Airfares are down, hotel deals are back, and cruises are suddenly hot again. But knowing when to book and how to stretch your points is more confusing than ever. NerdWallet Travel Expert and co-host of the Smart Travel podcast Sally French joins us to cut through the noise with tips for the holiday season and beyond.

We dig into the sweet spot for how far out to book flights, why Tokyo just jumped ahead of Paris as a top global destination, and how to take advantage of the cruise and all-inclusive boom. Sally also breaks down the truth about credit card rewards—why she carries 18 cards, which perks actually pay off, and why holding onto points too long can cost you.

From packing hacks to avoiding lost luggage to the rise of luxury travel, this episode is packed with practical advice for anyone planning trips in the months ahead.

This episode features a paid guest appearance by NerdWallet.

We are not your financial or investment advisors. This nerdy info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes and may not apply to your specific circumstances.
We’ll talk about some credit card companies that are NerdWallet partners in this episode, but that doesn't influence how we discuss them.Some offers may have expired by the time you’re listening. For the latest details, follow the links in the episode description.

Headlines:

– Welcome to Mo News (02:00)

– What We Know About the Minnesota Catholic School Shooting (07:00)

– Victim’s Father Speaks Out (13:50)

– Kennedy Sought to Fire C.D.C. Director Over Vaccine Policy (16:45)

– Democrats Weigh Mini-Convention Before 2026 Midterms (23:00)

– Trump Suggests Hosting Pre-Midterm GOP Convention (25:20)

– DC Mayor Says Federal Surge Has Reduced Crime—But What’s Next? (27:00)

– Gap Stock Falls As Retailer Misses Sales Expectations, Driven By Decline At Athleta (29:20)

– These Are This Year's Labor Day Travel Hot Spots (31:30)

– What We’re Watching, Reading, Eating (33:40)

Thanks To Our Sponsors: 

– ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase

–⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50

– Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS

– Leesa – 30% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS

– Factor Meals – 50% your first box plus free shipping | Promo Code: monews50off

– Monarch Money - 50% off your first year | Promo Code: MONEWS

🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.

Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.

Jill Wagner (@jillrwagner) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. She's currently the Managing Editor of the Mo News newsletter and previously worked as a reporter for CBS News, Cheddar News, and News 12. She also co-founded the Need2Know newsletter, and has made it a goal to drop a Seinfeld reference into every Mo News podcast.

Headlines:

– Welcome to Mo News + Labor Day Travel, Gas Prices, Best Times To Travel (02:00)

– Minnesota School Shooting: Two Kids Dead, 17 Others Injured (05:25)

– What We Know About the Shooter And Her Manifesto (07:15)

– Parents Of Teenager Who Took His Own Life Sue OpenAI (15:50)

– CDC Director Fired After Reported Fights With RFK Jr. (19:20)

– F.D.A. Approves Covid Shots With New Restrictions (27:00)

– Amtrak Launches Faster, Updated Acela Train Service (29:00)

– South Korea Bans Phones In School Classrooms Nationwide (31:10)

– Americans Spend Less Time Reading For Fun And More Time On Screens ~ Study (33:45)

– On This Day In History (36:10)

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

– ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase

–⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50

– Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS

– Leesa – 30% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS

– Factor Meals – 50% your first box plus free shipping | Promo Code: monews50off

– Monarch Money - 50% off your first year | Promo Code: MONEWS

🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.

Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.

Jill Wagner (@jillrwagner) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. She's currently the Managing Editor of the Mo News newsletter and previously worked as a reporter for CBS News, Cheddar News, and News 12. She also co-founded the Need2Know newsletter, and has made it a goal to drop a Seinfeld reference into every Mo News podcast.Ω

Headlines:

– Welcome to Mo News + Space-X Rocket Launch (02:00)

– Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Announce Their Engagement (06:30)

– Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook Will Sue Trump Administration To Keep Her Job (20:20)

– Cracker Barrel Announces Return To 'Old Timer' Logo After Backlash From Trump, Customers (29:00)

