Latest Episode
May 13 0000 UTC Brief
In U.S. politics
President Trump spent part of the week doing what he does best, posting a fake quote attributed to Sen. John Kennedy and then insulting a reporter when asked about ballooning ballroom renovation costs. The quote about Barack Obama and Obamacare was baseless, and Kennedy never said it. The White House exchange, caught on camera, was another reminder that the press corps is still expected to take the hit while asking the questions.
Separately, Pennsylvania State Police say a Lebanon County man was arrested after allegedly posting violent threats online against 20 state lawmakers, all Democrats. Investigators say the posts included a hit list and references to shooting. He’s due in court Thursday.
Trump is also pushing to suspend the federal gas tax to ease fuel prices, but that would need Congress, and some Republicans are already skeptical. The Highway Trust Fund is not known for enjoying surprise dieting.
In South Korea
South Korea is facing pressure to align more closely with the U.S. on AI and security, rather than keep balancing between Washington and Beijing. That debate is playing out alongside the country’s own domestic strains, as depopulation leaves nearly 50 regions without enough doctors and lawyers to meet basic needs.
In business, Samsung Electronics is dealing with a growing labor dispute as its union demands bigger bonuses and criticizes the company’s HBM strategy, even as Samsung regains momentum in the global AI memory market. Hyundai Motor also reported a milestone in India, passing 13.5 million cumulative vehicle sales after 30 years in the market.
Health and science
A daily pill called orforglipron may help people keep weight off after stopping obesity injections. The drug is already available in the U.S. and could reach the U.K. soon.
In Europe and entertainment
Eurovision is heading into Vienna under heavy security, with five countries boycotting the contest over Israel and officials deploying counter-drone measures and an FBI task force. The event has also drawn backlash online over its no-bags policy, a controversy that says a great deal about modern fandom and almost as much about modern event planning.
In sports
Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player, has died after a cancer battle. Collins left a mark that went well beyond basketball, and for a lot of people, that’s the part that will endure.
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