It's Thanksgiving week! While Americans stuff their faces with an offensive amount of food and trample over each other to get 20% off a 75-inch 4K ultra-high-def TV, it is also a time to reflect on what we are thankful for. That is exactly what the gang does this week. Ty, Jay and Meredith take a break from their default mode of resigned cynicism (well, kind of) and dig deep to find things in their life for which they are thankful.

 

(0:00:00) - Intro (Trump cabinet/staff nominees, Twitter vs. Bluesky)

(0:22:46) - Sounds of the Week:

• "Is freshman-elect Sarah McBride a man or a woman?"
  • 'A man cannot become a woman' 
• Actual good news for once!

(0:39:10) - Giving thanks

 

Songs:

"Cherry Pie" by Warrant

"Custard Pie" by Led Zeppelin

"Pecan Pie" by Golden Smog

 

Notes:

• Trump picks Lee Zeldin to lead EPA (0:02:30)
• Lee Zeldin's environmental scorecard (0:03:00)
• Stephen Miller will be Trump's homeland security advisor in new White House role (0:03:30)
• Southern Poverty Law Center's extremist profile on Stephen Miller (0:03:30)
• Trump picks Mike Huckabee for ambassador to Israel (0:03:45)
• List of ambassadors of the United States to Israel (0:03:55)
• Musk and Ramaswamy Unveil Plan to Overhaul Government (0:04:10)
• What to know about Kristi Noem, Trump’s pick for Homeland Security secretary (0:04:20)
• Trump taps oil executive Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy (0:04:25)
• Trump picks Sean Duffy for transportation secretary (0:04:37)
• ‘Who the f--k is this guy?’: Defense world reacts to Trump’s surprise Pentagon pick (0:04:55)
• Police report reveals assault allegations against Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary (0:05:27)
• Trump picks Linda McMahon, former wrestling executive, to head Department of Education (0:05:50)
• What to know about Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick to serve as attorney general (0:07:20)
• Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Consideration for Attorney General (0:07:43)
• Hacker accesses sealed testimony of woman alleging Matt Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17 (0:08:47) 
• Trump picks vaccine sceptic RFK Jr for health secretary (0:09:45)
• RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine advocacy and conspiracy theories on public health (0:09:45)
• YouTube removes Robert F Kennedy Jr video featuring bizarre claim that polluted water makes children transgender (0:09:56)
• What to know about fluoride in water amid RFK Jr.'s bid to remove it (0:10:00)
• Trump Picks Dr. Oz to Oversee Medicare and Medicaid (0:10:24)
• The X (Twitter) Exodus To Bluesky, Explained (0:12:40)
• The X exodus is weakening a way for conservatives to speak to the masses (0:12:40) 
• Jani Lane writes 'Cherry Pie' (0:22:55)
• Rep. Nancy Mace says Capitol restroom bill targeted 1st transgender member of Congress (0:24:50)
• Speaker Johnson announces policy barring trans women from Capitol bathrooms (0:28:55) 
• MTG threatens to fight transgender woman (0:30:00) 
• Company affiliated with Alex Jones seeks to disqualify The Onion’s auction bid on Infowars (0:32:15)
• Russian Ballet Star Is Latest Putin Critic to Die in 'Fall' from Building (0:40:50)
• Dana Bash Watches Nazis Marching in Ohio and Says, ‘We Don’t Know What Side of the Aisle This Comes From’ (0:46:35) 
• Youth suicide rates rose 62% from 2007 to 2021 (0:50:15)