🎧 intro Good morning. It’s Saturday, September 20th, and this is the record🗞️.Today’s show is about censorship, control, and who decides what freedom really means.From the Pentagon rewriting press rules, to conservatives demanding speech crackdowns after the assassination of a high-profile right-wing figure, to Trump weaponizing visas against tech workers and students—this isn’t chaos. This is the news.And I’m tired of it being filtered through corporate neutrality and media just buckling that up and putting it right out.
So here we go.
🗞️ 1: Pentagon imposes sweeping press restrictions (00:00:36)What’s happening: Journalists covering the Pentagon must now sign agreements giving the Defense Department veto power over classified and even some unclassified reporting.What to know: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defends the rule as “security,” but press advocates call it an unprecedented assault on transparency. It comes as media access has already been shrinking—especially since the assassination of a high-profile conservative figure.My take: If the Pentagon gets to decide what the public can know, we don’t have a free press—we have state media. And side note: are reporters now required to report directly to the Department of War? Because last I checked, it was called the Department of Defense—but I digress.🗞️ 2: Conservatives push censorship after Kirk assassination (00:01:42)What’s happening: After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, some conservatives are demanding firings and even prosecutions of his critics—moves critics compare to “cancel culture.”What to know: While figures like Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, and Ted Cruz warn FCC threats and speech crackdowns could betray Kirk’s free-speech legacy, others are fueling the push for punishment.My take: You can’t defend free speech while demanding punishment for speech you don’t like. That’s not cancel culture—it’s censorship. And it’s dangerous.
🗞️ 3: Investigators find no left-wing ties in Charlie Kirk assassination (00:02:31)What’s happening: Federal investigators say the accused shooter had no links to left-wing groups—despite Trump’s push to blame them.What to know: The suspect faces aggravated murder charges at the state level, with prosecutors pursuing the death penalty. But the administration continues using Charlie Kirk’s assassination to justify targeting political opponents.My take: Facts don’t matter to an administration built on fear. Scapegoating is the point.
🗞️ 4: Trump targets immigrants and students with new orders (00:03:49)What’s happening: Trump signed a proclamation slapping a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas—jeopardizing the tech industry’s reliance on talent from India and China. At the same time, his administration revoked visas for Palestinian students accepted to U.S. universities, stranding them abroad.What to know: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick insists “big companies” are on board, but immigration experts argue the executive branch has no authority for this kind of fee. And Palestinian students are caught in the crossfire of political theater.My take: This isn’t about jobs or law. It’s about cruelty, control, and closing the door on the very people who make this country stronger.🧠gut check (00:05:01)When the government controls what you can read, who can speak, and who gets to enter, it’s not about safety—it’s about power. The question is: do we fight back before it’s too late, or do we get used to the silence?💡 funding & community notes (05:05:55)
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🎧 closing (00:12:10–00:13:00)
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Thanks for listening. I’ll see you tomorrow—get loud, stay loud.With clarity & no corporate filter,— MarlenaFounder, Redefining the Recordsubstack | podcast | daily news@marlenabeautydotcom | @redefiningtherecordSubstack: Redefining the Record
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