Episodes

  • The ‘Special Relationship’ is Strained. King Charles to the Rescue?

    The ‘Special Relationship’ is Strained. King Charles to the Rescue?
    Apr 29 2026
    King Charles is in the midst of a four-day state visit to the US to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence. The visit comes at a time when US-UK relations are notably strained, thanks to the war with Iran and calls for greater Jeffrey Epstein-related accountability. But President Donald Trump is usually receptive to royalty – so will this trip help mend fences, or give European allies more to worry about? For more: Epstein scandal lingers in background of King Charles’ visit to Washington --- Guest: Jack Blanchard, POLITICO Playbook Author/Managing Editor Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Henry Nichols/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    20 mins
  • Musk vs. Altman & The Battle for The Soul of AI

    Musk vs. Altman & The Battle for The Soul of AI
    Apr 26 2026
    Tech titans Elon Musk and Sam Altman are set to face off in court this week in a case centered on OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model. Musk alleges Altman and his company have strayed from their founding mission to develop artificial intelligence for the good of humanity rather than corporate profit (OpenAI denies the allegations). But is this just petty billionaire beef, or could it tell us something about our own AI futures? --- Guest: Hadas Gold, CNN AI Correspondent Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Carlos Barria/Kenny Holston/Pool/Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • Trump’s Psychedelic Order: Breakthrough...or Bad Trip?

    Trump’s Psychedelic Order: Breakthrough...or Bad Trip?
    Apr 22 2026
    President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday aimed at beefing up research of psychedelic drugs like ibogaine that could be used in mental health treatments. Some veterans and people who have struggled with addiction who have used ibogaine say this could be a breakthrough that could lead to wider access, but some medical experts are warning approvals shouldn’t be rushed. We hear why a leading advocate group says while it’s a good start – much more has to be done. For more: Trump accelerates research on psychedelic treatments and asks, ‘Can I have some?’ --- Guests: Samantha Juan & Melissa Lavasani, Psychedelic Medicine Coalition Founder/CEO Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Katherine Dillinger Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    22 mins
  • A Former NASA Scientist Turns Anger Into Action

    A Former NASA Scientist Turns Anger Into Action
    Apr 19 2026
    Roughly 95,000 employees left federal science agencies between September 2024 and December 2025, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Former NASA climate scientist Kate Marvel recently joined that group, citing the administration’s funding cuts and attacks on climate and environmental regulations in her resignation letter. However, she remains hopeful about the future of the study of climate change – if her fellow scientists are willing to get angry about it. For more: Trump admin is pulling supercomputers out of key weather and climate research center --- Guest: Kate Marvel, former NASA climate scientist Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Andrew Freedman Photo: Reid Wiseman/NASA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    23 mins
  • Vance Gets His Time in the Spotlight. Did He Drop the Ball?

    Vance Gets His Time in the Spotlight. Did He Drop the Ball?
    Apr 15 2026
    Last week, US Vice President JD Vance was dispatched abroad for a pair of high-profile assignments. But after stumping for Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister suffered a huge election loss and marathon talks Vance led to end the war with Iran wrapped up without a deal. So what does this say about the political power of the MAGA movement’s heir apparent? And how does someone shaped by Catholicism feel about President Donald Trump’s beef with the Pope? For more: How Vance is navigating peace talks with Iran — and his own political future --- Guest: Alayna Treene, CNN White House Correspondent Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    19 mins
  • Inside Trump’s Fight for Your Voter Data

    Inside Trump’s Fight for Your Voter Data
    Apr 12 2026
    The Trump administration’s effort to build a national citizen database is running into roadblocks in court and alarming some election officials on both sides of the aisle. But what is this data for? And how could it be used? We hear from one election official about why he’s pushing back, and look at how election integrity concerns are playing out in other parts of the country. For more: Trump is trying to build a massive voter database. Election officials are afraid of what he’ll do with it --- Guests: David Yates, Jefferson County (KY) Clerk & Tierney Sneed, CNN Reporter Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Carlos Osorio/Reuters/File Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • What’s Behind Hegseth’s Latest Pentagon Shakeup?

    What’s Behind Hegseth’s Latest Pentagon Shakeup?
    Apr 8 2026
    The firing of the US Army chief of staff and two other generals is just the latest personnel shakeup under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But why do this during wartime? We examine whether disagreements between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll are behind the move, and how Hegseth’s ongoing fixation on so-called “culture wars” and loyalty could impact service members. For more: Trump and Hegseth on Iran war: ‘God is good’ --- Guest: Haley Britzky, CNN National Security Reporter Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    24 mins
  • ‘This Lost a Lot of People’: RFK Jr.’s Broken Pesticide Promise

    ‘This Lost a Lot of People’: RFK Jr.’s Broken Pesticide Promise
    Apr 5 2026
    Amid a stalled Surgeon General nomination, a federal court ruling striking down vaccine overhauls (at least for now), and anger from ‘Make America Healthy Again’ activists, some are wondering whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has lost his grip on the movement that helped propel President Donald Trump back to the White House. We hear from one activist outraged by an executive order about weedkiller who says some voters “will not be coming back.” Plus, what’s going on with all the whole milk hype videos? For more: How RFK Jr.’s MAHA agenda keeps hitting roadblocks --- Guests: Kelly Ryerson, ‘Glyphosate Girl’ & Sarah Owermohle, CNN Health Policy Reporter Host/Producer: David Rind Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    24 mins