podcast
CNN One Thing
You’ve been overwhelmed with headlines all week – what's worth a closer look? One Thing takes you beyond the headlines and helps make sense of what everyone is talking about. Host David Rind talks to experts, reporters on the front lines and the real people impacted by the news about what they've learned – and why it matters. New episodes every Wednesday and Sunday.

TikTok was on the verge of being banned in the US as President Donald Trump took office last year. Now, its US operations are in the hands of new owners after a deal backed by the Trump administration. Since those owners took control, some users on the left claim they’ve been having trouble posting about sensitive topics like ICE or Jeffrey Epstein. So is this a tech hiccup, or a possible sign of political censorship?
For more: The Trump-approved US TikTok is off to a rough start
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Guest: Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Tech Editor
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Photo Credit: Brook Joyner/CNN
Feb 1, 2026
We know the Trump administration is extremely online. But experts have started to notice that some of the memes and videos posted by official government accounts have a distinct far-right flavor that draw disturbing parallels with white supremacist and neo-Nazi propaganda. Is this a mistake? Trolling? Or something darker? We hear from an expert who says white nationalist groups are getting the message that "our guys are in control."
For more: The US government seems to have a clear message for White nationalists
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Guest: Jon Lewis, Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Jan 28, 2026
The White House says President Donald Trump is going to travel the country starting this week, selling his economic accomplishments ahead of the midterms. But after calling affordability a Democrat-led ‘hoax,’ will anyone buy it? We break down three recent Trump administration proposals about housing, health care, and credit cards and examine whether they could actually bring down prices.
For more: Affordability may finally be improving. Trump’s scorched-earth tactics are only part of the reason
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Guest: Tami Luhby, CNN Senior Writer
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Jan 25, 2026
Minneapolis remains on edge two weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good. As the Department of Justice opens criminal investigations into local and state officials and vows to press charges against protesters who disrupted a church service on Sunday, some activists are wondering if it's safe to continue speaking out. We hear from one of them and get an explainer on the legal issues that soon could become relevant in other cities.
For more: Trump officials investigate proteste...Show morers who interrupted Minnesota church service, targeting ICE official
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Guest: Rachel Moran, University of St. Thomas law professor
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Maggie Koerth
Jan 21, 2026
President Trump has not backed down on his threats to take control of Greenland, potentially by military force. Danish officials have also not backed down on their insistence that their territory is not for sale. So where does this go from here? How could things play out if Trump does follow through? And how do Greenlanders feel about being caught in the middle? CNN went to the island to find out.
For more: Worried Greenlanders fear for future as Trump threatens US takeover
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Guest: Nic Robertson, CNN International Diplomatic Editor
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Caroline Paterson & Benjamin Brown
Jan 18, 2026
Tensions in Minneapolis remain high after an ICE agent killed Renee Nicole Good in her car last week. Despite widespread outrage, the Trump administration is sending in hundreds more law enforcement agents to enforce immigration orders. So what does this mean for activists keeping tabs on ICE? And why are federal agents using such aggressive tactics?
For more: New documents shed light on Renee Good’s ties to ICE monitoring efforts in Minneapolis
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Guests: Loretta Capeheart, Héctor Reyes, & Josh Campbell, CNN Senior Correspondent
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Jan 14, 2026
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week in a case that could decide whether states may ban transgender students from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. It comes as President Donald Trump has moved to punish institutions that are inclusive of trans athletes. We break down the legal case and hear from a transgender former college athlete who says this is about way more than a game.
For more: Do transgender women have an athletic advantage? Here’s what the science does – and doesn’t – say
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Guests: Mayumi Berry, former NCAA athlete & John Fritze, CNN Supreme Court Reporter
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Jan 11, 2026
After US forces executed the stunning seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Máduro, President Donald Trump said American companies would work to rebuild Venezuela’s crumbling oil industry. But energy experts say that work will be costly, complicated, and dangerous – if any companies want to do it at all.
For more: Trump said Venezuela stole America’s oil. Here’s what really happened
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Guest: Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America Energy Program at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Jan 7, 2026
Early Saturday morning, US forces struck targets in Caracas and abducted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to face new drugs and weapons charges in New York. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said the US is “going to run” Venezuela in the aftermath of the brazen operation. We break down what this seismic moment could mean for US troops and the people of Venezuela.
For more: Trump’s snatching of Maduro shows a new level of unrestrained global power
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Guests: Mary Triny Mena, freelance journalist & Natasha Bertrand, CNN Correspondent
Host/Producer: David Rind
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Caroline Paterson
Jan 4, 2026
If you binge-watched “The Diplomat” or “Death by Lightning” this year, you’re not alone. These politics-centric dramas have united audiences at a time when real-life politics can feel toxic and fractured. Why is this genre so resilient? And could Washington, DC itself become a new home for Hollywood storytelling? We hear from someone who is banking on it.
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Guest: David Beaubaire, Founder & CEO, Sunset Lane Media
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Liam Reilly
Dec 28, 2025







