invented the term "fascism" (from the Latin fasces, a bundle of rods symbolizing collective strength) and ruled Italy as dictator from 1922 to 1943.·      Francisco Franco ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975. Whether he was truly a fascist or merely an authoritarian remains debated; he never got along well with Hitler and outlasted the fascist era by three decades.·      Viktor Orbán is the prime minister of Hungary whose systematic capture of media, courts, and civil society has become known as the "Orbán playbook" — a template Rauch argues the Trump administration is following.Contemporary figures mentioned:·      Stephen Miller is a senior advisor to Trump who declared that "force is the iron law of the world" and told progressives "you are nothing" at a memorial service where the widow of the deceased had just offered Christian forgiveness to an assassin.·      Russell Vought is the director of the Office of Management and Budget, identified by Rauch as one of the younger ideologues building Trumpism into something more like a coherent ideology.·      Chris Rufo is a conservative activist and culture war strategist who has employed what Rauch calls "revolutionary language" in his campaigns against universities and public institutions.Essays and books mentioned:·      "Politics and the English Language" (1946) is Orwell's essay arguing that the corruption of language enables the corruption of politics, and that vague or meaningless words like "fascism" make clear thinking impossible.·      The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951) is Hannah Arendt's study of Nazism and Stalinism as parallel forms of total domination, examining how mass movements, propaganda, and terror enable regimes to control entire societies.About Keen On AmericaNobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States—hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 2,800 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting.WebsiteSubstackYouTubeApple PodcastsSpotify Chapters:(00:00) - (00:13) - The viral essay (02:10) - Why Rauch changed his mind (03:41) - Fascism vs. authoritarianism (05:54) - Carl Schmitt and "enemies not adversaries" (06:14) - Orwell on the word "fascism" (09:12) - Can old people be fascists? (11:51) - Blood and soil nationalism (14:14) - Minneapolis (17:51) - Kristallnacht comparisons (20:07) - The postmodern right (26:34) - Following the money (32:05) - ICE as paramilitary force

In this episode, we speak with Tyler Creighton about the ongoing struggle to save the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from defunding and closure at the hands of Russell Vought in the second Trump Administration. Creighton is a lawyer at the CFPB and a member of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Chapter 335. Before joining the CFPB, Creighton clerked for the Massachusetts Appeals Court and, prior to that, he was an organizer for pro-democracy reforms at Common Cause and ReThink Media. We talk with Creighton about life at the CFPB under the leadership of Vought, central architect of the notorious Project 2025 document and avowed opponent of the agency he now directs. During our conversation, Creighton details how, in spite of Vought's attempts to defund and close the agency, the CFPB continues to survive. In Creighton's telling, the agency's endurance owes in no small part to the continuous labor actions undertaken by the NTEU and its members. In February 2025, for example, the union sued the Trump Administration, securing an injunction against Vought's efforts to close the agency. (Read the judge's extraordinary Memorandum Opinion here.) Then, in late December, a federal district court judge ruled that the Trump administration must continue to fund the CFPB through the Federal Reserve, contradicting Vought's absurd claim that the CFPB can no longer seek financing from the Fed because the nation's Central Bank is operating at a loss.Despite the NTEU's string of successes, the fate of the CFPB still remains to be determined. The good news, however, is that there are ways that you can support the bureau as it rounds into its second year of the second Trump Administration. Learn more about the fight to save the CFPB from the CFPB Union website. Follow and share news from the NTEU account on Bluesky. Join the union's public demonstrations, if you live near or find yourself visiting Washington D.C. You can also help fund the NTEU's activities by purchasing any number of cheeky items in their online merchandise shop. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/MoLsuperstructureMusic by Nahneen Kula: www.nahneenkula.com

Last October Brooke spoke with Andy Kroll, a reporter covering justice and the rule of law at ProPublica, about the profile he wrote of Russell Vought, the director of a little-known, but powerful office inside the White House On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

Battling an oncoming cold, we—by which I mean me—present our Boxing St. Stephen Day extravaganza! Despite the cold, I couldn't stay away from our preferred form of social media. And neither could "our president." Two hundred or so unhinged wackadoodle posts for Christmas. And a bombing! The netroots lost an OG over the holiday, too. Howie Klein, known to us as the proprietor of Down With Tyranny! passed away. Turns out (as if we didn't know), he was known to most others for his lifetime in the music biz. The Epstein Files situation continues to snowball. Today's focus: the lawyers involved in Epstein's sweetheart deal in his first "incarceration." Sweetheart doesn't even begin to describe it, though. Heading into the weekend, we rounded up backgrounders and primers on new entrants into the Trump World Rogues' Gallery and other Things You Need to Know. First up: the Ellison boys, their billions, and how they'll use them to ruin everything. Next, the Congressional watchdogs at the General Accounting Office (GAO). Mostly asleep on the job lately, but at least they're on the job. For another three days, anyway. And who are the GAO folks supposed to be keeping an eye on, exactly? The White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB). You know. Russell Vought. Here's more we need to know about that guy.

