Mo News - The Interview

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.

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.

In this mid-year money check-in, Mosheh is joined by Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola, co-hosts of NerdWallet’s Smart Money Podcast, to tackle the questions we’re all asking: How do the latest economic headlines actually affect my wallet? From tariffs and grocery bills to debt, side hustles, and retirement planning, they break down practical ways to navigate an unpredictable economy without losing your sanity - or your savings.

Their conversation covers everything from stretching your back-to-school budget to finding side hustles that make sense for your skills, to why an emergency fund is your financial life jacket. You’ll also hear tips on tackling debt faster, setting realistic goals, making smart investments (without falling for shiny distractions), and pivoting your plans when life throws a curveball. If money stress has been holding you back, this episode is packed with the tools, mindset shifts, and strategies you need to reset and make the rest of 2025 count._________________________

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.

This episode features a paid guest appearance by NerdWallet.

As water shortages intensify across the globe, one company is betting on a controversial solution: making it rain—literally. In this episode, we’re joined by Augustus Doricko, founder and CEO of Rainmaker, to break down the science, promise, and misconceptions around cloud seeding.

We explore how this decades-old technology has advanced, what it could mean for agriculture and the environment, and why it’s drawing renewed interest. Doricko walks us through how cloud seeding actually works, the regulatory safeguards in place, and how it differs from more speculative geoengineering efforts. He also weighs in on the ethics of weather modification and why water access is becoming a national security issue.  He also fact checks various theories when it comes to ways the weather CANNOT be altered. 

Note: Our conversation took place before the recent record flooding in central Texas. Rainmaker faced accusations on social media that their cloud seeding may have contributed to it. We include Doricko’s response. 

⁠Rainmaker⁠ is a sponsor of this podcast episode. 

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.

In the aftermath of the worst mass shooting in NYC in 25 years, we speak with NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo as new details emerge about the attack and the suspect. The former NY governor discusses the state of gun violence, what he thinks needs to be done about assault weapons at the federal level, and how ‘Mayor Cuomo’ would handle public safety and the NYPD differently.

We dig into the NYC mayoral race, his loss to Zohran Mamdani in the primary, what he learned, and why he’s staying in the race as an independent. He weighs in on Mamdani’s proposals, why he thinks Mayor Eric Adams should drop out, the rise of “democratic socialism,” President Trump, the migrant crisis, antisemitism and what’s at stake for New York City in November.

We also revisit his record as governor, including the landmark NY SAFE Act counteracting gun violence, and his economic and infrastructure initiatives as he tells us why he thinks it's inaccurate to say ‘blue states’ can’t get things done. He also addresses Mo News community questions about his controversies, including about his COVID policies, and the sexual misconduct allegations that led to his resignation from governor.

🐝 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.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joins the Mo News Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation just months after leaving the Biden administration, to talk politics, democracy, aviation, fatherhood—and his latest thinking on a potential 2028 presidential run.

Buttigieg weighs in on Trump’s second term, his budget cuts, the flood of executive orders, and how worried he is about the state of American democracy. Why he thinks it is not a certainty that Democrats may be able to win the White House back in the coming years. He also shares what he’s learned from his recent podcast tour (including stops popular on the right), what Democrats keep missing in their message, and his perspective on Trump’s war on institutions like the media, universities, and major law firms.

We dig into the Democratic Party’s struggles with young and working-class voters, the rise of Democratic Socialists, and a generational shift to the right already underway. Buttigieg also reflects on his time in the Biden administration—including what he observed about Biden’s cognitive state, whether he should’ve run for reelection, and whether Buttigieg wishes he said something earlier.

Plus, we press him on his tenure as Transportation Secretary—from airline safety to the air traffic controller shortage. And, we look ahead at his growing alarm over AI’s potential to destabilize American society. Finally, we discuss 2028 election plans: What he’s weighing, what it would take to run again, and whether America is ready for another Buttigieg campaign.

🐝 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.

As President Trump hits the halfway mark of his first year back in office, former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation grading Trump’s second-term performance—the wins, the losses, and what might come next.

Now host of⁠⁠ The Sean Spicer Show⁠⁠, Spicer weighs in on everything from immigration raids and tariffs to Trump’s evolving foreign policy and the growing divide inside the MAGA movement on several issues. We also unpack the latest fallout from the Epstein files and why the administration’s handling of the case is fueling anger on the right.

We get into how the Trump press team is reshaping media access, Spicer’s reflections on his time behind the podium, and whether he’d ever return to politics—or reality TV—after Dancing With the Stars.

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🐝 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.

Today, we're exploring the science behind scent—and why it’s so deeply connected to our brains. Joining Mosheh for this conversation is Mike Kinsey, a master perfumer and olfactive scientist at Procter & Gamble, who helps create some of the most recognizable scents in household products.

In this special episode, sponsored by Gain and Downy, Mike breaks down why smell is so strongly linked to memory and emotion. He also explains how scent preferences shift across regions and cultural moments (like the rise of “clean” scents after COVID), and how major brands work to predict trends, avoid fleeting fads, and develop iconic fragrances for everything from shampoo to laundry detergent.

Stick around until the end, when Mosh puts his nose to the test in a blind scent challenge – with scent-sational results!  #GainPartner #DownyPartner

From AI replacing jobs to a war for Arctic resources, the next decade will look nothing like the last.

Bank of America’s Global Strategist Haim Israel joins Mosheh to unpack his team’s new report predicting the eight major forces that will reshape our world by 2030 and beyond. 

Israel warns that AI will soon upend job markets across industries, with “agentic AI” systems able to make decisions on their own—threatening tens of millions of jobs. He offers advice for how workers, companies, and governments should start preparing now for the economic and social fallout.

Mosheh and Israel also dive into the strain of climate change on infrastructure, and the coming generational shift as Gen Z becomes the dominant force in the workforce while Boomers pass down trillions in wealth. 

Plus: what a second Trump term and global populism mean for America’s role in the world in a new fight for global resources.

🐝 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.

As tariffs and global economic uncertainty weigh on businesses, Walmart EVP Dan Bartlett joins Mo News from the company’s shareholders meeting in Bentonville to break down how the retail giant is navigating tariff and economic uncertainty. Bartlett explains how Walmart is approaching increasing prices, how it’s absorbing costs as President Trump tells them to “eat the tariffs,” and believes it will still “win on price.” 

Bartlett dives into how the world’s largest private employer and America’s largest grocer is looking at the future. He discusses how AI and automation could lead to a revolution in how we do our purchasing—enabling re-ordering, restocking of the literal shelves in our homes and guiding our shopping lists with little to no effort from consumers anymore. 

Plus, Bartlett reflects on his time as former President George W. Bush’s former counselor and communications director and the lessons he learned about leadership and crisis. 

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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.