– Australia Says Iran Was Behind Antisemitic Arson Attacks on Its Soil (32:50)

– Israel Claims Strike On Hospital That Killed Journalists Was Targeting Camera Used By Hamas (35:10)

– Active Shooter Hoaxes Set Off Alarms as Students Return to Campus (38:00)

– Towering Dust Storm Known As A Haboob Plunges Phoenix Into Darkness (40:00)

– On This Day In History (43:45)

Thanks To Our Sponsors: 

– ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase

–⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50

– Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS

– Leesa – 30% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS

– Factor Meals – 50% your first box plus free shipping | Promo Code: monews50off

– Monarch Money - 50% off your first year | Promo Code: MONEWS

🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.

Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.

Jill Wagner (@jillrwagner) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. She's currently the Managing Editor of the Mo News newsletter and previously worked as a reporter for CBS News, Cheddar News, and News 12. She also co-founded the Need2Know newsletter, and has made it a goal to drop a Seinfeld reference into every Mo News podcast.

Headlines:

– Welcome to Mo News + PSL Season Starts… Now (02:00)

– Trump Wants to Send the National Guard to Chicago; Chicago Doesn’t Want Them (05:40)

– Trump Signs Executive Orders Aimed At Ending Cashless Bail in D.C. and Across The Nation (14:10)

– President Trump Fires Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook (18:10)

– Abrego Garcia Shielded From Deportation As Judge Questions Legal Process (21:00)

– Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting American Flag Burning (24:40)

– First Pig-To-Human Lung Transplant Announced By Chinese Scientists (27:20)

– Keurig Dr Pepper to Acquire Peet’s in $18 Billion Deal (30:00)

– Redraw World Map ‘To Show Greatness of Africa’, Demand Nations (34:00)

– Netflix’s ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ Leads With Estimated $18 Million Debut, ‘Weapons’ Stays Strong With $15.6 Million (38:30)

– On This Day In History (39:45)

Thanks To Our Sponsors: 

– ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase

–⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50

– Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS

– Leesa – 30% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS

– Factor Meals – 50% your first box plus free shipping | Promo Code: monews50off

– Monarch Money - 50% off your first year | Promo Code: MONEWS

🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.

Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.

Jill Wagner (@jillrwagner) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. She's currently the Managing Editor of the Mo News newsletter and previously worked as a reporter for CBS News, Cheddar News, and News 12. She also co-founded the Need2Know newsletter, and has made it a goal to drop a Seinfeld reference into every Mo News podcast.

Headlines:

– Welcome to Mo News (02:00)

– Trump Eyes Chicago For Next Federal Troop Crackdown (07:30)

– Convicted Sex Trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell Opens Up About Epstein, Trump (16:00)

– Cracker Barrel’s “Woke” Logo Backlash (23:30)

– Intel To Sell 10% Stake To U.S. Government (27:00)

– Fed Chair Signals Interest Rate Cut At September Meeting (30:30)

– FBI Raids Home Of Trump’s Former National Security Adviser & Critic John Bolton (32:50)

– Southwest Ends Plus-Size Policy; Delta & United Fake Window Seat Lawsuits (37:10)

– Watch Out Drivers, Golf Carts Are Talking Over Suburbia (40:20)

– On This Day In History (43:40)

Thanks To Our Sponsors: 

– ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase

–⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50

– Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS

– Leesa – 30% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS

– Factor Meals – 50% your first box plus free shipping | Promo Code: monews50off

– Monarch Money - 50% off your first year | Promo Code: MONEWS

🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.

Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.

Jill Wagner (@jillrwagner) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. She's currently the Managing Editor of the Mo News newsletter and previously worked as a reporter for CBS News, Cheddar News, and News 12. She also co-founded the Need2Know newsletter, and has made it a goal to drop a Seinfeld reference into every Mo News podcast.

From baby products to big-ticket electronics, Consumer Reports has been testing—and exposing—the truth about products for 90 years.

CEO Phil Radford joins the Mo News Podcast to share what his team is uncovering right now: hidden chemicals, shrinking privacy protections, the latest on safety and what some of the cuts in Washington could mean for every American consumer.

