UNBIASED - December 18, 2025: Fact-Checking President Trump's End-of-the-Year Address, Congress Passes $901B Defense Authorization Bill, and Ending the Year with GOOD NEWS!!

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

SUBSCRIBE TO JORDAN'S FREE NEWSLETTER. Get the facts, without the spin. UNBIASED offers a clear, impartial recap of US news, including politics, elections, legal news, and more. Hosted by lawyer Jordan Berman, each episode provides a recap of current political events plus breakdowns of complex concepts—like constitutional rights, recent Supreme Court rulings, and new legislation—in an easy-to-understand way. No personal opinions, just the facts you need to stay informed on the daily news that matters. If you miss how journalism used to be, you're in the right place. In today's episode: Trump Signs AI Regulation Executive Order; Here's What It Means and Doesn't Mean (0:18) Trump Designates Fentanyl a "Weapon of Mass Destruction." Here's What That Means and What'll Change (4:58) Congress Sends Defense Authorization Bill to President's Desk; Here's What's In It (9:14) Fact-Checking President Trump's End-of-the-Year Address (~17:53) Quick Hitters: Bongino Steps Down, Hegseth on Strike Video, Government Admits Fault in Mid-Air American Airlines Crash, CDC Adopts New Hep B Vaccine Recommendation, Judge Allows White House Ballroom Construction to Proceed, Inflation Cools, HHS Proposes Revoking Funding for Providing Transition Treatment for Minors, Trump Signs Executive Order Fast-Tracking Marijuana Re-Classification (~35:09) GOOD NEWS to Close Out the Year (~44:08) SUBSCRIBE TO JORDAN'S FREE NEWSLETTER. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Jordan on Instagram and TikTok. All sources for this episode can be found here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to Unbiased, your favorite source of unbiased news and legal analysis. Welcome back to Unbiased Politics. Today is Thursday, December 18th, and this is the last news episode of the year. And we definitely have a lot to talk about. So we're just going to jump right in. We are going to start with this new executive order, or I guess newer executive order on artificial intelligence, which the president signed at the end of last week. Now, the story didn't make it into Monday's episode, but I know quite a few of you have had some questions about it since then, so I do just quickly want to cover it. First and foremost, it is important to keep in mind the purpose and meaning behind executive orders generally. So an executive order is basically a

directive from the president that tells federal agencies how to carry out either existing laws or new policy. It does not create new laws. That is something Congress does, not the president. orders also do not automatically override laws. Executive orders only apply to the executive branch and they simply direct federal officials to do certain things, take certain actions. So when you hear executive order, it's less about changing the law and it's more about telling federal agencies, hey, this is how I want you to operate. At its core, this particular executive order is about who gets to regulate AI. And the administration is saying that AI, regulation should be handled at the national level, not the state level. The White House or

the president is essentially arguing that AI is very fast moving. It affects the entire country and having 50 different sets of rules makes things messy and complicated. Companies that operate nationwide have to follow one set of AI laws in one state, a totally different set in another. And sometimes those rules can conflict with each other. And therefore, the White House says, we need to just have one simple national framework. So this executive order is essentially trying to stop states from going their own direction on AI regulation. Now, this is what the order actually does in practice because remember, executive orders are not creating new laws, right? It's all about directing the various federal agencies. So first and

foremost, this order tells federal agencies to treat AI as something that should be governed by a single national framework rather than a patchwork of state laws. That's the guiding principle behind everything else in the order. It directs the Justice Department specifically to challenge state AI laws in court if the administration believes those laws interfere with federal policy. In other words, if a state passes an AI regulation the federal government doesn't like, this order encourages the DOJ to step in and potentially sue that state. Third, it brings federal funding into the equation. So the order tells agencies to look at whether states that enforce restrictive AI laws should continue receiving certain federal grants. To be clear,

the order does not automatically cut funding for states that regulate AI, but it certainly makes it a possibility. Fourth, it tells federal regulators to use their authority to override conflicting state rules when possible. That's what we call federal preemption. And And it's the idea that when the federal government sets a standard, states cannot then go enforce their own contradictory standards. Federal standards prevail. And then finally, the order asked federal officials, lawmakers specifically, to work on recommendations for actual legislation. And the reason that matters is because executive orders only go so far, right? Congress is the one that can permanently set nationwide rules and laws, not the president. So the order is saying,

hey, lawmakers get to work on drafting actual laws that would implement the policies set forth in this order. Now, what this order does not do is instantly get rid of all state AI laws. States still have their laws on the books. And a lot of states are already saying that they plan to defend those laws. And that, of course, means that courts will likely get involved here. Because there's definitely a debate to be had over how much authority the president has to block state regulations without Congress stepping in and doing so. But the bottom line here is this. The executive order is less about regulating AI itself. It's more about who gets to make the rules, right? It's sort of a power setting move, if you will. It's not necessarily a technical AI move,

