🎧 Intro (00:00:00)Good morning.It’s Sunday, August 17th, and this is The Record🗞️.Today’s show is about diplomacy under pressure, power contours shifting, and the sudden violence that punctures our grip on safety.This isn’t just chaos—this is also the news.And I’m tired of it being filtered through corporate neutrality.So here we go.
📰 Headline 1: Trump backs Putin Donbass deal (00:00:17)What’s happening: Trump publicly endorsed Putin’s proposal that Russia take full control of the Donbass in exchange for a ceasefire and a frozen front line.What to know: If implemented, it would legitimize land seizure without Ukraine’s consent, violating sovereign norms and isolating allies.My take: This isn’t peace—it’s redrawing borders by force while calling it some kind of peace.
📰 Headline 2: Trump–Zelensky meeting (00:00:54)What’s happening: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, August 18, following the recent summit between Trump and Putin.What to know: European leaders—including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—will accompany Zelensky to present a united front amid concerns over potential territorial concessions to Russia.My take: When diplomacy is treated like a real estate deal, the map redraws itself, and the people on the ground are left to redraw their lives.
📰 Headline 3: Brooklyn shooting at Taste of the City Lounge (00:02:21)What’s happening: Early Sunday, multiple shooters opened fire inside the Taste of the City Lounge in Crown Heights, Brooklyn—killing three and wounding eight.What to know: Despite 2025 being a record-low year for gun violence in the city, this tragedy erupted in a normally vibrant public space.My take: Even when gun violence dips, a single eruption can rewrite the feeling of safety overnight.
🧠Gut Check (00:03:26)Borders shift, bullets fly, and alliances tilt.And we’re still here. That’s resistance.I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks for your time. Have a good day.📌 show notes + support
with clarity & no corporate filter— marlena
founder, redefining the record
substack | podcast | daily news@marlenabeautydotcom | @redefiningtherecordRedefining the Record
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