Apple News Today: Detailed Summary of Episode "They wrote Project 2025. Now they’re dictating some U.S. policy"
Release Date: July 22, 2025
Host: Shemitah Basu
1. Project 2025: Shaping the Trump Administration's Policy Agenda
In this episode, Shemitah Basu delves deep into Project 2025, a comprehensive conservative agenda crafted by the Heritage Foundation. Originally intended as an aspirational blueprint for a pro-Republican administration, the project outlines numerous far-right proposals that garnered significant voter backlash during the 2024 presidential campaign. Despite former President Donald Trump's initial attempts to distance himself from the document, Project 2025 has evidently left a substantial imprint on his second-term policies.
Donald Trump (01:16): "Many of the points are fine. Many of the points are absolutely ridiculous. I have nothing to do with the document. I've never seen the document."
Contrary to Trump's public distancing, the administration swiftly appointed key figures associated with Project 2025 to pivotal roles:
- John Ratcliffe as the Director of the CIA
- Brendan Carr as the head of the FCC
- Russell Vogt as the head of the Office of Management and Budget
David Graham, a staff writer at The Atlantic, provides an insider perspective on how these appointments have translated the project's ideals into actionable policies.
David Graham (01:40): "He's a major figure who has been so instrumental to getting so many of these things done and who had made up a plan for how to get a lot of the things he wanted done."
Graham, who thoroughly reviewed all 922 pages of Project 2025 and authored a book on its implications, assesses the alignment between the administration's actions and the project’s directives.
David Graham (02:34): "I think I'd be in the 66 to 75% range. There's a few conflicts and things they haven't gotten done, but they've been so successful in the kind of power grab within the executive branch that lays the groundwork for so much of what they want to do. And I think they have made a surprising amount of progress in getting towards their goals."
Key areas where Project 2025 is influencing policy include:
- LGBTQ Rights and Abortion: Pushing conservative stances further to the right.
- Government Personnel: Eliminating what they term "disloyal civil servants."
- Immigration: Initiating mass deportation operations.
Graham attributes much of the swift policy advancements to Elon Musk's brief tenure in the White House and the Supreme Court's supportive rulings.
David Graham (03:15): "There were things that they had laid out a sort of slow plan to achieve, and he just kind of drove a bulldozer through it and made it happen very quickly."
Looking ahead, Graham anticipates continued efforts to reshape societal structures:
David Graham (03:34): "For example, encouraging larger families, changing daycare regulations. It could also mean things like working to ban abortion or to make it more difficult... their goal is really to transform what the shape of society is."
2. Legal Showdown: Harvard University Challenges Federal Funding Cuts
A significant portion of the episode covers the escalating legal battle between Harvard University and the Trump administration. The conflict centers around the administration's directive for Harvard to overhaul its governance, hiring practices, and admissions to address alleged antisemitism on campus—a directive Harvard refused to comply with.
As a repercussion, the administration:
- Frozen Over $2 Billion in federal research grants.
- Initiated investigations.
- Threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status.
- Attempted to bar international student enrollments.
During a recent federal court hearing, Harvard sought the restoration of the frozen funds, arguing that the cuts were retaliatory and infringed upon their First Amendment rights, thereby impeding crucial research.
Shemitah Basu (05:58): “They are two different issues.”
Judge Allison Burroughs exhibited skepticism towards the administration’s justification, pressing for concrete links between alleged antisemitism and the broad funding cuts.
Legal experts, including Michael Moore from CNN, interpret the administration's actions as an overreach aimed at exerting control over higher education institutions.
Michael Moore (06:55): “...if you don't teach and do things the way we want you to do it... I think their position is stronger at being the college.”
Jodi Farish, a higher education lawyer, emphasized the case's nationwide implications:
Jodi Farish: "There is nothing different about Harvard University than there is about some Midwestern, smaller private college."
While Harvard seeks a summary judgment for a faster resolution, experts anticipate prolonged litigation due to mutual preparedness for appeals.
3. National Guard Deployment in Los Angeles: Soldiers Questioning Their Mission
The episode transitions to the National Guard's deployment in Los Angeles, initially responding to protests against federal immigration raids. Over a month has passed since the deployment, and sentiments among the soldiers have soured.
Jenny Jarvi from the Los Angeles Times reports on soldiers expressing boredom and low morale:
Jenny Jarvi (08:29): "There's not much to do... chatting and joking over energy drinks."
Some soldiers question the mission's purpose, especially after contributing positively to wildfire responses earlier in the year.
Jenny Jarvi (09:06): One soldier noted how they provided "Disneyland tickets" to wildfire workers, an effort absent in the current deployment.
Concerns raised include:
- Mission Alignment: Soldiers reluctant to partake in deportations due to personal connections with immigrants.
- Legal Disputes: Guard members challenging their roles in immigration enforcement.
Despite over 2,000 Guard members remaining after recent withdrawals, California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass have criticized the ongoing presence as unnecessary.
Jenny Jarvi (10:18): "They're here for no reason... guarding federal buildings that don't need to be guarded."
Funding constraints have also impacted other critical operations, with wildfire units operating at 40% staffing levels. The White House has approved a partial redeployment of Guard members to assist with wildfires.
Defense Priorities' Jennifer Kavanaugh suggests the continued deployment aims to set a precedent for military involvement in domestic immigration enforcement.
Jenny Jarvi (11:03): "This is really about setting precedent of having military forces involved in immigration enforcement and deployed in US Cities."
4. Other Noteworthy Stories
a. Sentencing of Brett Hankison for Breonna Taylor's Case
Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison received a 33-month prison sentence for violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights during the 2020 incident that resulted in her death. Notably:
- Justice Department had previously recommended a minimal one-day sentence.
- Hankison was the sole officer charged, as others claimed self-defense against alleged intruders.
Shemitah Basu: "He blinded fired 10 shots into Taylor's apartment... He's the only officer who was at the scene to be charged for a crime connected to her death."
b. Rising Beef Prices Amid Supply Chain Disruptions
Consumers are facing unprecedented beef prices, with the average pound of ground beef reaching $6.12 in June, marking a 12% increase year-over-year. Contributing factors include:
- Widespread Supply Chain Issues
- Droughts impacting feed costs and reducing herd sizes
- Declining Number of Farms and Ranches
- Insufficient Imports from countries like Australia and Brazil to meet rising demand
Conversely, egg prices are stabilizing post an earlier avian flu outbreak surge.
c. Study Reveals Gender Probability Is Not 50/50
A recent study published indicates that the odds of having a baby girl or boy are influenced by individual family factors rather than a strict 50/50 chance. Factors include:
- Maternal Age
- Genetic Factors
- Sex of Older Siblings
Researcher: "A family with multiple girls who might be hoping for a boy are more likely than not to have another."
While preliminary, the study offers insights into the nuanced probabilities families may experience.
5. Upcoming Stories and Closing Remarks
Basu wraps up by teasing an upcoming narrated article from New York Magazine exploring US-Canada relations, focusing on tariff policies and annexation talks that have fueled Canadian resentment.
Listeners are encouraged to access the Apple News app or the podcast platform for more in-depth coverage.
Shemitah Basu: "You can find all these stories and more in the Apple news app... I'll be back with the news tomorrow."
This episode of Apple News Today provides a comprehensive overview of significant political maneuvers, legal battles affecting higher education, military deployments raising ethical questions, and other pressing national issues. Through expert insights and firsthand accounts, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the current socio-political landscape in the United States.