but how effective the order actually is will depend on the outcome of the lawsuits that I'm sure we will see, as well as funding decisions and whether Congress decides, to act and create its own legislation. The next executive order we need to break down is this fentanyl order that was signed more recently. It was signed on Monday. In short, it designates fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. Through this order, the administration is essentially trying to reframe how the federal

government treats the crisis around fentanyl. So not just as a public health crisis or a drug trafficking problem, but instead something that rises to the level of a national security threat. And that's why the order uses the language of weapon of mass destruction. The president argues that between fentanyl's deadly impact and the way traffickers operate, make it similar in scale to other national security threats, biological threats, nuclear bombs, chemical weapons, etc. And therefore, fentanyl should be treated the same. in practice, the order basically tells federal agencies to use every tool available to them to confront the threat that is fentanyl. So the attorney general is directed to step up

investigations and prosecutions against people trafficking fentanyl. The state department and the Treasury Department are being told to go after the money and the assets that are tied to these fentanyl networks. The defense department is tasked with looking at whether military resources should be used to assist DOJ enforcement, and Homeland Security is to incorporate this fentanyl threat into its national chemical incident planning as though it were a chemical weapon. So put really simply, the order tells federal agencies to use as many government tools as possible, whether it's legal tools, financial tools, intelligence, military planning, whatever it is, to go after the production, movement, and financing of illegal fentanyl and the chemicals that

are used to make it. Now, a couple of things worth noting here. This order does not rewrite drug laws. It does not stop doctors from prescribing legal fentanyl for pain management. So if someone is in surgery or they're undergoing cancer treatment or they're dealing with severe chronic pain, medical fentanyl is still legal. It's still regulated. It's still used in the same way it was before. similarly hospitals pharmacies pharmaceutical companies they're not suddenly treated like they're handling chemical weapons their rules don't change because of this order and along similar lines everyday people are are not suddenly subject to new criminal charges just because fentanyl is being described in stronger terms criminal laws do not automatically change because of an executive

order so if you're a patient a doctor a pharmacist or someone working in addiction treatment. Your day-to-day reality does not suddenly look different. What the order does do, though, is it gives federal agencies new authority and a new policy framework to coordinate across departments and use tools that normally come with weapon of mass destruction responses against these networks that are producing and trafficking fentanyl and its precursor chemicals. So if you're part of a fentanyl trafficking network, the federal government can now treat your operation more like a national security threat than a traditional drug case. That means instead of only using typical drug enforcement tools, federal agencies can now pull in weapon of mass destruction

style tools. So for example, intelligence analysts who normally track chemical weapons proliferation can now be used to map fentanyl precursor supply chains. Similarly, money tied to fentanyl fentanyl trafficking can now be targeted more aggressively. So if traffickers are using shell companies, crypto wallets, foreign banks, the departments of Treasury and state can bring sanctions and asset freezes into play in ways that usually aren't part of, you know, standard drug cases. So the simplest way to think about this is this. If you're operating legally, you're providing medical care, you're seeking treatment, nothing changes. If you're producing trafficking or financing, illegal fentanyl, the federal government is now coming after you in a much stronger way than it was before.

All right. Let's switch gears to some legislation now. Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act sending it to the president's desk for signature. The bill first passed the House last week in a 312 to 112 vote and then it passed the Senate last night in a 77 to 20 vote. I want to take a few minutes and add some context here because what Congress just passed is different from in appropriations bill, and the distinction trips a lot of people up, especially because a lot of the headlines you're seeing, say something along the lines of Congress passes bill authorizing $900 billion to Defense Department. So that authorization work kind of trips people up, but it's different than actual funding. So we've talked before about how Congress has to pass

12 appropriations bills every year to fund the government. If it cannot do that, that that is when the government either completely or partially shuts down. That's why we just saw a shutdown not too long ago. In this case, though, the NDAA that just passed Congress is an authorization bill. It is not an appropriations bill. And this is the difference. In authorization bill says, hey, Pentagon, this is what you are allowed to do with your money and this is how much we think it'll cost. But an appropriations bill actually provides the funding. So without an appropriations bill, there's no funding to carry out the policies that are in the authorization bill. Even though the authorization bill authorizes, in this case, $901 billion in spending, the defense department doesn't actually have those funds to spend

at this point. Congress now needs to pass an appropriations bill, giving the defense department the legal authority to spend that amount of money. So the NDAA passing is, still a big deal because it provides policy and it gives the Pentagon direction, but it's different than providing the actual funding for the department. The simplest way to think about it is this. The NDAA answers the question, what is the military allowed to do? Whereas appropriations answer the question, do they have the money to do it? And as of today, Congress has only answered the first question. The second question still needs to be answered. So that's some context as to what all of this means and why this matters. But now I want to talk about what's actually in the

NDAA this year. And no, I will not be covering every provision because this bill is more than 3,000 pages long, but I will touch on some of them. So first, it authorized a 3.8% pay raise for service members. It also eliminates DEI offices and training, and it cuts approximately $1.6 billion from climate change-related programs. One example of those programs is the Minerva Research Initiative's Climate and Social Science Studies, which funded research into how global events like climate change impacts and global migration patterns affect national security. It also prohibits the Defense Department from requiring contractors to track or report their greenhouse gas emissions. It bans biological men from women's sports at military academies.

