The theme (so far) of Trump’s second administration has been shock and awe. This week, Chris and Eliana explain why you can’t shock yourself in the process. Aside from the White House, they discuss Jim Acosta, The New York Times’ audience, and dress shoe styles. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

Front Page - 3:17

Obsessions - 42:43

Reader Mail - 52:01

Favorite Items - 54:45

Show Notes: 

CNBC: White House says Trump funding freeze remains in effect despite rescinding OMB memo 

The Atlantic: The Memo That Shocked the White House

The New York Times: Justice Dept. Fires Prosecutors Who Worked on Trump Investigations

AP News: Trump uses mass firing to remove independent inspectors general at a series of agencies 

CNN: Trump DOJ appointee in DC lashes out after flurry of ‘personally insulting’ leaks in his first week  

CBS News: Transcript: Vice President JD Vance on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Jan. 26, 2025 

The Atlantic: America Is Divided. It Makes for Tremendous Content. 

Status News: Acosta La Vista 

The Washington Free Beacon: EXCLUSIVE: Read Jim Acosta's Resignation Letter to CNN

Axios: Trump's Colombia tariff threat raises fears on coffee prices 

The Washington Post: Transgender soldiers date to the Civil War 

The New York Times: Is There Still a Rule Against Wearing Brown Shoes With Blue Pants?

The New York Times: The Pure Liberation of a Personal Urination Device - The New York Times 

The Wall Street Journal: As a Rising Political Star, Gabbard Paid to Mask Her Sect’s Ties to Alleged Scheme 

@PleaseDontDestroy on Instagram: The New York Times coming up with emails to send you

Forbes: This Former Billionaire, And New U.S. Senator, Is Now Broke

The New York Times: The Return of the Lumbersexual

This is not a crypto scam—it’s an opportunity. As for the news about the news, we’re diving deep into the inauguration, Trump’s administration, Prince Harry, and much more. Wretch on!

Time Stamps: 

4:05 - Front page

59:54 - Obsessions

1:09:55 - Reader Mail 

1:15:30 - Favorites

The Washington Post: Trump inauguration puts the fashion in old-fashioned 

The New York Times: The Bishop Who Pleaded With Trump: ‘Was Anyone Going to Say Anything?’

MSNBC: Black America in a 'state of emergency': Civil rights leaders brace for Trump's return 

Fox News: Trump reflects on return to White House after 4 years of Biden's agenda: 'Got there just in the nick of time'

The Hill: Stirewalt: Will Trump invest his political capital or spend it?

The Washington Post: Neither euphoric nor despairing be. Trump too shall pass. 

Bloomberg: The Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers

Deadline: New FCC Chair Revives Complaints About ABC, CBS And NBC Content That His Predecessor Rejected As “At Odds With The First Amendment” 

The New York Times: Labeling Mexican Cartels ‘Terrorists’ Could Expose U.S. Companies to Sanctions

The New York Times: Biden commutes prison sentence of Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous rights activist convicted in F.B.I. killings. 

Mediaite: CNN Reportedly Set To Lay Off Hundreds of Employees as Trump-Era Restructuring Begins 

New York Post: CNN CEO tells on-air talent not to express outrage during Trump inaugural coverage 

The Washington Post: Prince Harry settles with Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids, gets long-sought apology 

NBC News: Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claims 

The Wall Street Journal: The Best and Worst Airlines of 2024 

@100YearsAgoLive on X: Coolidge Forbids Big Inauguration

The New York Post: Megyn Kelly rips Lauren Sánchez for wearing bra at Trump inaugural 

Today, we bid bon voyage to the Biden administration by reflecting on President Biden’s farewell address, Jill Biden’s exit interview with The Washington Post, and KJP’s final appearance in the White House Press Room. We’re also diving into media coverage of the L.A. wildfires, drama at The Washington Post, and an Obama lawyer’s $20 million mansion fiasco. Wretch on!

TIME STAMPS

2:03 - Front Page

54:54 - Obsessions

1:06:01 - Reader Mail

1:08:26 - Favorites

Salon: "It threatens our entire democracy”: Biden takes aim at tech oligarchs like Musk in farewell address  

The Wall Street Journal: Biden’s Claim He Would Have Beaten Trump Opens Rift With Harris 

The Washington Post: Jill Biden still hopes for a good ending 

Deadline: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Holds Final Briefing, Says “Give And Take” With Reporters “Is Part Of Our Democracy” 

The Hill: Biden on if Trump will get credit over him for ceasefire deal: ‘Is that a joke?’ 

