Podcast

Latest Episode

Trump taps Rubio for 2035 World Expo, names a top envoy for Venezuela as House votes on funding and GOP grills Jack Smith; Al Gore heckles Lutnick at Davos; UK funeral-plan collapse leads to charges; LeAnn Rimes tries $10K plasma therapy; Clipse and Pharrell set for the 2026 Grammys; Democrats warned not to revert to old governing ways

Two men charged after funeral plan provider collapse left tens of thousands of Britons out of pocket

Two men have been charged in connection with the collapse of pre-paid funeral provider Safe Hands Plans Ltd, which left around 46,000 customers out of pocket and creditors claiming about £70.6 million. The Serious Fraud Office has charged Richard Wells, 39, of conspiracy to defraud, alongside Neil Debenham, 43, a former senior executive, and both are due at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on February 5. Safe Hands entered administration in 2022, shortly before the sector came under Financial Conduct Authority regulation, with many planholders receiving only about 4p per pound lost.

Trump Appoints Marco Rubio to Lead the U.S. Bid for the 2035 World Expo

President Trump on Thursday appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to chair the United States’ effort to secure the 2035 World Expo, adding another major assignment to Rubio’s expanding portfolio. Rubio is also serving as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and acting archivist.

Trump appoints Joint Chiefs adviser as U.S. top diplomat in Venezuela

President Trump selected Laura F. Dogu, a foreign policy adviser to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former U.S. ambassador, to serve as the United States’ top diplomat in Venezuela. The move comes after the administration’s reported capture of Nicolás Maduro and amid an effort to increase U.S. influence over Venezuela’s oil sector.

LeAnn Rimes Tries $10,000 Plasma Therapy as Part of Her Health Focus After Onstage Dental Incident

LeAnn Rimes says she is entering a “season of healing” after a demanding year of touring and filming and has turned to therapeutic plasma exchange at a Nashville wellness clinic, a procedure priced at about $10,000 per session. She said the treatment is meant to help remove “micro-toxins” such as mold and microplastics and that she added stem cells to support overall repair, sharing photos and details on Instagram. Her renewed health focus follows a widely publicized concert moment last summer when a dental bridge fell out onstage, continuing a long history of dental problems and surgeries.

Clipse and Pharrell Williams to Perform at the 2026 Grammy Awards

Clipse and Pharrell Williams have been announced as performers at the 2026 Grammy Awards, joining a lineup that also includes Addison Rae and Leon Thomas.

Al Gore booed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a speech in Davos

Al Gore booed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a Tuesday speech at a VIP dinner in Davos, Switzerland. The Financial Times reported the event turned contentious after Lutnick made combative remarks, prompting an uproar that included European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde leaving the dinner, with other attendees also expressing displeasure.

House to vote on final funding bills as special counsel Jack Smith faces GOP questioning over Trump investigations

The House is set to vote Thursday afternoon on its final round of funding measures, including a Department of Homeland Security bill and a minibus appropriations package, as Congress moves closer to avoiding a partial government shutdown at the end of the month. The legislation would still need Senate approval, while special counsel Jack Smith is also expected to face questioning from Republicans over the Trump investigations.

Taegan Goddard Says Democrats Can’t Go Back to the Old Way of Governing

Taegan Goddard argues that Democrats are shifting from talking about restoring guardrails to moving quickly and using power unapologetically to reverse what Donald Trump has done. He points to New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill’s promise to govern with urgency, including relying on emergency powers and bypassing incrementalism, and to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s call to act with the same governing capacities Trump has claimed. The core message: the response to “move fast and break things” is to move fast and fix things.

About

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.

Subscribe

Spotify / Apple / Amazon / iHeart / Pandora / Pocket Casts / Deezer / Google / Podcast Index / RSS