It authorizes $400 million in annual weapons assistance for UK. for the next two fiscal years, and it requires that the U.S. keep its troop levels in Europe at the current levels of 76,000 troops. It also repeals both the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force in Iraq, and it permanently removes sanctions on the Syrian government related to its support of Iraq during the Gulf War. It increases reporting requirements for military strikes and threatens to withhold a quarter of Defense Secretary Hegseth's travel budget until he provides the unedited video of the strikes with the House and Senate committees on armed services. Hegseth also has to provide the orders authorizing the

strikes as well. It authorizes the use of, oh, and just to be clear on that, it's not forcing Hegeseth to release the unedited footage or the orders authorizing the strikes. It's saying that if he doesn't, then part of his travel budget will be withheld. This authorization bill also authorizes the use of military troops along the U.S. Mexico border. It allows for the deployment of a Golden Dome missile defense system. That's the defense system we have heard the president talk about. So like I said, that's definitely not everything that's included in this 3,000 plus page bill, but those are some of the provisions getting the most attention. From here, Congress will have to work towards passing an appropriations bill for the current

fiscal year. Keep in mind that as of now, the Defense Department and many other departments are still under a continuing resolution for their main budget. That is the continuing resolution that Congress passed in November to reopen the government. it runs through January 30th. For most of the Defense Department, the continuing resolution keeps funding locked at fiscal year 2025 levels and comes with what's called a no new start restriction. And put simply, that just means the military can keep doing what it was already doing last

year, but it generally can't start new programs or roll out new initiatives, even if Congress authorized them in this new NDAA. So most of these newly authorized programs and policies that we just talked about can't actually start yet because they won't have the necessary funds to do so, and they're under that no new start restriction until the appropriations bill for the Defense Department is ultimately passed. Now, there's one important exception here. The current funding package does include a full year appropriations bill specifically for military construction and veterans affairs, which means the Defense Department can move forward with new military construction and family housing

projects because that specific funding has already been approved by Congress, but outside of military construction, like I said before, the majority of the Defense Department is still stuck under that continuing resolution and just waiting for Congress to pass full defense appropriations or another funding extension that allows new activity. Let's take our first break here. When we come back, I will fact check the President's National Address and then we'll do some quick hitters. When the weather cools down, Golden Nugget Online Casino turns up the heat.

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Gambling problem, call ConX Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600. 19 and over. Physically present in Ontario. Eligibility restrictions apply. See Golden Nugget Casino.com for details. Please play responsibly. Welcome back. Last night, the president gave his year-end address to the nation.

Let's fact-check some of his claims. 14 claims to be exact. First one, Trump said, quote, when I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years, end quote. It is true that under Biden's administration, inflation hit a 40-plus year peak of 9.1% that was in June of 2022. but when Trump took office in January, inflation was back down to 3%. Specifically, 2.9% in December 2024 and 3% in January 2025.

Those rates are actually pretty similar to the current inflation rates. As we'll talk about in quick hitters, the most recent report for November has the consumer price index at 2.7%. And the report before that had the consumer price index at 3%. Trump said under Biden, borders were open. because of this, our country was invaded by an army of 25 million people, including 11,888 murderers, more than 50 percent of whom killed more than one person. It is true that borders were a lot more open than they are now, but the country was not invaded by 25 million people

during the time Biden was in office. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, the number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States reached an all-time high. high of 14 million in 2023, so it's just not possible for 25 million, quote unquote, invasions to have occurred during Biden's time in office. What is true is that between 2021 and 23, there were a record number of undocumented immigrants entering the United States, roughly 3.5 million people, which is the biggest two-year increase on record. And according to CBP data, 7.4 million undocumented immigrants cross the border illegally, during the entirety of Biden's administration.

So 7.4 million, not 25 million. Now, as for the 11,88 murderers, the DHS previously said that that number included people who entered the country over the last 40-plus years. That is not just, you know, inclusive of recent entrance. And then as for the claim that more than 50% of murderers killed more than one person, unfortunately, I have no idea where that data is coming from or where to even start fact-checking

that. So I can either confirm or deny that. I can't even add context to it. I just don't know where it's coming from. Trump said he was elected in a landslide and won the popular vote in all seven swing states. Trump did win the popular vote in all seven swing states. That is true. He also won the national popular vote. He received 77.3 million votes. Harris received 75 million votes. He said, quote, for the past seven months, zero illegal aliens have been allowed into our country. End quote, this is true. Customs and border protection data shows that zero people have been released into the United States in the last seven consecutive months. Now, keep in mind that allowed in is different than coming in illegally. So it's possible some people have still entered the

