10 Minute Drill — Episode Summary

Host: Matt Whitlock
Date: September 9, 2025
Episode Theme:
A rapid-fire rundown of major news and political topics, focusing on a high-profile stabbing in North Carolina and the broader national crime conversation, as well as stories covering the auto pen commutation controversy, the New York mayoral race with Zoran Mamdani, rising utility bills, Senate confirmations, and Supreme Court coverage disparities.

Main Story: North Carolina Stabbing and America’s Crime Crisis

• [00:38] Matt details the tragic murder of Irina Zarudska, a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, NC, who was stabbed to death by Decarlos Brown, described as a “14 time arrested career criminal.”
  • "While this event shocked social media users, traditional media was slow to pick up and report on this." — Matt [01:11]
• Media Coverage & Politics: Whitlock highlights the media’s sluggish response, with AP ignoring the case and Wikipedia editors allegedly trying to suppress the story.
• Crime Perception: 81% of Americans reportedly believe crime is a major problem in big cities. President Trump is using incidents like this to argue for deploying the National Guard, while Democrats downplay the issue.
• Political Framing:
  • "People don't feel safe in big American cities, whether it be Charlotte, whether it be Chicago, or whether it be Washington, D.C." — Matt [02:04]

Presidential Auto Pen & Commutation Controversy

• [02:16] Matt discusses new reporting from Axios on President Biden’s use of the auto pen to grant 2,490 commutations in one day — a record.
  • Biden claimed these were for nonviolent drug offenders, but there were warnings that violent criminals were included.
  • "Unfortunately, and despite repeated requests and warnings, we were not afforded a reasonable opportunity to vet and provide input..." — Biden legal team via Matt [02:44]
• Example Highlighted: A man convicted of murder was among those released.
  • "In an effort to set a record for the largest number of pardons... President Biden accidentally let out some violent murderers." — Matt [03:03]
• Broader narrative: Whitlock frames this as emblematic of "soft-on-crime" Democratic policies and governance failures.

New York Mayoral Race: Zoran Mamdani in the Spotlight

• [03:51] Segment shifts to the New York mayoral race. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, faced pointed questions in recent interviews.
• Public Ownership & Policy Push:
  • "You'll see there that Mamdani is arguing with CNN that government can run grocery stores. And when CNN is pushing back... you know that it's pretty far to the left." — Matt [04:19]
• Tax and Spending Platform:
  • [04:41] Mamdani on MSNBC:
    "My vision is not one where they leave. It is one where they stay." — Zoran Mamdani [04:41]
    "In part by showing them that asking them to pay more in taxes would increase even their quality of life." — Zoran Mamdani [04:46]
• Host’s Critique:
  • Whitlock questions the plausibility of campaigning to raise taxes and cut police funding, noting Mamdani wants to use public money for transgender surgeries for minors.
  • "So again, it's a very, very tough sell to the taxpayers of New York..." — Matt [04:51]

Electric Bills, Climate Policy, and Partisan Blame

• [05:05] Coverage of Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s claim that Trump and Republicans are causing rising electricity bills.
  • "Sheldon Whitehouse thinks you're stupid. Right now In America, about 80% of our electricity comes from sources like natural gas, coal and nuclear..." — Matt [05:16]
• Energy Transition Argument:
  • Democrats, according to Whitlock, have worked to shutter traditional energy sources in favor of renewables, which constitute about 20% of supply and are costlier.
  • Visual joke reference: "the classic meme of man shoots a person labeled cheap, reliable energy and then says, how could Republicans do this?" [05:53]
• Climate Science Debate:
  • Referencing Steve Koonin’s Wall Street Journal op-ed and a recent independent report that questioned claims of an "existential climate crisis."
    • "Claims of more frequent or intense hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and dryness... are not supported by historical records." — Matt summarizing report [06:39]
  • Environmental groups’ lawsuit against the report is noted as evidence that, per Whitlock, the "consensus" on climate isn’t as firm as presented.
  • "Perhaps the consensus isn't as solid as these people think." — Matt [08:29]

Senate Confirmation Blockade

• [09:00] Whitlock discusses Democrats' "unprecedented" blockade of Trump administration nominees, noting the contrast to previous administrations—zero confirmations by voice vote.
  • "Democrats would use every procedural tool in their power... This again is significantly worse." — Matt [09:40]
• Senate Republican Response:
  • John Thune is pushing procedural reforms to speed confirmations.
  • "No party should be able to weaponize the confirmation process the way that Senate Democrats are doing now..." — Matt quoting Thune [10:17]
  • Importance underscored: "These are people who oversee the national security of the United States." [10:00]

Media Treatment of the Supreme Court

• [12:00] Segment highlights Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s new book and her CBS interview with Norah O’Donnell:
  • O’Donnell frames questions to Barrett as adversarial:
    "I disagree with that conception of the Supreme Court because the Supreme Court is an independent branch of government." — Amy Coney Barrett [12:22]
  • By contrast, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson receives softer, more personal questions:
    • "Here's Justice Jackson as the first black female on the Supreme Court. What kind of pressure does that come with?" — Norah O’Donnell [12:36]
    • "The title, lovely one. Yes. That's what your name means. It is." [13:05]
• Host’s Observation:
  • Matt notes the disparity in tone, suggesting O’Donnell speaks to Barrett antagonistically but to Jackson "like a small child."
  • Concludes: "It's because they're all on the same team." — Matt [13:12]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "While this event shocked social media users, traditional media was slow to pick up and report on this." — Matt Whitlock [01:11]
• "In an effort to set a record for the largest number of pardons... President Biden accidentally let out some violent murderers." — Matt Whitlock [03:03]
• "My vision is not one where they leave. It is one where they stay." — Zoran Mamdani [04:41]
• "Sheldon Whitehouse thinks you're stupid..." — Matt Whitlock [05:16]
• "Claims of more frequent or intense hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and dryness... are not supported by historical records." — Report summary via Matt [06:39]
• "No party should be able to weaponize the confirmation process the way that Senate Democrats are doing now..." — John Thune via Matt [10:17]
• "I disagree with that conception of the Supreme Court because the Supreme Court is an independent branch of government." — Amy Coney Barrett [12:22]

Engaging Moments

• Media treatment of the North Carolina story vs. other crime stories — Emphasizes perceived inconsistency or bias in coverage.
• Comparative approach to Supreme Court justices in interviews— Highlights what Matt sees as a partisan slant in media portrayal.
• Satirical asides: Meme references and pointed one-liners inject the host’s personality and wit.

Takeaways

• The episode is rich in political critique, with a tone that’s pointed, fast-paced, and mostly conservative in its skepticism.
• The central thread: high-profile crime events, policy decisions, and partisan divides as reflected in both government actions and media treatment.
• Whitlock interweaves major news with opinion, using statistics, selected quotes, and media behavior to frame the narrative.