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You’ve been overwhelmed with headlines all week – what's worth a closer look? One Thing takes you beyond the headlines and helps make sense of what everyone is talking about. Host David Rind talks to experts, reporters on the front lines and the real people impacted by the news about what they've learned – and why it matters. New episodes every Wednesday and Sunday.
323 Episodes
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Victims of Jeffrey Epstein say the historic arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, is a step in the right direction. But high-profile figures in the US still have not faced similar consequences, weeks after the Justice Department released more than 3 million documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender. We hear from a group of survivors who say this feels like the beginning of the story, not the end.
For more: ‘This is not over.’ Corporate America’s Epstein reckoning gathers steam
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Guest: MJ Lee, CNN Senior National Enterprise Correspondent
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Nicky Robertson
Photo: Kent Nishimura/Reuters
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1A raft of resignations from some of Silicon Valley’s top AI companies came with some dire warnings about user safety and potential impacts on the American workforce. Are these concerns worth paying attention to, or overhyped? We hear from one former safety researcher who says companies are not fully grappling with the implications of advertising within chatbots.
For more: AI researchers are sounding the alarm on their way out the door
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Guest: Zoë Hitzig, former OpenAI researcher
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Hadas Gold
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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"I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need." Those words from ICE attorney Julie Le to a federal judge earlier this month underscores the toll the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis is taking on the Justice Department. But what happens now that the surge is winding down? And will any new prosecutors want to sign up for this work?
For more: Trump’s immigration approach is gumming up the courts, frustrating his Justice Department and judges
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Guest: Doug Kelley, former Assistant US Attorney
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Katelyn Polantz
Photo: Steve Karnowski/AP
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At the Winter Olympics in Italy, American athletes are speaking out, Vice President JD Vance was booed, and some locals are protesting against ICE. Some are asking if the US has achieved “villain” status. Experts say moments like these underscore the loss of American standing on the world stage under President Donald Trump. But is this a brand problem, or something deeper?
For more: Trump’s growing volatility is putting the world on edge
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Guest: Stephen Collinson, CNN Senior Reporter
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Photo: Amber Searls / Imagn Images
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Critics fear ICE is using a growing slate of facial recognition and surveillance tools to track not only undocumented immigrants, but also protesters opposing operations in Minneapolis and beyond. So with Democrats and Republicans at odds over changes to ICE ahead of a looming deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security, what data is being collected and what does it mean for the average American?
For more: ICE shunned body cams in Minnesota. So why are agents using phone cameras?
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Guests: Nicole Cleland & Juliette Kayyem, CNN Senior National Security Analyst
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
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Officials in Georgia are sounding the alarm after the FBI searched an elections office in Fulton County last week in connection with alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election. Now, as President Donald Trump calls on Republicans to “nationalize the voting,” some state officials across the country are wondering if they will be able to run their midterm elections without interference from Washington. Plus: what does Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard have to do with all of this?
For more: DNI Gabbard put Trump on the phone with FBI agents who searched Fulton County elections office, sources say
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Guests: Robb Pitts & Mo Ivory, Fulton County Board of Commissioners & Marshall Cohen, CNN Senior Reporter
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Photo Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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TikTok was on the verge of being banned in the US as President Donald Trump took office last year. Now, its US operations are in the hands of new owners after a deal backed by the Trump administration. Since those owners took control, some users on the left claim they’ve been having trouble posting about sensitive topics like ICE or Jeffrey Epstein. So is this a tech hiccup, or a possible sign of political censorship?
For more: The Trump-approved US TikTok is off to a rough start
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Guest: Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Tech Editor
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Photo Credit: Brook Joyner/CNN
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We know the Trump administration is extremely online. But experts have started to notice that some of the memes and videos posted by official government accounts have a distinct far-right flavor that draw disturbing parallels with white supremacist and neo-Nazi propaganda. Is this a mistake? Trolling? Or something darker? We hear from an expert who says white nationalist groups are getting the message that "our guys are in control."
For more: The US government seems to have a clear message for White nationalists
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Guest: Jon Lewis, Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
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The White House says President Donald Trump is going to travel the country starting this week, selling his economic accomplishments ahead of the midterms. But after calling affordability a Democrat-led ‘hoax,’ will anyone buy it? We break down three recent Trump administration proposals about housing, health care, and credit cards and examine whether they could actually bring down prices.
For more: Affordability may finally be improving. Trump’s scorched-earth tactics are only part of the reason
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Guest: Tami Luhby, CNN Senior Writer
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
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Minneapolis remains on edge two weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good. As the Department of Justice opens criminal investigations into local and state officials and vows to press charges against protesters who disrupted a church service on Sunday, some activists are wondering if it's safe to continue speaking out. We hear from one of them and get an explainer on the legal issues that soon could become relevant in other cities.