United States illegally and have successfully made their way into the United States, while it also being true that CBP has not allowed anyone in. But Trump's statement for the past seven months, zero illegal aliens have been allowed into our country is true. He also said, quote, drugs brought in by ocean and by sea are now down by 94%. And quote, I again, unfortunately, do not have a way to confirm or deny this one. So I just, I can't really add anything to that. I can't tell you whether it's true or false. Next one. I've restored American strength. settled eight wars in 10 months, destroyed the nuclear Iran threat, and ended the war in Gaza, bringing for the first time in 3,000 years, peace to the Middle East, and secured the release

of the hostages, both living and dead. End quote. So we'll take this one little portion at a time. We'll start with the settling eight wars and 10 months claim. Trump made this claim recently too, and he explained his list of, well, he explained what's included in that list of wars. And at least two of the items on that list are not formally considered wars. These include a diplomatic dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia about a dam project on the Nile River and then also a dispute between Serbia and Kosovo. Now, while the dispute between Serbia and Kosovo has been ongoing for decades, Trump said that he prevented an outbreak of hostilities between the two, which is, of course, different than ending a war.

With the dam project, Egypt and Ethiopia have not yet reached a formal deal. The discussions have just kind of come to a halt, according to Egypt's foreign minister. The conflicts and or wars that Trump has helped to end or bring a resolution to include the war between Israel and Hamas, the conflict between Israel and Iran, tensions between Pakistan and India, the conflict between Pakistan and India, the conflict between, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And the reason I say that he has helped to either end or bring a resolution to is because the leaders of those countries have specifically credited him with being the reason that a resolution was come to. So the accurate way to state Trump's claim would be that he helped settle six conflicts, including one war, in 10 months.

Now, as far as bringing peace to the Middle East for the first time in 3,000 years and securing the release of the hostages, both living and dead, the second part of that statement is more true than the first. He obviously secured the release of the hostages, both living and dead. That was done through the most recent ceasefire agreement. However, whether there will be lasting peace between Israel and Hamas remains to be seen. Keep in mind that the ceasefire agreement is only in phase one. They haven't yet agreed to phase two. Also keep in mind that over the course of the last 3,000 years, there have been other periods of no fighting or limited fighting. This wouldn't be the first time in 3,000 years. Moving on, Trump said, quote, under the Biden administration, gasoline rose 30 to 50

percent, and now under our leadership, they're coming down fast. So, on, the day that Biden took office in 2021, the average price for a gallon of gas nationwide was about $2.39. In 2022, that number peaked at $5.2 per gallon. So yes, gas prices more than doubled while Biden was in office. That is true. By the time Biden left office this past January, the national average for a gallon of gas was about $3.10. Today, it's $2.90. So the national average has come down about 20 cents since Trump took office. which is roughly 6.5%. Speaking of gas, Trump said, quote,

gasoline is now under 250 a gallon, and in some states we just hit $199 a gallon. As of Wednesday of this week, there were four states whose average price for a gallon of regular gas was below $250, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, and Colorado. Nine other states had averages slightly above that between $250 and $2.60 a gallon.

That's according to AAA data. The AAA national average was $2.90, and Oklahoma currently has the lowest state average, which is $2.34 a gallon. If we look at federal energy information administration data, the average regular gas price is just one cent less than AAA's average. So it's $2.89. Now, as far as the $1.99 claim, according to Gas Buddy, there are roughly 75 to 100 individual stations across the country that are offering gas for $1.99 a gallon or less. So perhaps that's where Trump is getting that number, but there are no states with a state average of $199 a gallon. Trump also said, quote, the price of a Thanksgiving turkey was down 33% compared to the Biden last

year. The price of eggs is down 82% since March and everything else is falling rapidly. End quote. We'll do the turkey first. This number varies. depending on which data you look at, but the general consensus is that turkey prices were down this year, regardless of which statistic, which, you know, data set you look at, turkey prices were down. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual Thanksgiving dinner survey, the average price of a 16 pound frozen turkey this year was about $21.50, which is roughly 16% lower than last year. Now, they did note that the average price of fresh turkey is still up, but it's the average price of frozen turkey that continues to

decline. According to the Wells Fargo, Agar Foods Institute, the price of a thanks for giving turkey this year was only down 3.7% but that number only accounts for national brands. So again, general consensus is that turkey prices were down. or Thanksgiving turkey prices specifically were down, but not quite 33%. What about eggs? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of a dozen grade A eggs is $2.86 as of the most recent report that came out today. And that's down from an all-time high of $6.23 this past March.

That's a roughly 54% decrease, not 82%. But keep in mind, too, the high of $6.23 was during Trump's administration. The high before that was $4.82, which was during Biden's administration. Trump said, quote, under Biden, real wages plummeted by $3,000. Under Trump, the typical factory worker is seeing a wage increase of $1,300. For construction workers, it's $1,800. For miners, it's $3,300. So there are a lot of different data points that Trump could be referencing here.

