Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. It’s Wednesday, September 24th. My name is Marlena, and this is The Record🗞️.Today’s show is about the fight for speech, truth, and survival. From late-night comedy turned political battlefield, to Congress moving closer to exposing Epstein’s secrets, to anonymous art that shatters White House denials, and the collapse of Gaza’s last hospitals—this is the news they’d rather you look away from.So let’s not.
🗞️ 1: Jimmy Kimmel returns after suspension (00:00:27)What’s happening: Kimmel came back to his show after weeks of suspension, clarifying he never meant to make light of Charlie Kirk’s murder. He blasted ABC and Trump for silencing him, praised Erika Kirk’s forgiveness, and framed the ordeal as a free speech fight. Celebrities, fellow hosts, and even political opponents rallied behind him, while Sinclair and Nexstar continue to block his show. Trump is now threatening to sue ABC.What to know: Kimmel didn’t hold back—mocking Trump, FCC Chair Brendan Carr, and even joking Trump might “release the Epstein files” to distract.My take: This is bigger than late-night TV. When a president openly pressures networks to fire comedians, it’s about silencing dissent and chilling political humor. If satire isn’t safe, nothing is.
🗞️ 2: Arizona special election flips a House seat (00:1:26)What’s happening: Democrat Adelita Grijalva is set to win Arizona’s special election. Her seat gives the House discharge petition—pushed by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna—the critical 218th signature needed to force a vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein case files.What to know: Once she’s sworn in and procedural days pass, the House could vote by mid-October. But discharge petitions are rare and fragile—leadership often finds ways to stall or kill them.My take: It shouldn’t take procedural loopholes to access evidence of systemic abuse. Survivors deserve transparency, and Congress shouldn’t need a magic number just to face the truth.
🗞️ 3: Trump–Epstein statue shocks D.C. (00:02:21)What’s happening: A 12-foot statue of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands appeared on the National Mall, installed by an anonymous art group calling itself The Secret Handshake. The statue, tied to “Friendship Month,” came with plaques quoting a bawdy birthday letter, igniting outrage and renewed calls for transparency around Trump–Epstein ties.What to know: Survivors, lawmakers, and the White House all responded—some furious, some demanding DOJ release more files.My take: Art is resistance. Sometimes it takes guerrilla art to force a conversation mainstream media won’t touch. The fact this shook the White House proves it hit a nerve.
🗞️ 4: Gaza’s last hospitals at breaking point (00:03:22)What’s happening: Gaza’s final functioning hospitals and field clinics are overwhelmed—treating wounded children in corridors, running low on fuel, oxygen, and basic supplies. Roughly 320,000 people have fled Gaza City under Israel’s offensive, but aid deliveries remain tightly restricted. Doctors are calling it a “tsunami” of wounded.What to know: Clinicians say the system is days away from total collapse. With no safe zones and no functioning health care, it’s mass suffering with no way out.My take: You can’t bomb people into safety. And when the last hospitals fall, it’s not collateral—it’s deliberate cruelty, written into policy. History will remember who turned away.
🧠gut check Every headline today asks the same question: who controls the truth? Whether it’s a comedian censored, files withheld, survivors dismissed, or doctors pleading for humanity—the answer circles back to power. And that’s why we keep telling it.
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Thanks for listening. Talk soon—see you tomorrow.
With clarity & no corporate filter,— MarlenaFounder, Redefining the Recordsubstack | podcast | daily news@marlenabeautydotcom | @redefiningtherecordSubstack: Redefining the Record
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