Throughout the 2024 election, we all heard about the dangers of Project 2025, yet somehow it's worse than we imagined. Trump continuously said he didn't know anything about it (but he did), and nearly a year after his swearing in, we've seen a huge portion of it already implemented. We're joined by The Atlantic's David A. Graham, author of the new book, “The Project: How Project 2025 is Shaping America.” In just 138 pages, David covers the entire 920-page document. He explains how many of the authors of Project 2025 saw Trump's first term as a failure because he was stopped from accomplishing his core goals - like building the border wall and repealing Obamacare. The answer was to create a shadow administration that would guide his policy decisions if he made it back to office. We run through a variety of issues that are being influenced by Project 2025, including immigration and border security, education, and trade. And we discuss the most influential figure, Russell Vought, current Director of the Office of Management and Budget. One of his main priorities? Inflict pain on government employees. Plus, Al remembers his friends, Rob and Michele Reiner. READ David's book, “The Project”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/800230/the-project-by-david-a-graham/ Visit our sponsor Ghostbed and get 25% off of your purchase. Use the code FRANKEN at checkout: https://www.ghostbed.com/Franken Protect yourself and your family from cybercrime this holiday season with 75% off from our sponsor Webroot! https://www.webroot.com/franken Bundle up with some warm weather clothes from Quince! Get free shipping and 365-Day returns at https://www.quince.com/Franken

Christian Nightmares, our favorite chronicler of evangelical Christianity's tightening grip on American politics in 2025, returns to Tell Me About Your Father for a look back at a truly frightening year in Christian Nationalism that aims to ensure that America is truly one nation under God Trump. In this episode, the anonymous editor of Christian Nightmares, who goes by “Christian”, walks us through his top 5 purveyors of Christian Nationalism this year, which feature such luminaries as pastor Joel Webbon, who matter of factly believes women don't belong in public life and shouldn't vote, much less podcast, and Eric Orwoll, whose white power organization Return to the Land is hard at work building a “fortress for the white race” in Ravenden, Arkansas. We also talk with Christian about how the year has given rise to a glut of militarized Christian branding and survivalist drag, complete with camo, tactical gear, and merch for battles that don't exist. (We know what this country needs: more gun-toting men and boys.)Then there's the growing Christian Nationalist war on “empathy.”As another gruesome grifter, pastor Josh McPherson says: “Empathy is toxic. Empathy will align you with Hell.” We try to parse why Charlie Kirk also couldn't “stand the word.” It's a world view in which care for others is a trap set by childless uggos and fat Army generals. Compassion is always a weakness, and the people who believe it wholeheartedly are right in the center of power in the US. It's not your mama's Golden Rule(book). And, as Christian explained in the interview he did with us back in 2021, he knows this world well. Raised in an evangelical church that instilled constant fear of a punitive god in its members, his work has become a living record of the fundamentalism that shaped his childhood and has since crept its way into the White House under the cloak of Russell Vought's Project 2025, curling up at Stephen Miller's feet.Rob Reiner tried to warn us, but we're not sure the country will listen until Vought takes away their porn.We are wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday break from your jobs, surrounded by the love of your chosen family, favs and friends.Yours,Erin, Elizabeth and MattThis podcast is 100% creator and reader-supported. To help us keep it up, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Tell Me About Your Father at tellmeaboutyourfather.substack.com/subscribe

The U.S. economy has already crashed. The stock market is just the last one to figure it out. In this essay, Max talks about what happens when hegemonic economies collapse and how the U.S. has been able to keep things afloat while the bottom falls out. He draws parallels to the crash of 1929 and the subsequent Depression and speaks to the differences. There is a path forward for Progressives but it won’t be a presidential run. The DNC will make sure of that. But we can borrow from Russell Vought’s playbook to build a coalition of support on the ground. Resources DSA: Chapters Working Families Party: Get Involved Sherrod Brown UNFTR Resources Trump is Looting the Treasury. “Russputin” and the Tsar. Medicare for All. Zohran Mamdani Has Already Won. Civilian Labor Corps. Housing First. UNFTR 5NN. Video: The Financial Crisis is NOW & The Path Forward for Democrats. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join our Discord at unftr.com/discord. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's no secret that Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have been doing everything they can to damage and degrade the Department of Justice, and to destroy the DOJ's legitimacy in the eyes of the American people. Even beyond that, the Trump administration has been determined to put federal employees "in trauma." Indeed, those are the words of the person Trump picked to be his OMB Director, Russell Vought. Fortunately, there is an organization fighting against the destruction of the Department of Justice and the mistreatment of DOJ employees. That organization is Justice Connection.The Mission of Justice Connection:"Justice Connection is a network of DOJ alumni who are standing up for the rule of law and protecting our former colleagues who've been targeted by this administration.We're providing current and recent DOJ employees with direct and free support, including:Legal representation through the Justice Connection Legal NetworkMental health assistanceWhistleblowing supportMedia training and other help for alumni who want to join us in speaking out Justice Connection has also become the leading voice delivering the message that the assault on the DOJ makes Americans more vulnerable to violent crime, corruption, climate change, civil rights violations, and terrorism – while eroding the foundation of our democracy."Glenn sat down with the founder of Justice Connection, Stacey Young, for a deep-dive discussion about the vitally important and timely work of her organization. Find Justice Connection at: https://www.thejusticeconnection.org/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, a court filing showed that the Trump Administration has declared the current funding structure for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to be illegal. The agency was created in the wake of the global financial crisis to protect consumers and collect consumer complaints. Project 2025 architect Russell Vought is currently acting director of the CFPB. He has said repeatedly that he wants to see the CFPB close its doors, and back in February, he ordered employees of the agency to stop working. To talk more about the Trump Administration taking yet another axe to the CFPB and what happens next, we spoke to David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect.And in headlines, the Justice Department sues to block new Congressional district boundaries approved by California voters, the State Department makes it harder for people with conditions including cancer and diabetes to obtain visas, and Kristi Noem gives out $10,000 bonus checks to some TSA agents who worked through the shutdown.Show Notes: Check out The American Prospect – https://prospect.org/Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a New Yorker article co-published with ProPublica, reporter Andy Kroll describes Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, as a "shadow president" with oversized influence. “I don't think you can take in the full sweep of what this administration has done in less than a year and not come away with thinking that chaos is a goal, and certainly an outcome that serves Vought and his team's larger agenda of putting cracks in the federal government, shaking the stability of this typically rock-solid steady institution that is the federal bureaucracy,” Kroll says.  Follow Fresh Air on instagram @nprfreshair, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for gems from the Fresh Air archive, staff recommendations, and a peek behind the scenes. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The federal government shutdown has entered its fourth week. On this week's On the Media, hear about the man who is laying off four thousand federal workers this month, whom some call a “shadow president.” Plus, a white nationalist influencer reveals how fast the Republican party is shifting right. [02:21]  Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with Andy Kroll, a reporter covering justice and the rule of law at ProPublica, to discuss Russell Vought, the director of a little-known, but powerful office inside the White House. [20:23] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Ben Lorber, a senior research analyst at Political Research Associates, about his work tracking Nick Fuentes, the Gen Z white nationalist influencer, since 2019 – and why he's not convinced that Fuentes is as powerful as he claims to be.[38:13] Host Micah Loewinger called up Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez, a junior and student journalist at the University of Texas, Dallas, to talk about the turmoil between campus newsrooms and their administrations over covering student protests.Further reading / listening:“The Shadow President,” by Andy KrollSafety through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism, by Shane Burley and Ben Lorber  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

The federal government shutdown is now in its fourth week. Over 700,000 federal employees have been furloughed, with nearly as many continuing to work without pay, yet there are still no signs that an end to the shutdown is near. “Unlike past presidents, Mr. Trump appears to feel little urgency to strike a deal to reopen the government,” Luke Broadwater writes at The New York Times. “Instead, he has used the shutdown, which began Oct. 1, as an opportunity to further remake the federal bureaucracy and jettison programs he does not like, seizing on unorthodox budgetary maneuvers that some have called illegal.” In this episode, we speak with three furloughed federal employees about the harm government shutdowns cause working people, and we discuss why this shutdown is different. Guests: Adam is a furloughed federal employee who works in recreation for the US Forest Service, managing hiking, biking, and equestrian trails in central Idaho. He serves as chapter president of National Federation of Federal Employees Local 1753, and he is an organizer with the Federal Unionists Network. Ellen is a furloughed federal employee who works in SNAP oversight and administration at the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. She serves as chapter president of National Treasury Employees Union Local 255, representing FNS employees at the Northeast regional office, and she is an organizer with the Federal Unionists Network in Boston. April is a furloughed federal employee who works in the office of Head Start at the Administration for Children and Families HQ in Washington, DC. She serves as chapter president of the National Treasury Employees Union Local 250. Additional links/info: Federal Unionists Network website, BlueSky, and Instagram Federal Unionists Network: “Join Us To Defend Public Services!” Luke Broadwater, The New York Times, “The Shutdown Is Stretching On. Trump Doesn't Seem to Mind.” Democracy Now!, “Shadow president: Project 2025 architect Russell Vought is using shutdown to gut federal agencies” Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Credits: Featured music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Audio Post-Production: Alina Nehlich