For more: Trump officials investigate protesters who interrupted Minnesota church service, targeting ICE official
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Guest: Rachel Moran, University of St. Thomas law professor
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Maggie Koerth
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President Trump has not backed down on his threats to take control of Greenland, potentially by military force. Danish officials have also not backed down on their insistence that their territory is not for sale. So where does this go from here? How could things play out if Trump does follow through? And how do Greenlanders feel about being caught in the middle? CNN went to the island to find out.
For more: Worried Greenlanders fear for future as Trump threatens US takeover
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Guest: Nic Robertson, CNN International Diplomatic Editor
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Caroline Paterson & Benjamin Brown
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Tensions in Minneapolis remain high after an ICE agent killed Renee Nicole Good in her car last week. Despite widespread outrage, the Trump administration is sending in hundreds more law enforcement agents to enforce immigration orders. So what does this mean for activists keeping tabs on ICE? And why are federal agents using such aggressive tactics?
For more: New documents shed light on Renee Good’s ties to ICE monitoring efforts in Minneapolis
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Guests: Loretta Capeheart, Héctor Reyes, & Josh Campbell, CNN Senior Correspondent
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
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The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week in a case that could decide whether states may ban transgender students from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. It comes as President Donald Trump has moved to punish institutions that are inclusive of trans athletes. We break down the legal case and hear from a transgender former college athlete who says this is about way more than a game.
For more: Do transgender women have an athletic advantage? Here’s what the science does – and doesn’t – say
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Guests: Mayumi Berry, former NCAA athlete & John Fritze, CNN Supreme Court Reporter
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
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After US forces executed the stunning seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Máduro, President Donald Trump said American companies would work to rebuild Venezuela’s crumbling oil industry. But energy experts say that work will be costly, complicated, and dangerous – if any companies want to do it at all.
For more: Trump said Venezuela stole America’s oil. Here’s what really happened
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Guest: Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America Energy Program at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
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Early Saturday morning, US forces struck targets in Caracas and abducted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to face new drugs and weapons charges in New York. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said the US is “going to run” Venezuela in the aftermath of the brazen operation. We break down what this seismic moment could mean for US troops and the people of Venezuela.
For more: Trump’s snatching of Maduro shows a new level of unrestrained global power
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Guests: Mary Triny Mena, freelance journalist & Natasha Bertrand, CNN Correspondent
Host/Producer: David Rind
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Caroline Paterson
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If you binge-watched “The Diplomat” or “Death by Lightning” this year, you’re not alone. These politics-centric dramas have united audiences at a time when real-life politics can feel toxic and fractured. Why is this genre so resilient? And could Washington, DC itself become a new home for Hollywood storytelling? We hear from someone who is banking on it.
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Guest: David Beaubaire, Founder & CEO, Sunset Lane Media
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Liam Reilly
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President Donald Trump’s second term has been norm-busting and extraordinarily consequential, but cracks are starting to form in Trump’s base. As 2025 comes to a close, we take stock of whether his political pull is reaching its limit and how discontent with his policies could shape the midterms.
For more: Americans have a new thing to worry about: A stuck job market with no quick fix
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Guest: Aaron Blake, CNN Senior Reporter
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
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The killing of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner has shocked Hollywood and movie fans alike. What made his films timeless? And what does his political activism say about our current moment? We hear why his first major role provided the blueprint for the rest of his career – and his life.
For more: Trump’s reaction to Reiner’s murder is indefensible — but America has been here before
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Guest: Alan Sepinwall, TV critic, “What’s Alan Watching”
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
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President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that blocks states from enforcing their own regulations around artificial intelligence, arguing that a “single national framework” will help boost innovation. However, some GOP-controlled state legislatures are pushing back, arguing it infringes on states' rights. We explore what’s driving this wedge and how it could impact the 2026 midterms.
For more: Pro-AI super PAC launches first candidate ads
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Guests: Utah state Sen. Heidi Balderree (R) & Hadas Gold, CNN AI Correspondent
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
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Netflix has a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s (CNN’s parent company) Hollywood assets. Paramount thinks they have a better offer for the entire business and is hoping to have President Donald Trump in its corner as it launches a hostile takeover bid. But what does this corporate clash mean for your streaming bill? Or your local movie theater? We hear from an antitrust lawyer who believes that no matter who wins, the average consumer is set to lose.
For more: Battle of the Davids: The future of Hollywood is playing out before our eyes
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Guest: Alvaro Bedoya, former FTC commissioner
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: David Goodman
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somehow forgot to unsubscribe from this when DUMPING ALL CNN connections until Jake Tapper is fired and CNN makes a price apology