Here's the Scoop

Up first: The Federal Reserve is closing out 2025 with a quarter-point rate cut — its third this year. And investors were glued to this one. Policymakers headed into today’s meeting unusually divided: focus on a softening job market, or keep the inflation pressure? Adding to the drama, the Fed has been operating in a partial data blackout due to the lingering fallout from the federal shutdown. NBC News managing editor for business and the economy Mike Calia joins host Yasmin Vossoughian to break down what today’s move signals for the economy heading into 2026. And foreign visitors to the U.S. may soon have to share five years of social media history under a new Trump administration proposal. Customs and Border Protection wants all international travelers, even visa-exempt ones, to submit their accounts before entering the country. NBC News’ senior homeland security correspondent Julia Ainsley joins the pod to discuss what’s driving the move and the privacy concerns piling up.

Up first, the Trump economy. President Trump is back on the road today, heading to Pennsylvania for what the White House is calling a “campaign-style economic event.” He’s expected to tout his record, sell his vision and make the case that his policies are fueling a stronger economy. NBC News senior White House correspondent Garrett Haake, who is traveling with the president, joins host Yasmin Vossoughian to break it down. And in an NBC News exclusive, a yearlong investigation into one of the world’s largest Pentecostal denominations uncovered allegations of sexual abuse inside the Assemblies of God. Reporters focused on its signature youth program, the Royal Rangers, which is a Boy Scouts–style rite of passage built around camping trips, outdoor skills and Scripture. Dozens of former program leaders have been accused of abusing boys in their care, and, despite mounting claims, church leadership has resisted reforms that survivors say are urgently needed. Mike Hixenbaugh, senior investigative reporter on the NBC News Enterprise team, joins the pod.

It’s a significant test of presidential power at the Supreme Court. Today, the justices are weighing whether President Donald Trump can fire a member of the Federal Trade Commission, an agency Congress intentionally shielded from political influence to protect its consumer-protection and antitrust mission. The case comes as Trump’s administration moves to dramatically reshape the federal workforce, slashing agencies and removing thousands of career employees. Now, the court must decide just how far presidential authority can reach. NBC News senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett joins host Yasmin Vossoughian to explain. And Paramount Skydance just launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, dropping a stunning $108 billion offer for the entire company. It’s a move that could reshape Hollywood overnight and ignite a new era of media mega-mergers. So, what exactly is going on here? And why now? NBC News senior reporter Daniel Arkin joins the pod to break it all down.

It’s a Hollywood shake-up for the ages. Netflix’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is officially a go. The streamer is spending $82.7 billion to acquire Warner Bros.’ massive movie, TV and streaming portfolio, one of the largest entertainment mergers in modern history. The deal pairs Netflix’s disruptor DNA with a 102-year-old Hollywood heavyweight, blazing a trail for how a streaming pioneer blends with a legacy studio. Mike Calia, the managing editor for business and the economy at NBC News, joins host Yasmin Vossoughian to break down what this blockbuster deal means for the future of entertainment. Plus: It’s the day soccer fans have been waiting for nearly four years. It’s the FIFA World Cup draw. It’s the largest tournament in competition history, with 48 teams now competing to hoist that golden trophy. Where did your country place? What are the potential upsets? Is there a ‘Group of Death’? Oh, and what is the draw anyway? The host of the Men in Blazers podcast, Roger Bennett, joins the podcast.

Federal immigration officers are conducting raids across Minnesota’s Twin Cities, home to one of the nation’s largest Somali communities, just days after President Trump verbally attacked immigrants from the country in eastern Africa. The administration has said the ICE raids aren’t targeting Somalis, but community members tell NBC News it sure feels that way. NBC News senior homeland security correspondent Julia Ainsley joins host Yasmin Vossoughian to break down what’s happening on the ground. Plus, in an exclusive interview, Vice President JD Vance discussed with NBC News senior national politics reporter Henry Gomez his frustration with the stalled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the speculation about his family life and his political future. Henry joins the pod to tell us what he learned.