Thursday Afternoon Breaking News Updates With Ben 8/13/2026
Summary
Ben Maccabee discusses Katie Fang’s lawsuit against the DOJ under the Epstein Transparency Act and reports on dire conditions aboard US supercarriers, citing starvation and low morale. He criticizes the Trump administration’s fiscal policies, including massive deficits and waste, while mocking officials like Marco Rubio. The episode also covers Trump’s legal maneuvers, the deletion of beneficial ownership records, and an interview with an Iranian professor regarding geopolitical tensions.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Fanduel, Squarespace, and Grunes
Epstein Transparency Act and military conditions on supercarriers
Hegseth spending, tariff rebates, and corporate greed
Record deficits, interest expenses, and Trump's bankruptcy history
CIA leaks, Trump hiding in catering trucks, and Caroline Levitt
Keto diet withdrawal and food insecurity for Americans
DOJ obstruction, executive privilege, and judge Sullivan
Military blockade, abandoned bases, and comparison to Biden
Sponsors: Perfect Jeans and Wild Grain
Judge's contempt warning and Trump's new golf resort in Korea
Interview with Gov. Pritzker on Trump's fitness to command
NBA players in WNBA draft and NBA tax avoidance in Florida
Police tactics, masks, and community trust
Rubio, Walz, and the deletion of the sex trafficking database
Caroline Levitt resignation and the Midas Touch media ecosystem
Sponsors: NetSuite and Manuka Honey
Interview with Prof. Marandi on life in Tehran and US relations
Trump's negotiation tactics and the BBC lawsuit
Trump's divorce from reality and blame-shifting tactics
Global tensions: Taiwan, Putin, and the Middle East
Sponsors: Mercury, Primally Pure, and Brightside
Sponsor: Splash Sports Survivor contests
Listen ad-free on Castria