The federal government shutdown is now in its fourth week. Over 700,000 federal employees have been furloughed, with nearly as many continuing to work without pay, yet there are still no signs that an end to the shutdown is near. “Unlike past presidents, Mr. Trump appears to feel little urgency to strike a deal to reopen the government,” Luke Broadwater writes at The New York Times. “Instead, he has used the shutdown, which began Oct. 1, as an opportunity to further remake the federal bureaucracy and jettison programs he does not like, seizing on unorthodox budgetary maneuvers that some have called illegal.” In this episode, we speak with three furloughed federal employees about the harm government shutdowns cause working people, and we discuss why this shutdown is different. Guests:Adam is a furloughed federal employee who works in recreation for the US Forest Service, managing hiking, biking, and equestrian trails in central Idaho. He serves as chapter president of National Federation of Federal Employees Local 1753, and he is an organizer with the Federal Unionists Network.Ellen is a furloughed federal employee who works in SNAP oversight and administration at the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. She serves as chapter president of National Treasury Employees Union Local 255, representing FNS employees at the Northeast regional office, and she is an organizer with the Federal Unionists Network in Boston.April is a furloughed federal employee who works in the office of Head Start at the Administration for Children and Families HQ in Washington, DC. She serves as chapter president of the National Treasury Employees Union Local 250.Additional links/info:Federal Unionists Network website, BlueSky, and InstagramFederal Unionists Network: “Join Us To Defend Public Services!”Luke Broadwater, The New York Times, “The Shutdown Is Stretching On. Trump Doesn't Seem to Mind.”Democracy Now!, “Shadow president: Project 2025 architect Russell Vought is using shutdown to gut federal agencies”Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongAudio Post-Production: Alina NehlichBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

As the government shutdown heads into its third full week, the Trump administration is halting billions worth of infrastructure funding. It’s the latest of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought's moves during the shutdown, using the moment to enact the president’s political agenda and conduct mass layoffs. Liz Landers reports on Vought’s efforts to reshape the government. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Nobel Committee passed over President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday despite brokering eight different peace treaties his first year back in office, and it's only October. President Trump has brokered eight different peace treaties in 2025. He is even credited with the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas that will go into effect this weekend. Layoffs of federal employees officially began Friday as the U.S. government shutdown entered another tense phase, according to Trump administration budget chief Russell Vought.Sponsor:My PillowWww.MyPillow.com/johnSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Government shutdown drags on with no end in sight. Sarah and Beth explore why Republicans lack motivation to resolve it—from giving Russell Vought a runway to shut down agencies, to avoiding responsibility, to the Epstein document discharge petition battle. Federal troops and ICE operations escalate in American cities. Sarah and Beth break down the National Guard deployments to Los Angeles, DC, Memphis, and the blocked attempt in Oregon, plus aggressive ICE raids across the country. What "war zones" actually look like versus Portland protests. Sarah and Beth push back on the administration's characterization of cities, discuss ice impersonators endangering citizens, and debate whether Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker are handling federal overreach differently. Plus: Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl album—what worked and what didn't. Ready to go deeper? Visit our website for complete show notes, exclusive premium content, chats and more.Don't miss our limited-edition holiday sale!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chaos has ensued across the federal government as we face another shutdown. We're joined by political scientist, an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and friend of the show, Norm Ornstein, to make sense of it all. What is this shutdown all about? Healthcare. With Republicans in charge of the House, the Senate, the Presidency, AND the Supreme Court, can they dodge the blame? Meanwhile, Trump and OMB Director (and Project 2025 author) Russell Vought will use this moment to further gut the federal government. What kind of long term damage could this cause? Also this week, Trump proposed a deal to end the war in Gaza. Norm walks us through the terms and what comes next. Could peace be on the horizon? Plus, Norm breaks down the bizarre address from Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth to the top military generals. This entire stunt cost millions of dollars, but did it accomplish anything? Listen to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970