National Review: 60 Minutes Humiliates Itself on Israel  

The New York Times: A Euphoric Tech Industry Is Ready to Celebrate Trump and Itself

The New York Times: Joni Ernst Says She Will Vote to Confirm Pete Hegseth

The New York Times: ‘Will Pay Any Amount’: Private Firefighters Are in Demand in L.A. 

The New York Times: Before Taking Office, L.A.’s Mayor Said She Would Not Go Abroad

The New York TImes: Black Women Defend Mayor Karen Bass Amid Criticism of Wildfire Response 

The Daily Beast: Star Washington Post Columnist Torches Bezos on Her Way Out the Door 

Variety: Rashida Jones to Exit MSNBC; Rebecca Kutler Named Interim President 

NPR: Will Lewis' first year at 'Washington Post': Cancellations, red ink and an exodus 

The New York Times: How to Fix America’s Two-Party Problem

Gallup: U.S. Political Parties Historically Polarized Ideologically 

The Wall Street Journal: Fighting Fires—and the Rumor Mill—as L.A. Burns 

The Wall Street Journal: The Extraordinary Defense of the Getty Museum Against the L.A. Fires 

The Washington Free Beacon: American Tragedy: Obama Terror Lawyer Clashed With Aspen Bureaucrats Over $20 Million Home Expansion

Wretches, we’re back! This week, we’re diving deep into the state of fact-checking. We also discuss Susie Wiles, Justin Trudeau, and the ongoing turmoil at The Washington Post. Wretch on!

Time Stamps: 

06:27 Front Page

52:46 Obsessions

1:00:01 Reader Mail

1:02:01 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

The Daily Beast: L.A. Mayor Suffers Brutal On-Air Moment as Wildfires Rage 

The New York Times: Meta to End Fact-Checking Program in Shift Ahead of Trump Term

The Verge: Threads and Instagram are for politics now, says Adam Mosseri 

The New York Times: As Trump Praises Meta Decision, Tech Watchdogs Warn of Surge in Disinformation

The Silver Bulletin: The rise and fall of "fact-checking"

The Free Beacon: RIP, Meta Fact-Checkers. Don’t Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out.

Axios: Axios interview: Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles vows to block West Wing troublemakers 

CNN Business: Trump camp was fed questions for Fox News town hall in advance from person inside network, new book says 

The Daily Beast: Trump Privately Complains About Clingy Elon Musk: NYT Reporter 

The New York Times: Trudeau’s Canada, Again 

The New York Times: Washington Post Lays Off 4% of Its Work Force 

The New York Times: Washington Post Cartoonist Quits After Jeff Bezos Cartoon Is Killed

The New York Post: Walmart's $78 Hermès Birkin dupe is the fashion world's hottest new handbag — and luxury lovers are fuming 

The New York Times: How Will We Eat in 2025? 9 Predictions to Chew On. 

The Free Beacon: CNN's High-Profile Defamation Trial Is Underway—and Jurors Appear Open to 10-Figure Payout

The Free Beacon: Navy Vet Suing CNN Warned He Would ‘Seek Legal Damages’ if It Ran Report Full of ‘Libel’

TV Technology: Hub: Streaming Viewers More Accepting of TV Ads  

The Wall Street Journal: The Misunderstood Consequences of Jimmy Carter’s Presidency

This week, we are looking back on 2024 to see how we got here. We’re revisiting the rise of Trump 2.0, the decline of mainstream outlets like MSNBC, and the other biggest moments in American news media this year. Wretch on, and we’ll see you in the new year.

Show Notes:

The New York Times: 5 Takeaways From the Haley-DeSantis Debate and Trump’s Town Hall

The New York Times: This Again? In Frozen Iowa, the Press Corps Ponders a Slog of a Campaign.