We cover the push to bring manufacturing back from China, how “voluntary” corporate agreements really work, and simple steps to keep your home from being hacked. Plus, why this nonprofit refuses corporate funding—and how that independence shapes its mission.

Mo News has partnered with Consumer Reports to offer listeners 25% off an annual membership at ⁠CR.org/MoNews⁠. Membership gives you constantly updated ratings on more than 10,000 products and services—an essential tool for making smarter, safer purchases.

Headlines:

– Welcome to Mo News  (02:00)

– CA Dems Pass Newsom-Backed Redistricting Plan (06:00)

– Serena Williams Becomes New Face For GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs (11:50)

– DC Crime Down As Trump Touts Federalizing City Police Force (18:00)

– Israel’s New Negotiation Plan As It Threatens Offensive In Gaza City (21:30)

– Goodbye Job Hopping, Hello To Job Hugging (24:50)

– Erik Menendez Denied Parole (26:30)

– Government Sues LA Fitness Operators Over Hard-To-Cancel Gym Memberships (30:00)

– What We’re Watching, Reading, Eating (32:00)

– Reading: Eat Small Plates

Thanks To Our Sponsors: 

– ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase

–⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50

– Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS

– Leesa – 30% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS

– ⁠Boll & Branch⁠ – 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets

🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.

Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.

Headlines:

– Welcome to Mo News  (02:00)

– Texas Redistricting Plan Backed by Trump Wins Initial Approval (05:45)

– Bed Bath & Beyond Exec Says Company Won't Open Any California Stores (09:50)

– Target CEO Steps Down Amid Sales Slump (12:50)

– The Chili’s Economy Is Here: What’s Behind the Casual-Dining Boom (16:00)

– Hurricane Erin Causing Dangerous Surf Conditions On East Coast (20:30)

– Southern Border Wall Will Be Painted Black To Make It “Hot To The Touch” (21:45)

– Russia Ramping Up Attacks on Ukraine (23:20)

– White House Joins TikTok After Delaying Enforcement Of Sale-Or-Ban Law (26:00)

– Your Next Vacation Could Be a ‘Coolcation (29:30)

– On This Day In History (31:45)

Thanks To Our Sponsors: 

– ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase

–⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50

– Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS

– Leesa – 30% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS

– ⁠Boll & Branch⁠ – 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets

🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.

Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.

Jill Wagner (@jillrwagner) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. She's currently the Managing Editor of the Mo News newsletter and previously worked as a reporter for CBS News, Cheddar News, and News 12. She also co-founded the Need2Know newsletter, and has made it a goal to drop a Seinfeld reference into every Mo News podcast.

Headlines:

– Welcome to Mo News + National Bacon Lovers Day (02:00)

– Texas Set To Pass New Congressional Map Amid Mid-Decade Redistricting Push (06:20)

– Texas Effect: Democratic and More Republican States Now Consider Redistricting As Well (09:20)

– Justice Department Investigating D.C. Police Over Alleged Fake Crime Data (15:40)– Trump Says Putin Has Agreed To Meet Zelensky

– What Does Russia Say? (20:45)

– Bolivia Rejects Socialism As Left On Decline In South America (25:20)

– Sam Altman On GPT-6: ‘People Want Memory’ (28:10)

– Taylor Swift & Bruce Springsteen Tickets Scandal Sees FTC Sue Reseller (31:20)

– Florida Neighborhood Dethrones California's Beverly Hills as America's Priciest Community (33:45)

– On This Day In History (35:50)

Thanks To Our Sponsors: 

– ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase

–⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50

– Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS

– Leesa – 30% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS

– ⁠Boll & Branch⁠ – 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets

🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.

Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.

Jill Wagner (@jillrwagner) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. She's currently the Managing Editor of the Mo News newsletter and previously worked as a reporter for CBS News, Cheddar News, and News 12. She also co-founded the Need2Know newsletter, and has made it a goal to drop a Seinfeld reference into every Mo News podcast.