The Washington Roundtable discusses how this week's government shutdown can be best understood by looking at the background and influence of Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Vought is a Christian nationalist who served in the first Trump Administration. He was a chief architect of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, and has written that the country is in a “post constitutional moment.” Amid the shutdown, Vought has threatened to lay off federal workers en masse and to withhold funds from Democratic-leaning states. The panel considers whether these moves are not just an expansion of Presidential power but a fiscal “partitioning” of America. This week's reading:“Donald Trump's Shutdown Power Play,” by Susan B. Glasser“Can the Democrats Take Free Speech Back from the Right?,” by Jay Caspian Kang“Why Democrats Shut Down the Government,” by Jon Allsop“Is Donald Trump's Sweeping Gaza Peace Plan Really Viable?,” by Robin Wright“Eric Adams Slips Out the Side Door,” by Eric Lach“The Politics of Faith After Charlie Kirk,” by Michael Luo“Grace and Disgrace,” by David Remnick Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The federal government shut down this week, leaving thousands of federal employees furloughed. Families who depend on WIC and SNAP could also be at risk if the shutdown prolongs. Since President Trump took office, thousands of federal employees have faced layoffs or resigned themselves.  Conversations around a government shutdown brewed in March, but the final straw for Democrats may have been in August. That was when Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the House of Representatives would withhold $4 billion previously allocated for foreign aid. Trump blames Democrats for the shutdown. Which party will get their desired outcome here?Ezra Klein, a New York Times opinion writer, said that a shutdown may be exactly what Democrats need to regain power of the legislative branch. But could it jeopardize the party's political future?Also this week, President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gathered global military leaders in Quantico, Virginia, sharing their visions for the newly-named Department of War. This comes after 200 National Guard troops were sent to Portland, Oregon because Trump said the city looked like “World War II.” How do active and retired military members feel about orders to enforce the law in American cities?

Today's Headlines: President Trump has formally declared the U.S. to be in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, invoking war powers and ordering military strikes on Caribbean boats the administration labels as “terrorist organizations.” Lawmakers in both parties are skeptical of the legal basis but—shocker—seem unlikely to act. Meanwhile, the government shutdown has left 750,000 workers unpaid or furloughed, and the White House is now threatening permanent firings with help from Project 2025 architect Russell Vought. Shutdown propaganda even seeped into federal employees' auto-replies, which were forcibly edited to blame Democrats. The Energy Department axed $7.6 billion in clean energy grants, conveniently targeting states that voted for Kamala Harris. The administration also sent nine universities—including Vanderbilt, MIT, and Brown—a “compact” demanding they overhaul admissions, freeze tuition, and abolish certain departments in exchange for federal funds. Elsewhere, the FDA approved a generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone, sparking predictable outrage despite it being a routine process. Yom Kippur was marred by a deadly terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester, where two worshippers were killed and the attacker was shot dead. And finally, Commerce Secretary Howard “Laughin'” Lutnick, a former neighbor of Jeffrey Epstein, suggested Epstein blackmailed powerful men with videos, casually detonating months of damage control efforts with a single podcast appearance. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: Trump says US is in 'armed conflict' with drug cartels after ordering strikes in the Caribbean WSJ: Lawmakers From Both Sides Pressed Pentagon on Legal Basis for Cartel Boat Strikes Axios: Trump embraces Project 2025 after disavowing it during 2024 campaign Wired: Government Workers Say Their Out-of-Office Replies Were Forcibly Changed to Blame Democrats for Shutdown AP News: Trump administration cuts nearly $8B in clean energy projects in states that backed Harris WSJ: Exclusive | Trump White House Asks Colleges to Sign Sweeping Agreement to Get Funding Advantage AP News: FDA approves another generic abortion pill, prompting outrage from conservatives Reuters: Synagogue attack on Yom Kippur kills two in UK's Manchester; suspect shot dead ABC News: Howard Lutnick believes Jeffrey Epstein may have used blackmail to get a lighter sentence Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump budget chief Russell Vought, architect of “Project 2025,” is helping Donald Trump turn the government shutdown into a political weapon. From freezing billions in Democratic state projects to threatening permanent federal layoffs, the shutdown is being used to punish opponents and shrink the government. Meanwhile, American workers are left without pay, families face uncertainty, and taxpayer-funded websites