It's hard to say exactly what's true and what's false. So for example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks both real average hourly earnings and real average weekly earnings. And those can tell slightly different stories depending on the time frame that you choose. When Biden took office in January 2021, real average hourly wage earnings were $11.43. and real average weekly earnings were $3.98. By January 2025, when Biden left office, real average hourly wage earnings were $11.24. And real average weekly earnings were $383.34.

So if we roughly annualize those weekly earnings just to compare start and end points and not the fluctuations in between, that would suggest real earnings fell by about $860 over the course of Biden's term. A decline, yes, but not quite 3,000. That said, again, I'm not sure what data points Trump is referencing here. The numbers can change depending on which timeframes you look at. As of September of this year, real average hourly wage earnings are back up to $11.31. And real average weekly earnings are $386.63. So slightly higher than when Biden left office, but still not quite back to where they were when Biden took over for Trump after Trump's first term. All this to say, though, that the losses under Biden and gains under Trump are not standard statistics and can't be independently verified without, you know, knowing a clear methodology. Next one, quote, and for the first time in years, wages are rising much faster than inflation.

And quote, wages are outpacing inflation. This is true. As of this week, average wages were increasing at a pace of 3.5% and inflation is currently at 2.7%. Quote, I've secured a record breaking $18 trillion of investment into the United States. And quote, it is not clear where this $18 trillion number is coming from because as of this afternoon, the White House's own website says that the administration has secured $9.6 trillion in total U.S. and foreign investments. The next one, quote, the big beautiful bill includes no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on social security for our great seniors. Under these cuts, many families will be saving between $11,000 and $20,000 a year. And quote, it is true that the big beautiful bill

includes tax deductions related to tips and overtime pay. Those provisions do have limits and caps. The thing about Social Security is that what the one big beautiful bill did is it created an additional temporary $6,000 a year tax deduction for people age 65 and older, as well as a separate smaller deduction for individuals earning more than $75,000 a year. But social security recipients age 65 and older will continue to pay taxes on their social security benefits, which the White House itself has acknowledged. Now, as far as how much money these families are going to save with these deductions, that is heavily dependent on income, on filing status, some other factor. It's just, it's hard to put a number on that. Okay. Last one will fact check is,

this, quote, the yearly cost of a typical new mortgage increased by $15,000 under Democrat rule. In 11 months, we've gotten that annual cost down by $3,000, end quote. This is partially true. It's similar to another claim Trump made recently, which was that mortgage payments rose by $14,600 during Biden's presidency and have fallen more than $2,900 since he took office. according to realtor.com, this claim is pretty accurate, at least when it comes to newly built homes. But the realtor.com analysis also notes that while there have been recent improvements in the in mortgage payments, the claim that Trump is making overlooks the fact that median mortgage payments

remain more than 80% higher today than they were at the end of Trump's first term. Realtor.com's analysis shows that using prices for existing homes, which it says accounts for the vast majority of home sales, annual payments rose $14,600 under Biden's term. But the savings under Trump's current term are really about $540 annually, not $3,000. The company says the surge under Biden was a combined result of skyrocketing home prices and later surging mortgage. rates. Okay, before we jump off to quick hitters, I just want to touch on this bonus for service members that Trump mentioned in his speech last night. So Trump announced that 1.45 million military service members will receive what he called a warrior dividend before Christmas with each

service member receiving $1,776. A senior administration official said in a statement to defense one, that Defense Secretary Hegeseth directed the Pentagon to disperse about $2.6 billion as a one-time supplement tied to the basic allowance for housing for all eligible service members, particularly ranks 06 and below. So what this actually means is that the Defense Department is using funds Congress had already appropriated to supplement housing allowances for service members. money that was included in the one big beautiful bill. And they are now distributing that money as a one-time payment. So while it's being branded as a quote-unquote warrior dividend or a bonus, administratively, it's structured as a housing allowance supplement rather than, you know,

new bonus pay. In total, in total Congress appropriated $2.9 billion for this housing supplement in the one big beautiful bill. And the Pentagon is now distributing a portion of those funds, 2.6 billion, roughly, directly to service members as a one-time payment and calling it a warrior dividend. All right, let's do some quick hitters. We have a few today. Quite a few, actually. FBI director, sorry, FBI deputy director, Dan Bongino announced last night that he will be leaving his position in January. He wrote on X, quote, I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January. I want to thank President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans,

for the privilege to serve you. God bless all and all those who defend her. And quote, Bonino did not give a reason for his departure, although President Trump did say, quote, Dan did a good job. I think he wants to go back to his show. And quote, and then also a source who's reportedly close to the White House that has direct knowledge of the situation, said no one was telling Bongino to leave and that the president likes Bongino, but that with the upcoming midterms, Bonino wants to return to his show being such an important voice in the media. Defense Secretary Hegseth said the Pentagon will not be releasing the strike video to the public. So after he and Secretary of St. Marco Rubio gave senators a classified briefing, Hegseth told reporters,

