SmartHER News

Jenna kicks off the week with three main updates: Congress is back in session after weeks away, setting up a busy stretch before the new Congress is sworn in January 3. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is facing scrutiny after admitting to an affair with a woman alleged to be tied to Chinese espionage, prompting an investigation and sparking national security concerns. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the largest commutation in U.S. history, converting more than 500 death-row sentences to life in prison, a move that's controversial and politically significant. She also shares audience reactions to the 2026 midterms and early data on youth and gender voting trends. 00:00 Midterm Questions Ahead 01:02 Congress Returns 03:06 Nvidia Spy Scandal 08:21 Newsom Death Row Move 12:40 Audience Midterm Voices 13:51 Iran War Fallout 20:50 Youth Vote Gender Shift 23:10 Week Ahead Wrap Up

What "Big Media" misses and what you say happened! Members of our SmartHER News community share their invaluable insight about what they believe is the TRUE story of the 2026 elections. Spoiler Alert: You're better than any political analysts out there! Plus ~ What to watch for next as we turn the page to the 2028 elections (gulp). 00:00 Blue Tsunami Hype 01:09 Why Words Matter 03:02 Reality Check Congress 04:23 Listening To Voters 06:26 Texas Turns Blue: Dominque weighs-in 09:50 Michigan Economy Message 10:48 Republicans Demand Better 12:25 Healthcare Takes Center: Jenna and Sarah share impactful stories. 20:06 Corruption And Fatigue: Kris and "Jane" call it as they see it. 24:09 Women Vote Shift 26:20 Three Big 2028 Questions 31:51 Ashley Restores Hope

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36 gubernatorial races, 35 Senate seats up, and all 435 House seats ~ your cheat sheet for the midterm elections wtih a dash of history and a look at what's next. Jenna recaps two high-profile election stories, including key developments in the Alaska race for Senate with a ballot featuring two candidates named "Dan Sullivan" and Michigan's race where a Democrat breaks with her party to endorse the republican candidate for Senate. 00:00 Midterms Eve Welcome 01:25 Early Voting Surge 02:08 Live Results History 03:21 When Results Arrive 04:13 Key Midterm Numbers 07:47 Turnout Trends Facts 09:18 Tie Vote Oddities 09:49 Alaska Two Sullivans 14:26 Judge Dismisses DOJ Case 15:49 Michigan Party Rift 18:31 Stevens Endorses GOP 20:38 What Parties Stand For 23:55 Final Thoughts Signoff

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Love nonpartisan news? Want a bigger serving of the serious headlines? Here's how you can become a SCOOP insider: https://www.scoop.smarthernews.com/get-the-inside-scoop/

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This past week, an arson set ablaze Hitler's Eagle's Nest - a mountaintop teahouse built for the Nazi dictator in a mountainous region of Bavaria. A symbol of darkness and of light, "The Eagle's Nest" has important ties to both the Nazi regime AND the victory of the Allied Forces in World War II. Historian and The History Underground storyteller, JD Huitt, explains why this site matters and how it connects to our collective story. Plus ~ he shares how a piece of "The Eagle's Nest" wound up in Pennsylvania, at the Gettysburg Museum of History. JD Huitt The History Underground 00:00 Headline and Guest Intro 01:55 What Is the Eagles Nest 04:13 Built for Power and Symbolism 06:22 Hitlers Visits and Fears 09:43 Allies Capture the Obersalzberg 12:26 War Trophies and Hitlers Silver 13:53 Looting Ethics and Capture Papers 18:24 Why the Eagles Nest Was Preserved 20:41 Arson Reaction and Preservation Debate 23:45 Damage Update and Local Impact 27:19 History Versus Erasure Today 30:54 Gettysburg Connection and Artifacts 34:00 Normandy Meeting and Birthday Story 36:28 Electric Fence Close Call 39:17 Closing Thoughts and Next Trips

A quick catch-up on the news, including a historic spacewalk (sort of) and an early heads up on flu season. Plus, a breakdown of the Justice Department lawsuit that pulls an Alaska midterm election into the national spotlight: a story of two "Dans" and what it may mean for who controls the Senate. BTW - Correction: Sometimes you say things while adlibbing and they don't make sense, like when I said: "Alaskan Supreme Court." A slip-up. The MORE correct phrase: the state's Supreme Court or the Alaska Supreme Court. I don't want to start a trend of Californian Supreme Courts :) or New Yorker Supreme Courts. I blame #Mondays. Thank you in advance for your forgiveness. 01:01 Hunters Moon Explained 01:59 ISS Spacewalk Milestone 03:02 Flu Season Reality Check 05:55 Why Alaska Matters Nationally 09:10 Two Dan Sullivans Confusion 11:50 DOJ Lawsuit Breakdown 14:06 CNN Clash With Attorney General 17:41 What Happens Next 18:25 Final Thoughts And Vote