The Atlantic: Why Attacks on Trump’s Mental Acuity Don’t Land

CNN: NBC News journalists vexed by MSNBC’s move to hire White House press secretary Jen Psaki 

Semafor: NBC braces for the backlash to the backlash after hiring and firing top Republican

The New York Times: Fast Food Forever: How McHaters Lost the Culture War

The Washington Post: Why scientists fear a second Trump term, and what they are doing about it

The New York Times: Ibram X. Kendi Faces a Reckoning of His Own 

The Wall Street Journal: Biden’s Frailty Isn’t Breaking News

The New York Post: Obama doesn’t believe Kamala Harris can beat Trump, which is why he hasn’t endorsed her: sources

The New York Times: The Endless Downfall of a Crypto Power Couple

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Bad news: Eliana is out this week. Good news: The Washington Post’s Megan McCardle is stepping in. We cover everything from The Wall Street Journal’s victory lap on Biden coverage to the drama at BlueSky and the rising role of health in politics. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

5:04 - Front Page

1:20:29 - Obsessions

1:28:41 - Reader Mail

1:32:19 - Favorite Items

Show Notes:

The Wall Street Journal: How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden in Charge

Semafor: Kamala Harris’ digital chief on Democrats ‘losing hold of culture’ 

The Atlantic: The Wellness Women Are on the March 

The Dispatch: Trump and the Mainstream Media Resume a Toxic Love Affair

The Hill: ABC settles Trump’s defamation suit for $15M 

Mediaite: EXCLUSIVE: Neil Cavuto Leaving Fox News

The Wall Street Journal: MSNBC and CNN Fight to Dig Out of a Postelection Ratings Hole 

The Times: Australia to charge big tech companies that don’t pay for news 

Honest Broker: Mainstream Is Now Fringe, and Fringe Is Mainstream 

The Washington Post: Brian Thompson warned of UnitedHealth’s negative image before shooting

The Free Press: The Year of McDonald’s - by Chris Arnade

Semafor: Cloudy skies at Bluesky

The Atlantic: The Luxury Makeover of the Worst Pastry on Earth

I Might Be Wrong on Substack: "Baby It's Cold Outside" is Good, So Bite Me and Happy Holidays

The New York Times: The C.E.O.s Are Tripping. Can Psychedelics Help the C-Suite? 

Compact Magazine: The Cross and the Vine of Death 

The Atlantic: A Mysterious Health Wave Is Breaking Out Across the U.S.

The Wall Street Journal: Not Falling for the Old McRib Ruse? Then Why Are There 12 in Your Freezer?

The Hustle: How the weirdest store at the mall survived the retail apocalypse 

UPI: Detroit-area library rejects return of book overdue 50 years

Before diving into U.S. politics, we’re starting with Vogue’s poorly aged profile of Bashar al-Assad’s wife and the flurry of reports on the CEO assassin. Stick around for the latest coverage on the Trump world, the fashion-fueled conflict in the upcoming Administration, and group text dynamics. Wretch on!

Time Stamps: 

1:09 Front Page

37:42 Obsessions

45:00 Reader Mail 

48:52 Favorite Items 

Show Notes: 

The Atlantic: The Only Remaining Online Copy of Vogue's Asma al-Assad Profile 

The Wall Street Journal: Inside Assad’s Ransacked Palace: Anxiety Pills, Graffiti and Shredded Posters 

Daily Mail: It may seem bizarre, but many women (including me) are captivated by the 'hot assassin', writes CLARA GASPAR

The Washington Post: Luigi Mangione ‘had so much to offer’ — now, he is a murder suspect

The New York Times: The Prominent Maryland Family of the Suspect in the C.E.O. Killing 

NBC News: Read the full transcript: President-elect Donald Trump interviewed by "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker 

CNN: Trump’s DOJ secretly obtained records of his FBI pick Kash Patel, lawmakers, staffers and media in leak investigations

The Hill: Melania Trump sells Christmas ornaments during Fox News appearance 

USA Today: Donald Trump picks former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece 

Mediaite: Matt Gaetz Expected To Become Anchor on Pro-Trump Network Following Short-Lived Attorney General Nomination 

The New York Times: Matea Gold Named Washington Editor of The New York Times 

Status: The Krugman-Kingsbury Kerfuffle 

AP News: Judge rejects sale of Alex Jones' Infowars to The Onion in dispute over bankruptcy auction 

The Washington Post: Opinion | The secret lives of group chats 

The New York Times: The Winter Arc Asks You to Lock In for 3 Months. Some Take It to an Extreme. 

The Atlantic: The Business-School Scandal That Just Keeps Getting Bigger 

The Washington Post: What’s America’s largest ethnic group, and why did we get it wrong for so long?

