Donald Trump and Elon Musk are having a very public bromance, with Musk having a large influence over Trump and his decision making. (Just this week Musk was seemingly instrumental in Trump pulling his support from a budget bill to keep the government open.) Is Musk even qualified to have this level of influence? Also, Lays Chips is just the latest food item recalled in recent months. What’s going on and is anything safe to eat? And finally, podcasts had a stellar year this year, will that continue into 2025? Pro-podcaster and co-host of the Enemy in Paris podcast, Sam Kieffer, joins to break down the news of the week.  

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Survivor 47 was an incredible season. Rachel LaMont, a dominant player with four historic immunity wins, won the million dollars and cemented herself in Survivor history. She chatted with Newsweek about her win and that truly incredibly hidden immunity idol moment this season. (If you know, you know.) We’re also chatting with the rest of the top 3, Sam Phalen and Sue Smey, and Teeny, whose fire making challenge was next level epic.

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Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, went viral (for all the wrong reasons) this week after his arrest in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. In other news, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to go after your Ozempic, but can Elon Musk, a proponent of the weight loss medication, convince President-elect Donald Trump otherwise? And finally, Jay Z denied allegations of sexual assault after he was accused of it alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs in a new civil suit this week, and social media went into overdrive with conspiracy theories.  

Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott is joined by comedian Kara Klenk (co-host of That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast) to make sense of the news of the week.

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Fans of Daniel Aleman’s books are about to get to know the author even better with his new book I Might Be in Trouble. “I will say with this one character; I was very intentional about making him a mirror of myself. I wanted him to basically be me,” Aleman told Newsweek’s Parting Shot.  

The novel follows David Alvarez, a young author whose debut success has dwindled and finds inspiration for new work after discovering a one-night stand has suddenly died in his bed. (For the record, this part of the novel is not based on Aleman.) But at its core, the dark comedy novel is about discovering your path even though it can sometimes feel uncertain. 

Aleman spoke with H. Alan Scott about the inspiration for the novel and whether he’s still worried about finding a date dead in his bed.  

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Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are ready to bring a little ‘sanasa’ to the world with Peacock’s Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What’s ‘sanasa’? It’s a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on Simple Life. Now they’re bringing it back and turning it into an opera on Encore. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic, and then just celebrate our friendship and our amazing song,” Hilton says. While Richie says, “you can't do Simple Life again,” she does say now “felt like the right time... we really loved doing that show.” In addition to the opera, the famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like their time at Sonic. (And in a full circle moment, the pair now have drinks named after them at the fast-food chain.) “I think that there is a part of our friendship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie says. As for this new special, Hilton is just glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.” 

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The major thing about Netflix’s No Good Deed that appealed to Ray Romano was that it was unlike anything he’d done before. “I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.” The dramedy series follows families looking to buy a home owned by Paul and Lydia Morgan (Romano and Lisa Kudrow). “You can tell a person’s good or bad, not from one incident, [but] from overall. We get to see that these are good people going through bad situations.” The series uses comedic actors in sometimes-dramatic situations (yet still humorous). “You know both of us, Lisa and I, from sitcoms—her sitcom was much more well-known than ours, but we have our fans, too. If they allow us to show this other [heavier] side, I think it’s very effective.” Romano, who shot to fame with Everybody Loves Raymond, says he still gets intimidated working with celebrities like Kudrow. “You imbue this persona to these people that are celebrities and icons and whatnot, and then after you get to spend time with them, they’re just people.” 

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The announcement of the Golden Globe nominations mean awards season has officially begun. Regularly an indicator of the films and actors in consideration for the big prize, the Academy Award, the Globe nominations offer us an insight into where the awards season stands and, more importantly, where it might be going. And right now, it looks like the Netflix musical Emilia Pérez is a big contender while Wicked and Gladiator II fell short of expectations. 

Izzy of the wildly popular YouTube channel Be Kind Rewind joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to break it all down.  

Check out the full list of nominees at the link below. 

https://www.newsweek.com/golden-globes-full-list-emilia-perez-dominates-wicked-gladiator-ii-fall-short-1997925 

Subscribe to Be Kind Rewind: https://www.youtube.com/@bkrewind 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

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As President-elect Donald Trump shapes out his cabinet, one thing is clear: it’s our favorite new reality show. To look back at the week that was, comedian Anna Roisman joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to discuss Trump’s cabinet picks, Anthem insurance capping anesthesia coverage at certain time limits for patients, Billboard’s selection of Beyoncé as the greatest pop star of the 21st century, and those Spotify/Apple music recaps of the year. 

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After watching Prime Video’s The Sticky, it became clear that the Margo Martindale praise needed to continue with some of her co-stars. Chris Diamantopoulos is one of the “cohorts” Margo spoke about in our chat, and he’s fantastic in the Jamie Lee Curtis-produced series. Diamantopoulos plays Mike, one of the two men who help Martindale’s Ruth in her illegal plot to “steal some maple syrup,” as Martindale says. And The Sticky is a culmination of a lot of impressive work in Diamantopoulos’ career, who has played everything from Broadway to performances in films like The Boys in the Boat and Red Notice. (You need to watch him in Mrs. Davis.) (Oh, and you may even recognize his voice from his extensive voice work.) Diamantopoulos chats with Newsweek about The Sticky, why Margo Martindale is so great, and how The Sticky is a love letter to Canada (in its own special way).  

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“Who knew that a barrel of maple syrup is worth more than a barrel of oil?” Margo Martindale does, after starring in The Sticky (December 6, Prime Video). The Emmy-winning actor plays Ruth Landry, a Canadian syrup farmer who resorts to crime after the government threatens to take away her livelihood. “It’s very different, very fun and what an incredible subject.” Inspired by a true story and produced by Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Martindale’s Ruth adds to a resume of unsuspecting yet extraordinary women. “The difference in this woman is that she starts at her most desperate. And that’s fun.” And while “she does have her feet on the ground,” she’s pushed to the limit and decides “to steal some maple syrup. It’s so logical to me.” [laughs] Even though Martindale has mostly “taken the supporting role” over the course of her long and lauded career, The Sticky marks her first major starring role. But for her, it’s about the work. “When I sit a long time, I go, ‘Why aren’t my agents calling me? What’s going on? Is something happening?’ It never fails.”

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