Some describe this exchange as the "most viral moment" fo the 2026 election cycle. It happened at a campaign event with Senate candidate, Democrat, Abdul El-Sayed - and a question to "disavow" the Muslim Brotherhood. Why does the Muslim Brotherhood really matter? What should you know about it? Jenna is joined by war correspondent Hollie McKay to explain the group's origins (listen for the story about a Christmas song!) and why this group finds itself in the middle of many of our major foreign policy stories (and now the 2026 election cycle). 01:00 Michigan Senate Race Setup 02:12 The Viral Exchange 05:05 Why Muslim Brotherhood Came Up 07:27 What Is Muslim Brotherhood 12:01 Funding and US Policy 18:12 Terror Links and Debate 21:46 Election Season Reality Check 23:35 Final Takeaways

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Love nonpartisan news? Want a bigger serving of the serious headlines? Here's how you can become a SCOOP insider: https://www.scoop.smarthernews.com/get-the-inside-scoop/

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The latest on a rare owl nest in NYC, the shortest White House press secretary tenure in recorded history and how much the war in the Middle East has cost the average American household.

Your news update in 15 minutes! Quick. Concise. Nonpartisan. SmartHER.

What do the cases of Lindsay Clancy, Nolan Wells and Cornell have in common? They highlight the importance of a legal procedure often forgotten in our justice system that's critical to whether or not a case heads to court: a grand jury. Join a wide-ranging conversation with attorney and founder of Unbiased, Jordan Berman, who uses her legal expertise to explain the importance of the grand jury process, why it matters and what it means in these 3 stories.

00:00 The Missing Link in Three Legal Cases 00:57 Finding Common Ground in Nonpartisan News 03:20 Meet Jordan Berman, Founder of Unbiased 06:12 What Gets Lost in the Headlines 08:37 Why Grand Juries Matter 09:45 Inside the Grand Jury Process 14:15 Nolan Wells: What No Indictment Means 18:29 Lindsay Clancy: Indictment vs. Trial 22:32 Cornell: The Decision Not to Pursue Charges 30:07 How Media Coverage Shapes Public Opinion 33:04 Ilhan Omar: Questions About the Search Warrant 37:17 What We Don't See Behind the Headlines

Your catch-up on news after a holiday weekend!

**As we published this report, news broke of Ambassador Guilfoyle's resignation.

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00:00 Columbus Day Backstory 01:12 One of the largest lynchings in U.S. history (Italians targeted) 02:28 Holiday Becomes Federal 03:15 Middle East Escalation 03:38 Houthis Target Airports 05:53 Trade Routes At Risk 06:15 Russian Diesel Deal 07:40 Fuel Prices Context 09:26 Leadership Controversies 10:13 Guilfoyle Resignation Push 12:39 Ilhan Omar Raid Probe 16:17 Wrap Up And Sign Off

What does justice look like—and who decides?

Jenna and podcast host Mary Katharine Ham discuss Christa Pike's case in Tennessee and the broader questions it raises about the death penalty, including the time between sentencing and execution. They also reflect on three years since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the changing Middle East and the words news organizations use to tell these stories.

Along the way: the court of public opinion, a brief look at media coverage of the Cornell case, and how the information we receive shapes our understanding. Plus, parenting styles, a favorite hydration drink and making more time to read with our kids.

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In this episode: 00:00 Welcome to SmartHER News 01:03 Real Life, Parenting & Consequences 04:34 What Does Justice Look Like? 07:01 Christa Pike & the Death Penalty 12:21 Fort Hood & the Execution Debate 14:45 The Eighth Amendment: Cruel & Unusual Punishment 16:29 Public Opinion, Cornell & Media Coverage 19:57 Three Years After Oct. 7 23:49 How the Media Describes Hamas 26:51 Israeli Politics & the Language of War 28:52 The Nova Exhibition & Remembering the Victims 32:01 Marco Rubio's Speech in Greece 35:24 Iran & the Ripple Effects Across the Middle East 37:08 Something SmartHER: Hydration 39:49 Less Scrolling, More Reading 43:11 Wrap-Up

Show Notes:

Jocko Fuel Hydrate (commissionable link)