quote, in keeping with longstanding Department of War policy, Department of Defense policy, of course we're not going to release a top secret full unedited video of that to the general public. And quote, Hegseth did say, though, that lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and those overseeing appropriations will see it, but not the general public. The federal government admitted in court documents that its own failures approximately caused the January mid-air crash between the Army helicopter and American Eagle Flight, 5342. Specifically, the government wrote in its file, and quote, The United States admits that it owed a duty of care to plaintiffs, which it breached,

thereby approximately causing the tragic accident, end quote. The admission came in response to lawsuits filed from the families of those killed in the crash. The government also said, though, that the pilots flying the Black Hawk helicopter and the pilots flying the American Eagle plane failed to maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid other aircraft. The CDC no longer recommends giving all babies a dose of the HEPB vaccine within 24 hours of birth, officially adopting a change recommended by the agency's vaccine advisory panel. The agency now officially advises women who test negative for HEPB to consult their doctors about whether their babies should get their first dose within 24 hours of birth.

And those mothers who do test negative are recommended in consultation with their doctor to delay the initial dose to at least two months of age. The CDC did not change its policy for babies born to mothers who test positive for Hep B or whose status is unknown. Notably, the CDC did not adopt, but is still considering, a separate recommendation from the vaccine advisory panel that parents should consider blood tests for their babies to check for levels of antibodies to decide whether their child needs additional doses of the hepatitis vaccine. And a federal judge rejected a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to halt the construction of the White House ballroom altogether, but did temporarily pause

all below ground construction for the next two weeks. So the judge found that this group failed to meet the bar that is required to stop construction immediately, and that at this stage, there would be no irreparable harm if construction were to continue. The judge also required the administration to submit formal construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission by the end of this year, and there will be another hearing in January to determine whether the court will impose additional restrictions on the construction. The Labor Department reported today that the consumer price index was up 2.7% in November compared to a year earlier, which suggests inflation has continued to cool. This report was especially anticipated because the recent shutdown

actually prevented the labor department from compiling numbers for October. So the last report showed consumer prices had risen 3% in September from a year earlier, but we did not have October numbers. Now, I always like to add a little context around the CPI. I think all of these numbers can be confusing. The consumer price index measures how prices paid by consumers change over time. It's one of the most popular measures of inflation. It's based on a representative quote unquote basket of goods and services, essentially looking at how much that basket costs the U.S. consumer now compared to a year ago. And the Fed tries to hit a target inflation rate of 2% over time. So with the last report showing a 3% rise,

and this report showing a 2.7% rise, it suggests that, yes, prices are still rising, but at a slower pace, which is generally considered movement in the right direction. The HHS said today that the federal government will block hospitals and doctors from providing gender transition treatment to children by way of revoking federal funding. At an event this morning, CMS administrator, Dr. Oz, said the proposed rules would prohibit hospitals from participating in Medicare and Medicaid, if they provide care such as puberty blockers and surgeries for transgender minors. The NIH director also said the agency will end support for research into gender transition. So basically, if this proposal is finalized, hospitals and doctors who provide transition-related care to minors would no longer be eligible for any type of federal funding. And President Trump signed a new executive order today, which will fast track the reclassification of marijuana. I want to be clear that this order does not legalize marijuana.

What it does do is directs Attorney General Bondi to finalize the formal rescheduling process, which has been going on for more than a year at this point, and publish a final rule that would reclassify marijuana. Officially changing the classification to Schedule 3 would basically ease regulatory hurdles. It would remove barriers for research or to research. and it would allow the FDA to study medical applications for marijuana. So that is what reclassification would do. It would not legalize marijuana.

Let's take our second and final break here. When we come back, we will finish this episode and the year with some good news. And trust me, you do not want to miss this final segment. You will walk away with a smile on your face. There are so many happy stories to share. As I was going through these, I was tearing up. So please stay tuned. And when I come back, we'll share some good news.

When you're flying Emirates business class, dining on a world class menu at 40,000 feet, you'll see that your vacation isn't really over until your flight is over. Fly Emirates, fly better. Welcome back. All right, let's share some good news. These stories are so amazing. It was so hard to choose only a handful. So if yours didn't make it in here, I'm so sorry.

But we would be here all day if I included them. This episode would be hours long. I do want to note that all of these submissions came from all of you, and I think that makes it even more special because while I do like to just talk about general good news every once in a while, you know, happening in the country or around the world, I think that when these stories come from this community, it just, it makes it so much more impactful. So this first one is from someone named Tim. Tim writes, firstly, I want to begin by thanking you for your podcast. I live in a deeply divided political and religious family, and your content has been a guiding force for me, as I

navigate these complex relationships in my life. I wish more people would approach these topics through an unbiased lens and hopefully through platforms like yours, they slowly will. I wanted to share the good news that next week, I will be donating my stem cells through NMDP, the National Mero Donor Program. When my mom was going through cancer during my high school years, I felt completely lost with everything feeling outside of my control. Instead of letting the fear take over, though, I decided to put my information into the stem cell donor database to feel as if I was doing something since I couldn't directly help my mom. My mom is now 10 years cancer-free, and recently I was contacted by NMDP and told that after all of these years, I finally matched with someone

and had the opportunity to help cure his cancer. My mom and I will be traveling together to the donation site right before Christmas where I will complete the donation and hopefully put an end to a scary chapter in someone else's life that I'm all too familiar with. During the holidays, there is so much to celebrate and be grateful for. No matter our differences, everyone deserves a chance to live a happy, healthy life. And in the end, we are all human beings who deserve kindness, love, and respect. Once again, thank you for all you do, Jordan. Keep up the incredible work. Happy holidays. Ooh, I am. That one, that one, that one got me. That one got me when I read it initially, and that one got me again as I was reading it to you. Okay, next one. Alicia.

