Basil Smikle, MS NOW Political Analyst and Professor of Practice at the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University, and former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party, and Matthew Bartlett MS NOW Political Analyst, Republican strategist, and former Trump appointee to the State Department join The Weekend to discuss.
AI:Political analysts Basil Smikle and Matthew Bartlett discussed the deepening partisan divide and strategic messaging battles as the midterm elections approach. The discussion focused on how both parties are attempting to frame their platforms to counter current political trends, including recent polling shifts and the ongoing struggle for economic narrative control amidst a changing national landscape.Open
New reporting by the New York Times revealed that for the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago has been investigating the Democratic fundraising firm, Authentic Campaigns Inc., once co-owned by Loren Merchan, the daughter of the Judge in Trump’s Hush Money Trial in New York
AI:New reporting from the New York Times reveals that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago has launched an investigation into Authentic Campaigns Inc., a Democratic fundraising firm formerly co-owned by Loren Merchan, daughter of the judge involved in Trump's hush money trial. George Conway characterized this investigative development as an extreme example within the context of ongoing reporting regarding the President's retribution campaigns.Open
Sen. Ed Markey is locked in a primary battle with Rep. Seth Moulton to defend his seat.
AI:A fierce generational struggle has emerged within the New England Democratic primaries as Senator Ed Markey faces a direct challenge from Representative Seth Moulton for his Senate seat. This intra-party conflict highlights the growing rift between the establishment and the progressive wings of the party, mirroring broader national trends where younger voters and anti-establishment factions are increasingly testing the dominance of long-serving incumbents. As the Democratic Party navigates internal divisions over policy direction and age leadership, this primary battle serves as a critical litmus test for which faction will ultimately command the party's future influence in the Northeast.Open
AI:As the commander of U.S. Central Command visits the USS Abraham Lincoln to address ongoing reports regarding crew conditions and mental health concerns, historical precedents suggest that these tensions often emerge during extended deployments in volatile regions. This visit comes amid a persistent media campaign attempting to paint a picture of abject misery aboard the vessel, despite denials from Navy leadership and CENTCOM officials who have characterized such claims as dishonest or inaccurate. The situation underscores the intense scrutiny facing military operations as the carrier navigates the complexities of its current deployment and the broader geopolitical landscape.Open
By Christian Briggs – America Out Loud Is the global financial system undergoing its biggest transformation since Bretton Woods—and are most Americans missing what’s happening right in front of them? In this episode of On the [...]
AI:The global financial system is undergoing a massive, fundamental transformation reminiscent of the Bretton Woods era, yet much of this restructuring is occurring out of the public's view. As shifts in gold dominance and volatility in U.S. Treasuries suggest a broader instability, the current movement represents a significant rewriting of international economic foundations that many Americans remain largely unaware of.Open
Tonight, on “Jesse Weber Live,” Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. We've got a reaction from a lawyer, plus a reporter who is inside the courtroom. Then Hawaii is bracing for what may be its first hurricane ever- even as experts forecast this year's El Niño may be the strongest ever recorded. We've got an expert to tell us if the two are related and what this could mean for your winter. Plus—Alex Murdaugh was back in court today. Trying to reshape his second murder trial before it even begins. His lawyers are fighting to have key evidence tossed, and the entire trial moved. But did it work? We’ve got the attorney who helped expose his financial crimes. "Jesse Weber Live" brings a…
AI:Luigi Mangione has entered a guilty plea in federal court for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, with his legal team now invoking double jeopardy to potentially shield him from subsequent state-level prosecution. The courtroom proceedings confirmed Mangione's admission to the killings following his previous stalking charges and efforts to pose as an investor to gather intelligence on the victim. While the guilty plea marks a significant moment of accountability for the shooting, it leaves the future of his potential state murder trial in uncertainty as defense attorneys attempt to leverage the federal conviction to avoid further litigation.Open
By S. David Sultzer Trump’s policies seem a likely cause of our accelerating drop in violent crime, but data collection is such a mess that it muddles the picture.
AI:Violent crime rates are plummeting across the United States, signaling that President Trump's law and order policies are yielding significant results despite ongoing challenges with inconsistent national data collection methods. While official statistics may be muddled by reporting discrepancies, the accelerating downward trend in violent incidents suggests a direct correlation between the current administration's enforcement priorities and the historic reduction in criminal activity seen across the country.Open
On the Big Island, heavy surf continues to pound the coastline as high winds bend palm trees.
AI:Tropical Storm Lala has moved past Hawaii's Big Island and been downgraded from a hurricane back to a tropical storm, leaving one person dead and causing widespread power outages for thousands of residents. Heavy surf and strong winds continue to lash the coastline despite the decrease in intensity.Open
While Democrats continue to slam President Trump and his policies in their midterm messaging, strategist and pollster Terrance Woodbury tells “Clock It” hosts Symone and Eugene that strategy will not persuade some Americans to vote for Democratic candidates. Woodbury shares what one person told him during a focus group: “I was broke before Trump, I've been broke during Trump, [and] I'm going to be broke after Trump,” the person said. “They don't believe that Trump is the reason for their pain,” Woodbury adds.
AI:As midterm elections approach, Democratic strategists are facing significant hurdles because many voters refuse to attribute their economic hardships directly to President Trump. Despite heavy Democratic efforts to focus campaign messaging on the President's policies and character, pollster Terrance Woodbury notes that a segment of the electorate feels no connection between his administration and their personal financial struggles, viewing their poverty as a persistent reality regardless of who sits in the White House. This disconnect suggests that a purely anti-Trump strategy may fail to resonate with voters who are not swayed by partisan attacks on the President.Open
In this clip from Theological, Shabbos Kestenbaum asks Neil Shenvi how Christians should respond to critics who say Jesus was essentially a left-wing social revolutionary: feeding the poor, warning the rich, caring for the vulnerable, and calling His followers to radical generosity. Shenvi argues that the New Testament does command Christians to care for the poor, clothe the naked, and help the suffering — but that personal Christian generosity is not the same thing as government-enforced socialism. The conversation then turns to social justice, critical race theory, lived experience, and how Christians can reject racism as evil without adopting a worldview rooted in critical theory. Watch the full episode https://l.prageru.com/4wyF1GX…
AI:In a discussion on the Theological program, Neil Shenvi addresses modern attempts to rebrand Jesus as a left-wing social revolutionary. Shenvi argues that while the New Testament mandates radical personal generosity and care for the vulnerable, these biblical commands do not equate to state-enforced socialism or government redistribution. The conversation further clarifies that Christians can reject racism without adopting the frameworks of critical race theory or identity politics, asserting that true faith is distinct from the secular "wokeness" and social justice ideologies currently dominating modern discourse.Open
