Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

Episode: The O'Reilly Update (Weekend Edition)
Air Date: August 23, 2025
Host: Bill O’Reilly
Guest Newsreader: Mike Slater

Episode Overview

This weekend edition of The O’Reilly Update delivers a “just the facts” roundup of major U.S. news, followed by Bill O’Reilly’s trademark commentary and analysis. The episode explores a landmark legal ruling, U.S.–Mexico cartel policy, immigration enforcement stats under the Trump administration, and a Cracker Barrel corporate rebrand controversy. O’Reilly’s “Message of the Day” critiques recent remarks by Joy Reid, then he responds to listener mail on Russia, China, Ukraine, and media bias. The “something you might not know” segment covers rising grocery prices and the looming problem of shrinkflation.

News Headlines with Mike Slater

00:41 – 03:35

Key Points

• New York Fraud Penalty Overturned

  • The NY Court of Appeals threw out a $464+ million civil fraud fine against Trump and associates, ruling it “an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment.”
    • Quote: (Panel decision): “...directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the state of New York is an excessive fine...”
      (00:57)
  • Highlights heated reactions between NY Attorney General Tish James and Donald Trump Jr. on social media.

• U.S. Considers Direct Action Against Mexican Cartels

  • Recent discussion about U.S. operations inside Mexico to counter cartels amid fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration.
    • Quote: (General Gu, Northcom Commander):
      “Transnational criminal organizations based in Mexico continue to threaten U.S. sovereignty and territorial integrity...”
      (01:40)
  • Marco Rubio urges reclassifying cartels as armed terrorist organizations.

• Deportation Numbers Under Trump Administration

  • On pace to deport 400,000 undocumented immigrants (1,500/day; 180,000 so far), still short of 1 million/year goals.

• Cracker Barrel Rebrand Backlash

  • The classic Cracker Barrel logo and “nostalgic” in-store style replaced by a “corporate bland, sterile and cold” look.
  • The CEO claims positive feedback, but stock price drops 12%.
    • Notable: “...the CEO is getting destroyed. For 48 years, the logo has been exactly as you're imagining in your mind right now and it has been replaced with just corporate bland slop with no barrel and no Uncle Herschel.”
      (02:43)

Message of the Day: Joy Reid & “Mediocre White Men”

05:08 – 08:45

O’Reilly’s Main Arguments

• Overview of Internet Culture & Joy Reid Critique

  • O’Reilly classifies internet discourse into three categories: personal attacks, fact-based discussion, and “lunatic asylum applications.”
    • “...it usually falls into one of three categories: personal attacks to get attention, fact based discussions and lunatic asylum applications.”
      (05:26)

• Response to Joy Reid’s Commentary

  • O’Reilly responds to Joy Reid’s statement likening Donald Trump and Elvis Presley to “mediocre white men who contributed nothing,” and her claim that without Black and brown people “there is no culture in America.”
    • “These people, said Joy Reid, cannot create culture on their own. Without black people, brown people, the Deis, there is no culture in America. Unquote. Wow.”
      (06:42)
  • Counters by highlighting white cultural figures: Steven Spielberg, Stephen Sondheim, and Steven Van Zandt.
  • Emphasizes lifting up Black achievements in the arts rather than “denigrating Caucasians.”
    • “Instead of providing a spotlight on black achievements in the arts, Ms. Reed is compelled to denigrate Caucasians. Makes no sense to me.”
      (07:06)
  • Injects humor: “Apparently, she did not see Elvis's superb performance in Viva Las Vegas. Come on, Joy. I know it's not Superfly, but it's excellent.”
    (07:14)

• Final Thoughts

  • Affirms “there are mediocre white men and women,” but rejects blanket denigration.
  • Signs off: “I'm Bill O'Reilly. I approve the message by writing it.”
    (07:32)

Listener Mail: Russia, Ukraine, China, and Media

08:46 – 11:40

Notable Questions & Responses

• On Trump, Putin, and Weakness (Doug Cassidy – Knoxville, TN)

  • Concern: Trump looks weak if threats don’t bring results.
  • O’Reilly: Acknowledges concern, gives “some slack,” cautions action is needed soon.
    • “But in this extraordinary case, I'm giving him some slack. But it has to happen soon.”
      (09:02)

• On Putin Invading Alaska (Frank – Belvedere, IL)

  • Question: Would Trump give up part of Alaska?
  • O’Reilly: “Come on, we can defend ourselves here. We would. Ukraine can't defend itself. That's the problem.”

• On China, Russia, and Economic Policy (Jeffrey Brown – Bonita Springs, FL)

  • Clarifies he never claimed China helps Russia; hopes China would pressure Putin.
  • “If China stops support for Putin, he's finished.”

• On Media Bias and "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (Anthony, James)

  • O’Reilly asserts “the corporate media is being destroyed within, as Trump derangement syndrome always does.”
  • Notes CNN's “not a good strategy” of featuring Trump detractors regardless of context.

Something You Might Not Know: Food Prices & Shrinkflation

11:41 – 12:24

Key Facts

• Trump and Grocery Prices

  • Trump promised to lower grocery prices; mixed results.

• Significant Price Increases

  • Chicken, turkey, eggs up 9% (supply issues, bird flu, feed cost).
  • Coffee up 15% (tariffs from suppliers: Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Vietnam).
  • Beer, wine, scotch up 15% (new taxes on European imports).
  • Fruits and vegetables: Wholesales up 39% (labor cost, drought, inflation).

• Beef & Barbecuing

  • Beef franks up 37% since 2022 (cattle herd at 70-year low, focus on more expensive cuts).

• Shrinkflation

  • Brands reduce package size, not price.
  • Hardest hit: paper towels, cookies, ice cream, toothpaste, gum.
    • “The cost in the grocery store stays the same, but the amount of product is reduced and you don't even know it.”
      (12:09)

• Advice for Consumers

  • Best deals: Big box stores (Walmart), online (Amazon), traditional couponing.

Notable Quotes

• On excessive fines:
  “The court's disgorgement order… is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”
  (Mike Slater quoting NY court decision – 00:57)

• On U.S.–Mexico relations:
  “That's an important statement because Mexico, of course, is going to say, oh, our sovereignty, our sovereignty. And there's our commander Northcom saying, you don't have that anymore.”
  (Mike Slater – 01:54)

• On Joy Reid's comments:
  “These people, said Joy Reid, cannot create culture on their own. Without black people, brown people, the Deis, there is no culture in America. Unquote. Wow.”
  (Bill O'Reilly – 06:42)

• On shrinkflation:
  “The cost in the grocery store stays the same, but the amount of product is reduced and you don't even know it.”
  (Bill O’Reilly – 12:09)

Episode Highlights & Memorable Moments

• O’Reilly’s tongue-in-cheek jab at Joy Reid and pop culture, comparing Elvis' “Viva Las Vegas” with “Superfly.”
• Listener Mail segment provides rapid-fire, blunt O’Reilly responses to foreign policy and media bias concerns.
• Concise rundown of how inflation and global turmoil are affecting Americans at the checkout lane, plus a pro tip: clip coupons!

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:41 – Headline News Recap (Mike Slater)
• 02:43 – Cracker Barrel Rebrand Segment
• 05:08 – Message of the Day: O’Reilly on Joy Reid
• 08:46 – Listener Mail
• 11:41 – Something You Might Not Know: Food Prices/Shrinkflation

For “no spin” updates and further analysis, visit billoreilly.com.