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Here’s what we’re talking about today.
This is a quick rundown of the topics we’ll be covering on today’s show. You can hit play to listen, or read the transcript below if that’s more your style.
Transcript:
Today is Thursday, August 14, 2025, and this is your news and preview of today's show.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a redistricting initiative that could reshape control of Congress. The plan would create new maps that might cut up to five Republican-held seats, with the goal of helping Democrats retake the House in 2026. Lawmakers are drafting the maps now, and Newsom may put them before voters in a November special election. Newsom says it’s a direct response to GOP-led redistricting in states like Texas and Florida.
Donald Trump made a series of unscripted remarks Thursday. He spoke about redoing grass on golf courses and repeated false claims about the 2020 election. Asked if he chose not to invite Ukraine’s president to a meeting with Vladimir Putin, Trump said Volodymyr Zelensky was on the call and described it as “very friendly.” He also said his administration had “finished” the border wall but later added 200 more miles.
New data shows the Producer Price Index rose 0.9 percent in July, the biggest monthly increase in more than a year. Prices are now 3.3 percent higher than a year ago, the largest jump since February. Economists warn the costs for businesses could be passed on to consumers. The report follows consumer inflation of 3.1 percent annually, above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target.
Treasury figures show the federal budget deficit in July grew by 20 percent from last year, despite a record increase in tariff revenue. Tariffs brought in $21 billion more than the same month in 2024, but rising interest payments, Social Security costs, and other spending outweighed those gains. Republican Congressman Don Bacon says his state has lost about 6 percent of its GDP from the trade policies.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt drew attention after televised comments claiming the war in Ukraine was “inherited by Joe Biden” and that Trump had stopped seven global conflicts in six months.
On the Bonus Show today:
Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas plan their next move.
The Trump base is coming for legal marijuana.
And American drinking rates are declining.
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