This daily news preview is available to free subscribers thanks to the support of our Substack paid members. Thank you to all subscribers for reading, listening to, and watching our work, which in total generates 150 million views/listens per month.
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 Monday, September 29, 2025, and this is your news and preview of today’s show.
A tragic shooting occurred at a Mormon church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, where a 40-year-old Marine veteran, Thomas Sanford, drove a pickup truck into the building, opened fire, and set the church on fire. At least four people were killed and eight others wounded. Sanford was killed in a gunfight with police within ten minutes of the attack. Authorities are investigating, and while the motive is not yet fully known, reports indicate Sanford expressed strong right-wing beliefs online, including support for Trump, Turning Point USA, and Charlie Kirk.
In the aftermath, Donald Trump issued a statement urging prayers for victims and called for an end to violence, stopping short of partisanship. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the administration’s commitment to investigate and prosecute crimes to the fullest extent, while media outlets, including Fox News, avoided emphasizing the shooter’s political affiliations.
Meanwhile, former White House lawyer Ty Cobb criticized Trump on national television, calling his reelection the “biggest mistake” for the country, citing Trump’s attempts to pursue politically motivated prosecutions and to rewrite history regarding January 6 and other actions.
On economic matters, Trump is attempting to address the fallout from his own trade policies. Farmers, particularly in South Dakota, continue to struggle with lower crop prices and limited export markets due to tariffs imposed during his presidency. Trump signaled he plans to provide financial support to farmers, a move Democrats say is a temporary fix for problems caused by his own policies.
Trump has also sparked controversy online, posting an AI-generated video on Truth Social promoting so-called “medbeds,” fictional devices claimed by QAnon followers to cure disease and reverse aging. The video was removed after 12 hours, but it reached millions of followers, raising concerns about the spread of dangerous misinformation.
Finally, Rahm Emmanuel, former US ambassador to Japan, former Chicago Mayor, and former Obama White House Chief of Staff, joins us to discuss the future of the Democratic Party and speculation about a 2028 presidential campaign.
On the Bonus Show today:
Eric Adams drops out of the New York City mayor’s race.
The Missouri governor signs a new election map.
And friends are teaming up to buy homes.
Don’t miss the full show with these stories and others, plus all of our analysis. Tune in at 2:30 pm eastern on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or catch the video show at 9:00 pm eastern on YouTube. Consider becoming a paid Substack supporter to support extras like these news episodes. Thank you.