Description

Good morning. It’s Monday, September 8th, my name is Marlena and this is The Record🗞️.

Today’s show is about denial, deflection, and democracy on the edge.

From Trump backtracking on Epstein claims, Florida rejecting science for ideology, and federal raids escalating in sanctuary cities—to protests in Nepal where Gen Z is literally risking their lives to fight censorship.

This isn’t chaos. This is the news. And I’m tired of it being filtered through corporate neutrality.

So here we go.

📰 headline rundown

🗞️ 1: Johnson backs off Trump-Epstein informant claim (00:00:35)

What’s happening: House Speaker Mike Johnson is now walking back his explosive statement that Donald Trump was an FBI informant in the Jeffrey Epstein case. Trump called the push for more file releases a “Democrat hoax that never ends,” pointing instead to his decision to ban Epstein from Mar-a-Lago.What to know: The bipartisan pressure to release Epstein files is intensifying. Survivors and lawmakers say the public deserves the truth.My take: Gaslighting 101—say it, deny it, then pivot to spin. But the facts are locked in files the public still can’t see.

🗞️ 2: Florida’s top doctor admits no vaccine data (00:01:41)

What’s happening: Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo told CNN’s Jake Tapper that his office conducted no data analysis before ending vaccine mandates. His reasoning? It was about “right and wrong,” not science.What to know: Florida remains one of the lowest-ranked states in vaccination coverage, and public health experts say the move was reckless and politically motivated.My take: This isn’t medicine. It’s ideology dressed up as healthcare. And people’s lives are the collateral.

🗞️ 3: Immigration raids expand to sanctuary cities (00:03:45)

What’s happening: Following the Hyundai plant sweep in Georgia, the Trump administration confirmed new immigration raids targeting sanctuary cities like Chicago, with “Patriot 2.0” raids in Massachusetts. Trump is also weighing deploying the National Guard.What to know: Protests, legal challenges, and even canceled cultural events show the climate of fear these raids create.My take: When the state decides who “belongs” and sends troops into cities, that’s not law enforcement—it’s occupation.

🗞️ 4: Gen Z uprising in Nepal over social media ban (00:04:44)

What’s happening: At least 19 people have been killed in Nepal after police cracked down on Gen Z-led protests against a government ban on TikTok and other social platforms.What to know: Protesters say the ban is censorship disguised as “protecting social harmony.” The internet is their political lifeline, and they’re being met with bullets.My take: This is what media control looks like when it escalates—young people silenced, jailed, or killed for daring to speak. Don’t think it can’t happen here.

🧠 gut checkThe through-line today? Control. Who gets to decide what truth we see, what science we believe, whose bodies are protected, and whose voices are erased. The fight isn’t abstract—it’s daily. It’s survival.

💡 funding & community notes

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🎧 closing (00:12:10–00:13:30)

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Thanks for listening. Talk soon, see you tomorrow.

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