The O’Reilly Update — November 13, 2025

Host: Bill O'Reilly
News Segment: Mike Slater (Politics by Faith podcast)
Episode Theme: An overview of major headlines in the U.S., notable political developments, the shift in comedy culture, the end of the penny, and the rising costs of vacationing, followed by listener mail and analysis.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delivers O’Reilly’s signature "No Spin, Just Facts" approach to current U.S. news, including updates on crime rates, politics, changes in currency, cultural commentary on comedy, and a discussion on the economic pressures affecting Americans. The show also incorporates responses to listener letters and provides insight into industry trends such as travel and hospitality.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. News Update with Mike Slater (00:09–03:03)

• NYC Mayoral Transition:
  • Zoran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor-elect, emphasizes intent to collaborate with President Trump, calling it "critical to the success of this city."
  • Mamdani stated in his victory speech: "I'm here to work for the benefit of everyone that calls New York City home. And wherever there's a possibility for working together towards that end, I am ready."
  • Trump’s reaction: "It was a very angry speech, certainly angry towards me." Trump warns that "about $4 billion of Section 8 money that goes to New York City comes from the federal government... He's off to a bad start."
• Crime Trends:
  • Chicago: Successful results from "Operation Midway Blitz"—shootings down 35%, robberies down 41%, carjackings down 50%.

    "This is just with a small initial federal force, not the full surge we've done in Memphis." —President Trump (00:58)

  • Berkeley: Crime spike at a Turning Point event—violence involving political demonstrators, leading to DOJ intervention and records preservation requests.

    "Harmeet Dhillon... said that under Pambani's leadership, we've asked Berkeley police to preserve all records regarding their response to the mob violence at UC Berkeley's Turning Point USA event." (01:39)

• End of the Penny:
  • The U.S. Mint officially halts penny production; last penny minted on November 12, 2025.

    "Every penny costs 3.7 cents to make... Somehow the U.S. Mint lost $85 billion minting these pennies." —Mike Slater (02:25)

  • Historical nod: the first U.S. penny (Fugio Penny, designed by Ben Franklin with the motto "Mind your business").

2. O’Reilly’s Message of the Day: The State of Comedy (04:55–07:16)

• O'Reilly reflects on his appearance with Dana Carvey and David Spade, mourning the shift from clever, malice-free satire to polarized, partisan, and "mean-spirited" modern comedy.

  "We talked a bit about Saturday Night Live and late night television, which have both changed dramatically. Today, many comics make their money playing to an ideological crew... largely partisan and often mean spirited." —Bill O'Reilly (05:23)

  • Fondly recalls comics like Johnny Carson, Rodney Dangerfield, and the SNL cast of the 90s for "crisp, witty satire without malice."
  • Critiques current hosts: "the Colberts and Kimmels have left the comedy business, preferring to damage their political targets, not just tweak them."
  • Hopes that "the laughs return someday," believing Americans are tired of hate-fueled comedy.

    "Generally speaking, Americans don't like the hate stuff. Maybe the fringe does, but not the masses. And the TV ratings prove that statement." —Bill O'Reilly (06:03)

3. Listener Mailbag (07:16–09:57)

• Peter: Opposes President Trump’s rumored $2,000 direct payments, favoring using funds to buy back US bonds due to mounting national debt.
  • O’Reilly: "Not a bad idea, but I think most consumers want relief, direct relief."
• Chuck: Recommends tariff revenue pay down the debt instead of "buying votes."
  • O’Reilly: "Very legitimate point."
• Lori Rubin, North Andover, MA:
  • Reacts to a segment on anti-Semitism and Nick Fuentes, disturbed that some people still don’t see Hitler as evil.

    "Hard to believe there are people who do not see Adolf Hitler as an evil man... It's beyond offensive. It's a mental illness." —Lori Rubin (08:56)

  • O’Reilly: "Fuentes isn't important... he's using all of this crazy stuff to promote himself on social media."
• Bonnie Fitzpatrick, Copper's Cove, Texas:
  • Points out Senator Schumer’s "devious" phrasing on federal funds for undocumented migrants’ health concerns.

    "Sleight of hand." —Bill O'Reilly (09:51)

4. “Something You Might Not Know”: The High Cost of Vacation (09:57–11:17)

• Short vacation plans for Americans—a Newsweek poll finds 50% won’t vacation in 2025, mostly due to record hotel prices and "junk fees."
  • NY hotel rooms now average over $600/night; price jumps globally (London, Paris, Hong Kong, Caribbean).
  • Examples of hotel "junk fees":
    • Hawaii: $50/day “coconut landscaping fee”
    • Royal Hawaiian: $42 mandatory banana muffin fee
    • Brooklyn: $50 for filtered bathroom sink water
    • Viceroy DC: $26 for white noise machines
    • Boston Hyatt Regency: $30 destination fee (includes a cup of chowder, even if uneaten)
• O’Reilly notes home rentals like Airbnb have grown from 47,000 U.S. users (2010) to 7 million (2025), increasing competition for hotels and contributing to their aggressive fee hikes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It was a very angry speech, certainly angry towards me... I'm the one that sort of has to approve a lot of things coming for him. So he's off to a bad start."
  —President Trump on NYC mayoral transition (00:51)
• "All powerful people deserve to be lampooned... However, the Colberts and Kimmels have left the comedy business, preferring to damage their political targets, not just tweak them."
  —Bill O’Reilly on modern comedy culture (05:43)
• "Somehow the U.S. Mint lost $85 billion minting these pennies. Shout out to the very first penny minted in America, 1787, the Fugio Penny. Designed by Ben Franklin... The motto on the penny: Mind your business."
  —Mike Slater on the penny’s end (02:45)
• "Hard to believe there are people who do not see Adolf Hitler as an evil man... It's beyond offensive. It's a mental illness."
  —Listener Lori Rubin (08:56)
• "At some resorts in Hawaii, for example, they charge 50 bucks a day for coconut landscaping fees to stop the nuts from falling on your head... The Royal Hawaiian adds 42 bucks to your bill even if you don't eat the muffin."
  —Bill O’Reilly on hotel fees (10:34)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |----------------------------------------|-------------| | U.S. News Headlines (Mike Slater) | 00:09–03:03 | | The End of the Penny | 02:10–02:52 | | O'Reilly's Message of the Day (Comedy) | 04:55–07:16 | | Listener Mailbag | 07:16–09:57 | | High Cost of Vacation ("Did You Know") | 09:57–11:17 |

Summary Flow

The episode covers timely U.S. headlines (mayoral transitions, crime trends, policy moves), interspersed with editorial commentary from O'Reilly, particularly on the state of comedy and the frustrating rise of hotel "junk fees." Listener letters allow for direct interaction and nuanced discussion of current political and social controversies, while lighter historical and economic trivia (the penny, vacation costs) give the show a broader commentary on American life.

O'Reilly’s tone remains direct, critical yet conversational, and the perspectives span from pragmatic (on direct payments and tariffs) to nostalgic (on lost eras of comedy), and finally to skeptical (of bureaucratic sleight-of-hand and the rising costs incurred by Americans). The episode concludes on a call to listener engagement, reinforcing the brand's promise of “No Spin, Just Facts.”