Latest Episode
Veasey exits after GOP redraw, eyes Tarrant judgeship; Taiwan bans Xiaohongshu for a year; Florida teen slaying prompts charges; Netflix adds Queen of Coal; Trump denies own on-camera remark, attacks press; SEPTA–TWU reach tentative deal
Texas Rep. Marc Veasey bows out after GOP redraw, pivots to Tarrant County judge
North Texas Democrat Marc Veasey will not seek reelection in his now GOP-favored House district, opting to run for Tarrant County judge. Chalk up another win for the Texas GOP cartography club, the mapmakers who can transform shaky margins into comfy seats faster than you can say independent redistricting.
Taiwan blocks Xiaohongshu for one year over fraud probe fight, censorship debate erupts
Taiwan’s Interior Ministry ordered a one-year block on Rednote, also known as Xiaohongshu, citing refusal to cooperate in probes tied to more than 1,700 fraud cases and NT$247.7 million in losses. KMT chair Cheng Li-wun calls it censorship as users swap tips on evading the block, while regulators counter that enforcement is not China-only, with Meta facing a potential second fine over opaque political ad buyers and Threads swept into an anti-fraud dragnet after nearly 1,900 reports and 718 confirmed scams. Rednote’s roughly 3 million local users just learned that popularity is not a subpoena substitute.
Florida teen homicide case prompts murder charges, motive still unclear
A 14-year-old girl was found dead in Pace, Florida, and two classmates, ages 16 and 14, have been charged with first-degree premeditated murder and are held without bond. Investigators say she was shot multiple times with a stolen handgun and set on fire, the motive remains unclear, and prosecutors are considering trying the suspects as adults. The victim’s mother rejects a social media dispute narrative and is calling for full accountability.
Netflix adds Queen of Coal as culture warriors and dealmakers rev up
Queen of Coal, a Spanish drama starring Lux Pascal about a transgender woman fighting to work in the mines, hits U.S. Netflix on Dec. 19, drawing the usual culture-war volleys. Meanwhile, reports say Netflix is chasing an approximately 80 billion dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, with Paramount lobbing a rival bid, and executives pitching regulators while touting jobs. Nothing says holiday spirit like coal and consolidation.
Trump denies his own on-camera remark, then attacks the messenger
On Monday, Donald Trump falsely denied a statement he made five days earlier, CNN reports, then pivoted to a personal swipe at the reporter who quoted him. When reality disagrees, some people change their story, others try to bulldoze the stenographer.
SEPTA and TWU Local 234 reach tentative deal, Philly commuters exhale
Philadelphia’s transit agency and its largest union struck a weekend agreement after a strike threat on Friday. Governor Josh Shapiro played shuttle diplomat, service continues pending ratification, and politicians are already limbering up for their victory laps.
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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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