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.

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
---
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
---
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
---
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
---
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.
---
Guest: David Beaubaire, Founder & CEO, Sunset Lane Media
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Liam Reilly
Dec 28, 2025
President Donald Trump’s second term has been norm-busting and extraordinarily consequential, but cracks are starting to form in Trump’s base. As 2025 comes to a close, we take stock of whether his political pull is reaching its limit and how discontent with his policies could shape the midterms.
For more: Americans have a new thing to worry about: A stuck job market with no quick fix
---
Guest: Aaron Blake, CNN Senior Reporter
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Dec 21, 2025
The killing of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner has shocked Hollywood and movie fans alike. What made his films timeless? And what does his political activism say about our current moment? We hear why his first major role provided the blueprint for the rest of his career – and his life.
For more: Trump’s reaction to Reiner’s murder is indefensible — but America has been here before
---
Guest: Alan Sepinwall, TV critic, “What’s Alan Watching”
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Dec 17, 2025
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that blocks states from enforcing their own regulations around artificial intelligence, arguing that a “single national framework” will help boost innovation. However, some GOP-controlled state legislatures are pushing back, arguing it infringes on states' rights. We explore what’s driving this wedge and how it could impact the 2026 midterms.
For more: Pro-AI super PAC launches first candidate ads
---
Guests: Utah state Sen. Heidi Balderree (R) & Hadas Gold, CNN AI Correspondent
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Dec 14, 2025
Netflix has a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s (CNN’s parent company) Hollywood assets. Paramount thinks they have a better offer for the entire business and is hoping to have President Donald Trump in its corner as it launches a hostile takeover bid. But what does this corporate clash mean for your streaming bill? Or your local movie theater? We hear from an antitrust lawyer who believes that no matter who wins, the average consumer is set to lose.
For more: Battle of the Davids: The futu...Show morere of Hollywood is playing out before our eyes
---
Guest: Alvaro Bedoya, former FTC commissioner
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: David Goodman
Dec 10, 2025
Green card holders. Refugees. Asylum seekers. Even naturalized citizens. Fear and confusion are gripping immigrants of all stripes across the country as President Donald Trump expands his restrictions on legal immigration in the wake of the National Guard shooting in Washington, DC. Is this about public safety, or something else? And could Trump’s xenophobic “garbage” comments about Somalis encourage more hateful rhetoric? We hear why the recent moves could jam up a system that’s already plenty ...Show moreclogged.
For more: How Trump is intensifying his crackdown on every form of immigration to the US
---
Guests: Elissa J. Taub, immigration lawyer & Priscilla Alvarez, CNN Correspondent
Host: David Rind
Producer: Paola Ortiz
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Rob Kuznia
Episode art: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/AFP/Getty Images
Dec 7, 2025