are turned into partisan propaganda. Join this channel for exclusive access and bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g/join Five Minute News is an Evergreen Podcast, covering politics, inequality, health and climate - delivering independent, unbiased and essential news for the US and across the world. Visit us online at http://www.fiveminute.news Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/fiveminutenews.bsky.social Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/fiveminnews Support us on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/fiveminutenews You can subscribe to Five Minute News with your preferred podcast app, ask your smart speaker, or enable Five Minute News as your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill. Please subscribe HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g?sub_confirmation=1 CONTENT DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed on this channel are those of the guests and authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Anthony Davis or Five Minute News LLC. Any content provided by our hosts, guests or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything, in line with the First Amendment right to free and protected speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Executive editor of The American Prospect David Dayen returns to Bad Faith to explain the government shutdown and how Democrats are doing their darnedest to be the worst resistance party in the world. How is it that Trump seems to have infinite power when Biden, during his trifecta, had none? Did Trump really just do what we were told is impossible: overrule the parliamentarian? Why are Democrats making this a fight about healthcare rather than the fact that the GOP has already effectively shut down the government through their DOGE activities? And why should we be very very scared of OMB director Russell Vought? Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Ralph answers some of your recent questions about the genocide in Gaza, how to jumpstart civic engagement, and more!Your feedback is very important. And the more detailed and factual it is, the better off the impact will be by your initiative and getting back to us. You have to be active in a program like this. Because we're not just talking to the choir here. We want the choir to sing back—in affirmation or dissent.Ralph NaderI was astonished…how disinterested the American people are in empowering themselves. That's the problem we have. The lack of civic motivation, the lack of saying, “Look, we've given our power to only 535 people in the Congress, and they've turned it against us on behalf of some 1,500 corporations. We're going to turn it around. We're the sovereign power.” As I've said a hundred times, the Constitution starts with “We the people,” not “We the Congress” or “We the corporations.” And the people don't seem to want to focus on that. If they had anyone in their neighborhood and community who were treating them the way Congress is treating them—as voters, as workers, as consumers, as parents, as children, as taxpayers—they would never allow it.Ralph NaderYou get more and more voters vulnerable to just what comes out of a politician's mouth. Remember, everything Trump has achieved politically has come out of his mouth—not out of his deeds, just out of his mouth. Repeatedly, unrebutted largely over the mass media, and faithfully relayed to the American people by a supine media which points out his mistakes once in a while, but it was too little, too late.Ralph NaderNews 9/26/25* This week, the campaign for Palestinian statehood notched major victories. According to the BBC, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia and Portugal all announced on Sunday that they would recognize the state of Palestine. They are expected to be joined by a number of smaller states, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra and San Marino. These countries, all traditionally close allies of the United States and Israel, join the 140 countries that already recognize the State of Palestine. A statement by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese explains that this move is “part of a co-ordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution, starting with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages.” These heads of state are pursuing this policy despite a thinly veiled threat from Congressional Republicans, a group of whom – including Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Elise Stefanik – sent a letter to President Macron and Prime Ministers Starmer, Carney and Albanese warning them of possible “punitive measures in response,” and urging them to “reconsider,” per the Guardian.* In more Palestine news, as the Global Sumud Flotilla draws near to the coast of Gaza, they are apparently under low-level attack. Al Jazeera reports the flotilla, “has reported explosions and communications jamming as drones hovered overhead.” In response, the United Nations has called for a probe, with UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan stating, “There must be an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the reported attacks and harassment by drones and other objects.” In response to this harassment, Reuters reports Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto expressed the “strongest condemnation” and ordered the “Italian multi-purpose frigate Fasan, previously sailing north of Crete, to head towards the flotilla ‘for possible rescue operations', focusing primarily on Italian citizens.” The strong response by the Italian government is likely related to the labor unrest the targeting of the flotilla has engendered within the country. ANSA, a leading Italian news outlet, reports the Unione Sindacale di Base or USB “would proclaim a wildcat general strike and protests in 100 Italian cities for Gaza after the success of Monday's stoppage and protests involving an estimated 500,000 people in 80 cities.” The union has organized these massive protests under the slogan “let's block everything.”