Hi, Jordan. I love your podcast. I'm a religious listener every Tuesday and Friday on my commute to and from work. I love the way you present the news and the way you explain the legalities behind certain topics that would otherwise remain muddled in my mind. I hear you are looking for good news to share and I have some for you. I've been with my husband for 13 years now. When he was an infant, he was born with several urological abnormalities that resulted in chronic reflux, infection, and damage to his kidneys. He underwent surgical repair at 10 months old and again at 12 months old to save what remaining kidney he had. At 36 years old, however, that remaining kidney function had been expended and he spent all of last year on dialysis. July of this year,

my best friend stepped up and donated a kidney to my husband. I'm happy to report both men are doing well. My husband has the energy back that he has not had in over a decade with his newly found kidney function. My best friend is now saying that he feels back to normal, just needs to remember to drink a little bit more water. I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season. God bless. This next one is from M. Hi Jordan. I wanted to share some good news that's been bringing me a lot of joy lately. I've run a small tie-dye business called Riverstone dye company. And my mission is to bring more color, joy, joy, and personality into everyday life through one-of-a-kind hand-died pieces. Recently, I really, recently I decided to really invest in

myself and my business by purchasing a course to strengthen the fundamentals of how I run it, something that felt both exciting and a little scary. Just a few days later, I officially launched my website and the amount of love, support, and encouragement I received from my friends, family, and even people I didn't know was incredibly meaningful. It reminded me how powerful it can be to take a chance on yourself and to share something creative with the world. In a time when so much of the news feels heavy, this experience felt like a bright spot worth celebrating. Thanks so much for creating space for good news and for all that you do on the podcast. Best wishes. This next one is from Michelle. Hi, Jordan. I so enjoy your podcast and the way it pushes me to think critically and

independently. My good news to share is that on December 1st, I celebrated 12 years of sobriety. I got sober when I was 27 years old. I was in a very dark place and didn't know how to get out of it. I was full of shame, guilt, and despair. But 12 years ago, I was guided to ask for help and to go and go to a 12-step program. Today, I have a design for living life on life's terms. Today, I am happy, joyous, and free. Thank you for all of your hard work, Jordan. Hi, Jordan. I wanted to share some good news for context. I teach a variety of history and government classes, including an elective class that is only offered during, oh, this one is from someone named Mike, by the way, including an elective class that is only offered during election years that aims to teach juniors and seniors how to navigate

the political landscape and news, learn about candidates and the electoral process, general civics, and most importantly, how to have healthy conversations about tough topics with people you disagree with. I'm often asked by students how to figure out what sources of media to trust, and your podcast is one that I always recommend. My students aren't always keen on podcast, but one senior in particular took my advice and now never misses an episode. She consistently brings up stories of yours in conversation, sharing her thoughts on the topics, and what she was able to learn through your research. This last fall, she shared with me that she even mentioned your podcast in her application essays for college. I wanted to share this as good news because she

is a great reminder that the youth vote is engaged in the political process and excited to do the extra work to understand alternate views. Huge shout out to my student, Claire. Thanks so much for all you do to help everyone learn more about how the government, media, and political system operate. Emily Ann writes, Hi, Jordan. I enjoy listening to your podcast every week and I always mention it to my friends. I compete in pageants for fun and I use your podcast to help me prepare for the onstage political question. Here's my positive story. After waiting a long time for the film industry to recover from the pandemic and the strikes, I finally landed my dream job. Things still aren't completely back to normal, but I'm so grateful

to be doing work I love with people I genuinely enjoy working with. It's been a long road and I'm really happy and thankful to be here again. Jessica writes, hi Jordan, love your podcast. It's one of my favorite resources and I tell people about it all the time. It's so helpful to have an unbiased and rational perspective. The good news story I wanted to share with you is about my brother John. John is almost 30 years old and has Down syndrome. This year, he accomplished two huge milestones. First, he graduated from a special needs accreditation program. It was so amazing to see all he's accomplished with the program. Second, John, with the help of me, and another one of our siblings, was able to start a small coffee business serving coffee and

lemonade drinks to summer camps in our area. John loves coffee and he has been so excited to be at the forefront of Java John's coffee. We have been so blessed by the love and encouragement our customers gave to John and our small business. If you want more info, feel free to reach out. John has an Instagram account that we help him run at Java underscore Johns, spelled J-O-N-S. if you would like to see any pictures of John from this summer. Thanks for all you do. Havana writes, Hi, Jordan.

