The Tom Sullivan Show

Five young British men were arrested near RAF Fairford — the UK airbase America uses to bomb Iran — after a farmer spotted suspicious vans and masked men scrambling into the woods. Iran's IRGC had already called that base a "legitimate target." All five were released on bail Monday, and while police reportedly haven't found viable explosives, they're still investigating whether this was state-backed activity tied to Iran or Russia. Iran flatly denies any connection. We ask honestly — genuine foiled plot, or overcautious response to a suspicious but innocent situation? Then a new White House ad called "Final Battle" started airing during NFL games this weekend — Trump's own voice vowing to "demolish the deep state" and "cast out communists, Marxists and fascists," almost identical to his actual 2024 campaign ad, except this one ends with "Paid for by the U.S. Government" instead of his campaign committee. He's not even on the ballot this year. Even a Republican congressman called it something you'd see "in banana republics." We ask why this is legal and why taxpayers are footing the bill. All of it today.

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Xi's leaving Washington largely empty-handed — no Taiwan talk, no real deals, and most Americans never even saw the ceremony live thanks to the ongoing press ban. But here's what deserves attention — while Trump's been pushing American companies to bring business home, he hosted a state dinner Thursday night where Bezos, Musk, Zuckerberg, Pichai, Huang, Altman, and Tim Cook all sat down with Xi so Trump could "secure business deals." That's a genuinely mixed message. Meanwhile, good news for homebuyers — mortgage rates are above 7%, sellers now outnumber buyers by the widest margin on record, and sellers are finally cutting prices and offering concessions to attract fewer, pickier buyers. After years of a seller's market, the leverage has flipped. All of it today.

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Remember to call with your money and investing questions 855-295-6600 for the Financial Friday podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102919/episodes/feed

The Xi-Trump summit wrapped with basically nothing to show for it — trade, AI, and rare earths got discussed, no real breakthroughs happened, and none of the five major networks even aired it live thanks to Trump's press ban standoff. Still, this was Xi's first Washington visit in 11 years, and three more meetings are already reportedly planned over the next year at different locations. Netanyahu gave a defiant UN speech today thanking Trump for "bold leadership" against Iran — but delegations from 77 countries walked out or skipped it entirely, leaving him basically speaking to an empty room. And a federal judge ordered the White House to immediately restore CNN, MS NOW, and Politico's press passes, calling the ban likely unconstitutional — but the White House still dragged its feet for hours before actually complying. This fight is far from over. All of it today.

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Xi Jinping is in Washington for his first visit in over a decade, and Trump is rolling out rare pageantry — greeting his plane personally, a full state dinner with Silicon Valley's biggest names Thursday night. But it's drawing real criticism, including from Republican Senator Roger Wicker, who said on the Senate floor he would have advised against inviting Xi for "such a lavish welcome" given troubling issues with China. Foreign policy experts worry it makes Xi look strong back home. Meanwhile Iran's president gave his own tough UN speech today, saying Iran "will not bend the knee," echoing Trump's own combative remarks a day earlier about a "big decision" between a deal or "annihilation." And here's the number that actually affects your wallet — the 10-year Treasury yield just hit 5.12%, its highest level since 2007. That directly drives mortgage rates and borrowing costs higher right now. All of it today.

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Remember to call with your money and investing questions 855-295-6600 for the Financial Friday podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102919/episodes/feed

Something a little different today. Instead of our usual format, this episode is a full live broadcast — I filled in today for vacationing host Sam Shane on my old flagship radio station, so what you're hearing is essentially a live talk radio show rather than a tightly produced podcast segment. Expect a longer, looser, more conversational format with listener calls and real-time reactions to the news of the day. If you've ever wondered what the show sounds like in its original live radio form, this is your chance to hear it. Hope you enjoy the change of pace.

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Remember to call with your money and investing questions 855-295-6600 for the Financial Friday podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102919/episodes/feed

After Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, all five major networks — even Fox News — banded together and completely suspended pooled TV coverage of the President in protest. That means no video coverage of his UN General Assembly speech this week, and no cameras when he hosts Xi Jinping at the White House for a state dinner, unless this standoff ends first. CNN, MSNOW, and Politico have already filed a First Amendment lawsuit. Who blinks first — the administration facing an uncovered diplomatic week, or the networks worried about losing access? Meanwhile diesel just hit another record, $6.51 a gallon. And Trump revealed his 250-foot "Triumphal Arch" near the Lincoln Memorial will now double as a military complex with drones, snipers, and ammunition storage — justified as national security, drawing serious legal and safety pushback, including concerns about a drone site sitting directly in Reagan National's flight path. All of it today.

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Remember to call with your money and investing questions 855-295-6600 for the Financial Friday podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102919/episodes/feed

Trump announced Friday he's banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House "effective immediately" over what he calls fake news, warning more outlets could follow. Presidents have always complained about the media and vice versa, but this is different, and it's already headed to court — Schumer compared it to what dictators do, and even the White House isn't clear on whether journalists were actually removed from the grounds. Convenient timing, given both outlets have been reporting on his underwater poll numbers right as midterm voting begins. Meanwhile diesel hit a record $6.45 a gallon and keeps climbing, adding more fuel to the inflation fire the Fed just raised rates to fight. And Apple's iPhone 18 Pro launched today with new CEO John Ternus opening the Fifth Avenue doors himself to overnight campers — same scene, every September. All of it today.

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Remember to call with your money and investing questions 855-295-6600 for the Financial Friday podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102919/episodes/feed

People — including members of Congress actively writing AI regulation — are expressing incredibly confident opinions for or against AI without actually understanding what it is or how it works. That's a real problem when these are the people who might end up writing the rules. We call it out directly today. Meanwhile, Trump said it again — we're close to ending the war with Iran and they really want a deal. He's said versions of this for eight months now. At some point you have to invoke the boy who cried wolf. We ask whether there's any credibility left in these statements. And gas and diesel prices keep climbing regardless of what anyone says about how close we are to peace. All of it today.

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Remember to call with your money and investing questions 855-295-6600 for the Financial Friday podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102919/episodes/feed

The Fed raised interest rates today for the first time since 2023 — a unanimous quarter-point hike to 3.75-4%, directly against Trump's public demands for cuts. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who Trump himself appointed just months ago, said plainly that inflation is the problem, and the Fed doesn't expect it back to target until after 2028. Iran war-driven oil prices and record $6 diesel are the main culprits. Markets already expect another hike in December. We ask — is this the start of a real multi-meeting hiking cycle? Then the AI debate rages on — will it save us or end us? I'm firmly in the camp that it's going to cure diseases and genuinely improve our lives. The doomsayers remind me of the greenhouse gas predictions from years ago that never quite panned out the way we were told they would. All of it today.

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Remember to call with your money and investing questions 855-295-6600 for the Financial Friday podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102919/episodes/feed

The Supreme Court just handed President Trump a 7-2 defeat, ruling that his executive order did NOT give the USPS enough time to implement new mail-in ballot rules before the 2026 midterm elections. We break down the ruling, Justice Kavanaugh's key concurrence on the compressed timeline, the Thomas-Alito dissent, and why Trump says this legal fight is far from over. Plus: FBI Director Kash Patel faced an awkward and heated Senate Judiciary Committee showdown with Senator John Kennedy over the bureau's decision to loosen hiring standards tied to bestiality — a moment that quickly became one of the strangest exchanges of this year's congressional hearings.

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Remember to call with your money and investing questions 855-295-6600 for the Financial Friday podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/show/7102919/episodes/feed