* In more foreign policy news, following on the heels of the protests in Nepal, anti-corruption protestors took to the streets in the Philippines this week, Time reports. The acute cause of these protests was a recent audit which found widespread corruption in the country's flood control projects. The Philippines has invested around $9.5 billion on such projects since 2022, but these have been plagued by kickback schemes, resulting in shoddy work and even deaths. Even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., aka “Bongbong,” sympathized with the protestors, saying “Do you blame them for going out into the streets? If I wasn't President, I might be out in the streets with them…Of course, they are enraged. Of course, they are angry. I'm angry. We should all be angry. Because what's happening is not right.” The potency of these protests is likely to grow as the Philippines was hit this week by Typhoon Ragasa, which is reported to have killed three Filipinos this week, per NBC.* For our final foreign policy update, just days after the dubiously-legal strikes that killed 11 Venezuelans on a boat the U.S. claims was being used to transport drugs, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent a letter to American special envoy Richard Grenell, per CNN. In this letter, Maduro denies any involvement with narco-trafficking, calling the allegations “fake news, propagated through various media channels,” and calling for Trump to “promote peace through constructive dialogue and mutual understanding throughout the hemisphere.” Trump brushed off Maduro, saying “We'll see what happens with Venezuela,” perhaps implying a renewed attempt to remove the Venezuelan president. Since then, the U.S. has conducted more of these lethal strikes, with no conclusive proof of the victims' criminality. The U.S. government is offering a $50 million bounty for Maduro's arrest.* Moving northward, a disturbing story comes to us from Florida. The Miami Herald reports, “As of the end of August, the whereabouts of two-thirds of more than 1,800 men detained at Alligator Alcatraz during the month of July could not be determined.” Speaking to the paper, attorneys characterized entering the facility as entering “an alternate [immigration] system where the normal rules don't apply.” This story cites one case of a man “accidentally deported to Guatemala before a scheduled bond hearing,” similar to the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, and a Cuban man supposedly transferred to a facility in California but who could not be located there. This kind of disappearing of migrants adds fuel to the fire of the worst suspicions about the administration's immigration policies. The Florida facility was forced to halt operations after a court ruling in August, but an appeals court has now overruled that ruling. The future of the site and its detainees remains uncertain.* In another instance of what appears to be a cover-up by the Trump administration, NPR reports the Department of Agriculture will “end a longstanding annual food insecurity survey.” In a statement, the USDA called the report “redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous.” This removes another crucial data tool, following the discontinuation of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' jobs report Trump ended just weeks ago. The signature legislation of Trump's second term thus far, the One Big Beautiful Bill, expanded work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is estimated to cut food aid to 2.4 million Americans. That will surely add to the 47.4 million food insecure households recorded in 2023. Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), told NPR “The national food insecurity survey is a critical, reliable data source that shows how many families in America struggle to put food on the table…Without that data, we are flying blind.”* And in another assault on the regulatory state, the Supreme Court this week allowed Trump to keep Rebecca Slaughter – the last remaining Democrat on the Federal Trade Commission – out of her post for another three months. POLITICO reports the high court is reviewing a 90-year-old law which “limit[s] the president's power to fire…officials for political reasons.” According to this report, many expect the conservative majority on the court will rule that that law “unconstitutionally interferes with the president's ability to control the executive branch.” If so, Trump will be able to remove Slaughter permanently – along with any other remaining Democrats within the regulatory apparatus.* On the media front, ABC – and its parent company, Disney – have balked, reinstating Jimmy Kimmel's late night television program after abruptly suspending the show last week. Kimmel, in his return, clarified that “it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” but excoriated the ABC affiliates who took his show off the air, calling the move “un-American.” This from AP. Theories abound as to why exactly ABC and/or Disney walked back what seemed like a cancellation; these include a potential costly lawsuit due to wrongful termination of Kimmel's contract, as well as a coordinated boycott campaign targeting Disney's streaming service, Disney+. For his part, President Trump washed his hands of the fiasco, writing that Kimmel can “rot in his bad Ratings,” per New York Magazine.