This week I obtained my master's of public health in epidemiology, and I decided to go into the field of public health for the sole purpose of making it a more diverse and moderate field. I don't always agree with the majority of my classmates, but listening to your podcast has really helped me understand their viewpoints. During my journey, I have held down three jobs. I have two toddlers, and life was always throwing something at me. I'm so happy to have accomplished this. Thank you. Happy holidays. Dawn writes, my sister and I just

got back from a tropical vacation together. She and I have very different political views and are very different, but we had a very relaxing and enjoyable vacation together, and I was able to support her through a significant life change. I'm so thankful we have the relationship we have. Thank you for sharing these good news clips. Love your show. Pamela writes, five years ago, I had no choice but to move my 90-year-old mom to a facility because her dementia had become a safety issue. As I was going through her things, I found a tote of her crafting items, yarn, felt, knitting needles, etc. I gave this tote to my daughter's mother-in-law because I knew she would make good use of everything. She quickly utilized the yarn to knit hats for children in need at the local elementary school. I would often tell this to my

mom and it would warm her heart. My mother was also an excellent crafter in her day and I made sure she had one of her homemade quilts in her possession when she moved to a nursing facility. This quilt had butterflies made from fabric that she had hand stitched into squares. Even in her moments of confusion, that quilt brought her much comfort. Fast forward to 2025, my mom passed away this year, and her quilt has been amongst the missing, which is a common occurrence in nursing home life. This week, my daughter's mother-in-law presented me with the most beautiful keepsake. She found some leftover butterfly squares that my mom had stashed in her craft tote many years ago. She took those squares with my mom's hand stitching and transformed them into a beautiful,

quilted wall hanging. For this woman to take the time to not only knit hats for local children in need, but also turn one of my mom's projects into art has been a wonderful reminder that there are still good-hearted people in this world. Amber writes, the day after Thanksgiving, my husband and I took our two-year-old out to breakfast with my sister-in-law and her two kids. While we were waiting for our food, one of the younger ones, I can't even remember now if it was my daughter or my niece,

started crying, which caused the other to start crying as well. Milk got spilled, more crying started, and it became very chaotic. I felt very bad for the other people dining and did what I could to calm the chaos. I took my daughter outside until she could calm down. After a while, we came back in and ate our meal. When we finished and went to pay, our waitress said that our group's tab was taken care of by another person dining at the restaurant. I don't know who paid, but if whoever it was listens to this podcast and paid for a group with chaotic toddlers in 29 Palms, California, you made the jaws of three adults drop, and we really appreciate you.

Russ writes, I was in a bike accident on Thanksgiving and broke both elbows and wrists, completely shattering one of my wrists. With six kids, me being unable to use either hand for weeks, and an expensive and unexpected surgery bill, my wife and I worried about how to have any money. money for Christmas, for the surgery bill, and everything else in our busy chaotic life, especially at this time of year. Without asking, my boss raised $400 for our family. Someone from our church dropped off gift cards totaling several hundred dollars, and friends brought over meals to last us for a couple of weeks, feeling speechously grateful for the goodwill we found in what was otherwise an overwhelming, confusing, and extremely chaotic moment. Okay, now we're going to kind of switch gears to some shorter news yet just as positive.

Kaylin just got cleared by the FAA to fly and will be pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot and starting flight school in the new year. Rebecca's toddler put her shoes and socks on all by herself for the first time without being asked. Aubrey just paid off all of her student loans. Lindsay made it to the third trimester with a perfect baby boy after struggling with infertility and loss. Abigail passed all of her classes. Ada won a huge NOAA grant. this year to continue her Ph.D. work. Ashton is starting IVF next week in hopes of having a little one in her arms by next Christmas. Brenna and her husband are closing on their first home this week.

Next week, sorry. Sydney just celebrated three years of marriage with her husband. And Kat's dental office, Lahaina Smiles Dental, just opened for the first time post-Lahina Fire in 2023. Guys, I appreciate you so much. I mean, I don't know if you could tell as I was reading those, but my voice was cracking the entire time. I'm just so happy for all of you. Thank you for sharing your stories with me. Thank you for tuning into the show whenever you find free moments in your day. I know that we're all so busy and we all have so much going on all the time. But the fact that you choose to spend your time tuning into the show means the world to me. It means more than I think I'll ever adequately be able to express. And I have some pretty exciting things happening in

2026 that I'm very excited to share with you very soon. But in the meantime, I just want to say that I hope the end of the year is good to you. I hope that 2026 is happy and prosperous and positive. And again, I just, I really, I can't thank you enough for being here. I can't say it enough. Enjoy these next couple of weeks and I will talk to you soon. Unless of course you're tuning in tomorrow to the final peace talks episode, then I'll talk to you very soon.