The Christmas break is barely a memory, Venezuela is threatening to become “the Greenland situation”, and Trump has kicked off January by delivering one of the most jaw-droppingly stupid geopolitical statements we’ve ever heard.

Before Jemma and Marina get swept up in the next global meltdown, this episode rakes back over everything you might’ve missed while eating leftovers and avoiding your relatives. From Trump’s extraordinary reframing of Russia’s war on Ukraine, to the optics, silences and outright gaslighting surrounding Zelensky, Putin and the world’s most fragile truth.

They also wade into the Epstein files and why their release got so dark over Christmas, why the redactions raised serious questions, and what has (and hasn’t) actually been established so far. They discuss Trump’s midterm panic, the legal cases that never made it to trial, and how power keeps slipping out of reach of accountability.

But because life can’t be wall-to-wall bleak, the Trawl ladies also bring some positive receipts: real wins, real progress, and reasons not to spiral before January’s even finished. Plus Peruvian shamans, underrated tweets of the week, and a genuinely lovely poetic pudding to send you on your way.

This episode is sponsored by AG1 - the daily foundational nutrition support drink which helps you combat the winter season both mentally and physically. For a limited time, get a limited edition AG one Green Steel Tumblr plus five travel packs, and a welcome kit to get you started.

That's all worth £80, but it's free when you sign up for a monthly subscription at drinkag1.com/thetrawl

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:

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Plus, there’s a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.

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