* In tech news, Axios reports the Trump administration has approved Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, for official use by every government agency. This news comes via a press release from the General Services Administration. This release quotes Musk, who says “We look forward to continuing to work with President Trump and his team to rapidly deploy AI throughout the government for the benefit of the country.” This comes after an August 25th letter in which a coalition of over 30 consumer groups – such as Public Citizen, Consumer Federation of America, and the Center for AI and DigitalPolicy – urged the Office of Management and Budget, led by Russell Vought, to “take immediate action to block the deployment or procurement of Grok.” Among the concerns cited in this letter are Grok's penchant for generating “conspiratorial and inflammatory content, including accusations that South Africans were committing a ‘white genocide'...Expressing ‘skepticism' about historical consensus of the Holocaust death toll and espousing Holocaust denial talking points…[and] Referring to itself as ‘MechaHitler'.” It remains to be seen what, if any, next steps opponents can take to halt the incorporation of Grok into the daily functions of the federal government.* Finally, Adelita Grijalva has won the Arizona 7th congressional district special election in a landslide. According to preliminary reports, she swamped her Republican opponent Daniel Butierez by nearly 40 points, according to Newsweek. This is a substantially larger margin than that won by Kamala Harris in 2024, who won the district by 23 points, which itself was a 10-point decline from Joe Biden, who won the district by 33 points in 2020. Grijalva's ascension to the House will further winnow away the Republicans' razor-thin majority in that chamber, bringing the margin to 219-214. She could also prove to be the critical 218th vote in favor of releasing the Epstein files. Adelita is the daughter of Raúl Grijalva, who passed away earlier this year. The elder Grijalva was widely considered one of the most progressive House Democrats, being the first member of Congress to endorse Bernie Sanders in his 2016 campaign and the second to call for Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Hopefully, the new Representative Grijalva will fill those big shoes.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: 3:05pm- In a post to social media, “comedian” Rosie O'Donnell wrote that ABC is allegedly reviewing progressive bias on The View. O'Donnell warned that the show would soon be canceled to appease “the orange messiah,” Donald Trump. Is it possible the show is in jeopardy of being discontinued because the quality is low? For example, South Park has been aggressively targeting the Trump Administration in its latest episodes—but Paramount recently awarded the show's creators with an estimated $1.5 billion. 3:30pm- Russell Vought—Director of the Office of Management & Budget—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss “200 Days of Winning” with the Trump Administration. What are the Trump Administration's most underappreciated accomplishments so far? Director Vought explains: securing the U.S. Southern border & preventing entrenched bureaucrats from slowing President Donald Trump's agenda.

Marc Raimondi discusses Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Professional Wrestling's New World Order Changed America, his new book on Hulk Hogan's heel turn and how WCW's edgy branding reflected a broader cultural shift. We learn how steroid scandals, media savvy, and black t-shirts reshaped wrestling—and maybe U.S. politics. In the Spiel, Russell Vought's viral soundbites about cocaine beagles and government-funded lizard wind tunnels. Plus: The worst job in Tehran as the wells run dry.   Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠GIST INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Gist List at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pesca⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠

Reporting from Rome, John-Henry Westen expressed concern about Pope Leo XIV. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought joins Glenn to break down the House's push for a "big, beautiful bill." Vought also addresses some of the criticism this bill has been getting. The Spectator associate editor Douglas Murray breaks down his appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Glenn and Murray also discuss how our enemies are pushing an anti-American agenda and their hope that today's youngest generation will see through the propaganda. But can America's youth be expected to step up and save the country? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will the papacy become Americanized? Glenn reacts to the first American pope and outlines the one thing the new pope should not do. Reporting from Rome, John-Henry Westen expressed concern about Pope Leo XIV. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought joins Glenn to break down the House's push for a "big, beautiful bill." Vought also addresses some of the criticism this bill has been getting. A Massachusetts man brought Molotov cocktails and knives to the Capitol with plans to kill Cabinet members, but the mainstream media shrugged it off as misunderstood "activism." The Spectator associate editor Douglas Murray breaks down his appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Glenn and Murray also discuss how our enemies are pushing an anti-American agenda and their hope that today's youngest generation will see through the propaganda. But can America's youth be expected to step up and save the country? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices