Here’s the Scoop – Episode Summary

Episode Title: A GOP Split Over Legal Immigration; A Thanksgiving Feast of Blockbusters?
Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian
Guests: Jonathan Allen (NBC Senior National Politics Reporter), Chloe Melas (NBC Entertainment Correspondent)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into two major stories:
1. The rift within the Republican Party over legal immigration, particularly H1B visas, in the context of recent policy reversals and political positioning.
2. A look at the struggling fall movie box office and what Hollywood is hoping for this Thanksgiving weekend, featuring new releases, box office insights, and what audiences can expect through the holidays.

Segment 1: GOP Fight Over Legal Immigration and H1B Visas

Starts at 01:03

Key Discussion Points

• Introduction of the Issue:
  The episode sets up a split within the Republican Party. While the base is largely united on opposing illegal immigration, there is increasing tension and confusion over the President’s shifting stance on legal immigration programs, especially H1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers.

• President’s Flip-Flop on H1B Policy:

  • Initially, the administration sharply increased costs and restrictions for employers sponsoring H1B visas, making it prohibitively expensive.
  • Recently, the President has softened this stance, stirring concern and conflict among GOP factions.

• What Are H1B Visas?

  • Jonathan Allen explains the H1B visa program: "The idea is to bring in, you know, what are referred to as highly skilled workers into the United States who may fill jobs that are difficult to fill with American workers... largely because of the educational or skill level..." (02:37)
  • Allen notes the controversy centers on what defines "highly skilled" and whether Americans are actually being displaced by these visas.

• The Political and Economic Divide:

  • Allen highlights how this pits traditional America First conservatives (exemplified by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene) against Silicon Valley-backed, pro-business Republicans.
  • Companies like Google and Tesla are less impacted by high visa costs, while small businesses face significant financial hurdles.

Notable Quotes and Exchanges

• On American talent and H1B needs:

  • Yasmin: "When we have plenty of talented people."
  • Jonathan Allen: "No, you don't."
  • Chloe Melas: "No, you don't." (01:56)
  • Allen clarifies that there are skill sets missing from the current American workforce which H1Bs fill.

• On the intra-party battle:

  • Allen: "Marjorie Taylor Greene, who... is going to resign... as a result of her larger fight with the president over who owns America First. Part of that fight was about these H1B visas." (06:31)
  • Chloe Melas: "Americans deserve a future. They deserve a chance. And I believe Americans are the most talented people in the world, the most creative, and I want them to have their American dream." (07:24)

• On risk of opposing the President:

  • Allen: "[N]o one has taken him on the way that she has. And, you know, for good reason, because when people in his party take him on, they usually get destroyed." (08:05)

Insights

• The internal GOP fight reflects broader anxieties about national identity, the future of work, and America's economic competitiveness.
• The pressing concern for many small businesses is the prohibitive cost of sponsoring foreign workers, while tech giants have different priorities.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation underscores the cost of challenging presidential authority in today’s GOP.

Segment 2: Thanksgiving Weekend at the Box Office

Starts at 10:23

Key Discussion Points

• Current State of Theaters:

  • Fall 2025 saw the worst box office returns in 27 years (excluding pandemic impacts).
  • Several high-profile releases, despite their star power, underperformed at the box office.

• What Went Wrong?:

  • Chloe Melas: Movies like "The Smashing Machine" starring Dwayne Johnson and "Christie" with Sydney Sweeney failed to draw crowds, despite Oscar buzz and sports drama appeal.
    • "People just didn't get out of their houses to go see these movies in theater." (11:20)

• What’s Performing Well?:

  • Family films and established franchises are faring better:
    • "Wicked for Good": Projected $150 million domestic, $226 million worldwide opening (12:14)
    • "Zootopia 2" expected to perform strongly as well.

• Upcoming Releases & Anticipation:

  • Melas shares personal excitement for "Hamnet" (a Shakespeare-related drama) and "Marty Supreme" (Timothée Chalamet ping pong biopic), both with Oscar buzz.
    • "Hamnet…is exactly the type of movie that I would leave my house for to cry. Just to cry ugly tears the entire time." (13:09)
  • "Avatar: Fire and Ash" (Avatar 3) is flying under the radar but predicted to be massive, with major stars returning.

• Changing Audience Behavior:

  • Host Yasmin reflects on the tradition of family movie outings during Thanksgiving, but they acknowledge streaming is reducing theater attendance.
  • Melas: "Because of streaming and all the other ways in which people consume content, there's not as much of a reason to get out of the house and go pay a lot of money to see a movie in theaters." (15:50)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the state of moviegoing:

  • Melas: "It has been...a historic low for movie theaters." (11:12)
  • Film critic Brian Lowry called this season a "bloodbath for the studios." (15:50)

• On the importance of holiday releases:

  • Melas: "So it's really the family movies at the BO this weekend that's gonna be driving those big numbers." (12:31)
  • On "Avatar: Fire and Ash": "Soon everything's gonna be blue. An Avatar. So again, this is gonna be big." (15:08)

Episode Highlights and Memorable Moments

• Jonathan Allen reporting live from a rental car in Michigan over the holiday week.

  • Yasmin: "John Allen, our intrepid reporter coming to us from a rental car in in Michigan as he continues his reporting even there on Thanksgiving week." (08:26)

• Chloe Melas's infectious excitement about movies—gesturing emphatically over the upcoming films, especially Avatar.

  • Yasmin: "For those of you that are just listening. Chloe has now opened up her arms." (15:04)

Important Timestamps

• 01:03 — Show start and introduction of GOP/H1B split
• 02:37 — Explanation of H1B visa history and controversy (Jonathan Allen)
• 03:55 — President’s motivation for H1B policy reversal
• 06:31 — Marjorie Taylor Greene’s challenge to the President and resignation
• 07:24 — Chloe Melas’ statement on the American Dream
• 10:23 — Movie segment kickoff: Thanksgiving box office preview
• 11:20 — Why the fall box office slumped
• 12:14 — "Wicked for Good" opening weekend numbers
• 13:09 — Overview of upcoming Christmas/holiday movie releases
• 15:50 — Will the holidays save the studios?
• 15:50 — Streaming vs. theatrical moviegoing

Summary Takeaway

This episode of Here’s the Scoop provides an incisive look at GOP discord over legal immigration, revealing deep fault lines between populist and pro-business factions as the President’s H1B stance shifts. The second half offers a fun, fast-paced rundown of Hollywood’s hopes for box office redemption during Thanksgiving—with a clear-eyed view of why audiences are harder to entice and why blockbuster sequels still rule the season.

Memorable Quote:
"Americans deserve a future. They deserve a chance. And I believe Americans are the most talented people in the world, the most creative, and I want them to have their American dream." – Chloe Melas (07:24)

Listeners will leave with a firm understanding of how political and cultural trends—inside the Capitol and in American entertainment—are colliding this Thanksgiving week.