The New York Times: Shuntaro Tanikawa, Popular Poet and Translator of ‘Peanuts,’ Dies at 92

The New York Times:Shalom Nagar Dies; Reluctant Executioner of Adolf Eichmann

Watch this episode on YouTube. Before diving into politics, we’re breaking down the media’s coverage of the UnitedHealthcare CEO assassination and how it became political. Stick around for the press’s role in Hunter Biden’s pardon, Trump’s cabinet, and the future of CBS. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

5:02 Front Page

44:10 Obsessions

52:22 Reader Mail

56:06 Favorite Items

Welcome to an early episode this week! Before diving into our Thanksgiving takes, we’re discussing the “normalcy” of Trump’s win, the last cable news star, and a Cormac McCarthy scoop that went viral for all the wrong reasons. Wretch on, and Happy Thanksgiving from your favorite Wretches!

Time Stamps:

2:00 Front page

35:50 Obsessions

43:22 Reader Mail

45:03 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

The New York Times: Opinion | The Bizarro Normalcy of the Public Reaction to Trump’s Win

The New York Times: Election Forecasts Try to Go Beyond the Polls. Are They Helping?

The Ankler: MSNBC Mayhem: Rachel Maddow Pay Cut, Brutal Lineup Shakeup Coming 

Semafor: Kaitlan Collins’ star rises at CNN 

Slate: An Interview With the Vanity Fair Writer Whose Cormac McCarthy Scoop Went Viral for All the Wrong Reasons 

The Wall Street Journal: A $12,000 Surgery to Change Eye Color Is Surging in Popularity

NBC News: Thanksgiving dinner is historically affordable this year 

Axios: Why "fart walks" after meals are good for you, experts say 

The New York Times: How Thanksgiving Lasagna Became an American Staple 

The Washington Free Beacon: MSNBC Says It Was 'Unaware' of Harris Campaign Contributions to Al Sharpton Nonprofit—But Won't Say Whether It's Taking Action

The Wall Street Journal: The Case for Being Ungrateful 

The New York Times: A Real Estate Queen and the Secret She Couldn’t Keep Hidden

The New York Times: At 17, She Just Passed the State Bar of California

Watch the video episode on YouTube.

The media business of yesteryear is gone, folks. This week, we’re breaking down MSNBC’s brutal week, Trump’s cabinet chaos, and the ongoing postmortem for the Democrats. Be sure to send us your favorite Thanksgiving traditions, and as always, Wretch on.

Time Stamps: 

01:11 Front Page

48:26 Obsessions 

51:45 Reader Mail 

53:55 Favorite Items 

Show Notes: 

Mediaite: Joe and Mika’s ‘Fears of Retribution’ As Motivation for Trump Meeting Feels a Lot Like Clean Up on Aisle Mar-a-Lago

New York Times: Viewers Flee MSNBC, and Flock to Fox News, in Wake of Election 

Wall Street Journal: Comcast Greenlights $7 Billion Spinoff of NBCUniversal Cable Channels 

AP News: Pete Hegseth had been flagged by service member as possible 'Insider Threat' 

The Washington Post: Trump picks fracking CEO Chris Wright to be energy secretary

Times of Israel: Muslims who voted for Trump upset by his pro-Israel cabinet picks

The Washington Post: Opinion | Democrats thumb their nose at the rule of law in Pennsylvania 

The Washington Post: Two Republicans who lost Senate races refuse to concede

The New York Times: Opinion | When Will Democrats Learn to Say No? 

Apple: Apple shares the most popular podcasts of 2024 

The Washington Post: The Onion wins auction to take control of Alex Jones’s Infowars 

The New York Times: Women Get Less Exercise Than Men. It’s a Problem. 

The New York Times: Some Black Women Are Choosing Rest Over Politics 

The Wall Street Journal: Want to Network in Silicon Valley? Bring a Bathing Suit

Food and Wine: Want More Sauce on That McRib? McDonald’s Has You Covered With Its All-New Jug of McRib Sauce

The New York Times: Trump Has Put an End to an Era. The Future Is Up for Grabs.

American Enterprise Institute: The Supreme Court Misses a Chance to Clarify Press Freedom for Gathering News via New Technologies | American Enterprise Institute 

The Washington Post: The mysterious Virginia mansion allegedly bought with stolen Nigerian money

The New York Times: How to Cook the Best Thanksgiving Turkey