Congress' crypto week; Are your supplements safe?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Congress' Crypto Week; Are Your Supplements Safe?"

Title: Here's the Scoop
Host: Yasmin Desugian
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Duration: Approximately 19 minutes
Sections Covered:

1. Congress' Crypto Week
2. Are Your Supplements Safe?
3. Headlines

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1. Congress' Crypto Week

Overview:
The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the booming cryptocurrency market, highlighting Bitcoin's recent surge to an unprecedented value of $120,000 per coin. This milestone coincides with Congress declaring the week as "Crypto Week," signaling a significant push towards regulating the cryptocurrency industry.

Key Discussions:

• Bitcoin's Surge and Government Involvement:
  Yasmin Desugian introduces the topic by noting Bitcoin's all-time high value, prompting a discussion on the government's role in legitimizing crypto.

  • Yasmin Desugian [02:20]: "It's only as legitimate crypto as one makes it. And the president is trying to, along with the government now make it legitimate."

• Understanding Cryptocurrency:
  Christine Romans, NBC News' senior business correspondent, explains the fundamentals of cryptocurrency, emphasizing its speculative nature compared to traditional assets like stocks or real estate.

  • Christine Romans [01:51]: "It is a digital asset. It is a cryptocurrency, and it is a relatively new phenomenon."

• Legislative Efforts and Challenges:
  Ryan Nobles, chief Capitol Hill reporter, elaborates on the complexities Congress faces in regulating crypto. He highlights the rapid evolution of technology versus the slow pace of legislative action.

  • Ryan Nobles [04:55]: "Technology is moving at such a rapid pace and Congress moves in the exact opposite pace."

• Role of Lobbyists:
  The discussion underscores the heavy involvement of lobbyists in shaping crypto-related legislation, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the influence of vested interests.

  • Ryan Nobles [05:55]: "Lobbyists are heavily involved in the crafting of this legislation. They're the experts here. But the problem is lobbyists come into these conversations with a vested interest in mind."

• President's Crypto Ventures and Ethical Concerns:
  The conversation touches upon the president's personal investments in crypto, including a currency named "Dollar Sign," and the ethical implications of his financial gains from the industry.

  • Yasmin Desugian [06:27]: "Bloomberg reporting earlier this month that crypto's recent rise has added $620 million to the president's estimated net worth. Wow, that seems like a conflict of interest to me."

• Public Guidance on Crypto Investment:
  Christine Romans advises the general public on the volatility of crypto investments, recommending that only a small, risk-tolerant portion of one's portfolio be allocated to cryptocurrencies.

  • Christine Romans [08:04]: "It is incredibly volatile right now... it might be appropriate if you are prepared for that money to disappear."

Notable Quotes:

• Christine Romans [03:09]: "This administration is really focused on letting this industry flourish and making sure the US Is the center of it."
• Ryan Nobles [07:45]: "There is a real, earnest and I think responsible effort by members of Congress to regulate this industry in a responsible way... but there is also opportunities for... to grift off of it."

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2. Are Your Supplements Safe?

Overview:
Transitioning from the financial realm, Yasmin Desugian addresses the booming supplement market and its unintended consequences. The episode highlights the alarming increase in supplement-related liver injuries and the potential risks consumers face.

Key Discussions:

• Supplement Market Growth:
  With statistics from the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Yasmin points out that supplement usage surged from 60% in 2017 to 75% in 2024, reflecting a significant trend in health and wellness.

  • Yasmin Desugian [10:15]: "As many as three out of four adults were taking supplements in 2024. That is up from about 60% just a few years before in 2017."

• Rise in Liver Injuries:
  The conversation shifts to the concerning rise in drug-induced liver injuries linked to supplements, citing studies from the Journal of Liver Transplantation and Hepatology.

  • Yasmin Desugian [13:00]: "Supplement related liver failure requiring patients here in the United States to be wait listed for transplants increased eightfold."

• Expert Insights:
  Dr. Kavita Patel, a physician and health policy researcher, discusses the dangers of unregulated supplements, including high doses of vitamins and the presence of harmful contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides.

  • Dr. Kavita Patel [11:02]: "Not all supplements are created equal... we're taking them in such large quantities that they can actually hurt you more than they help you."

• Consumer Advice:
  Dr. Patel emphasizes the importance of consulting healthcare professionals before starting any supplement regimen and advises checking for third-party testing to ensure product safety.

  • Dr. Kavita Patel [14:41]: "Having that frank conversation with a trusted healthcare professional... ask about third party testing."

• Misconceptions and Risks:
  The episode addresses common misconceptions, such as the belief that supplements can replace whole foods, highlighting the risks of nutrient imbalances and organ damage.

  • Dr. Kavita Patel [16:07]: "There is just no thing as a whole substitute for something."

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Kavita Patel [14:36]: "The liver can get overwhelmed... Some of the biggest culprits, especially for the liver, high doses of vitamins A, vitamin E, high doses of calcium, high doses of turmeric."
• Christine Romans [08:29]: "Use it if you can lose it. It is purely speculative for the average person."

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3. Headlines

Overview:
Concluding the episode, Yasmin Desugian presents a roundup of the day's key headlines, covering a range of topics from economic indicators to high-profile news stories.

Key Highlights:

• Inflation Update:
  Inflation saw a monthly increase of 0.3% in June, the highest since January, with tomatoes being a significant factor due to a new 17% tariff on fresh Mexican imports.

  • Yasmin Desugian [16:25]: "A new 17% tariff on fresh Mexican imports could hike prices up by about 10%, turning your summer BLT or Caprese salad into a luxury item."

• Senate Confirmation Hearing:
  Mike Walsh faced tough questions during his confirmation hearing for the UN Ambassador position, particularly regarding a security lapse involving a leaked signal chat about military strikes in Yemen.

  • New Jersey Senator Cory Booker [17:21]: "A moment where our national security was clearly compromised... Smearing people, attacking folks... disqualifying about you for this position."

• Beyoncé's Unreleased Music Stolen:
  Police reported that hard drives containing Beyoncé's unreleased music were stolen from her choreographer's vehicle. NBC News obtained the 911 call related to the theft.

  • Suspect's 911 Call [18:17]: "They have my computers and it's really, really important information in there."

• MLB All-Star Game Innovations:
  The MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta introduces robot umpires and sees players opting for their regular team attire instead of flashy uniforms, blending tradition with technology.

  • Yasmin Desugian [18:51]: "Robot umps are gonna call balls and strikes. It's gonna be funny to watch those players fighting with umpires that are robots."

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Cory Booker [17:21]: "Smearing people, attacking folks, singling them out just furthers it compounds what I think is disqualifying about you for this position."
• Suspect in Beyoncé's Theft [18:17]: "They have my computers and it's really, really important information in there."

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Conclusion:
In this episode of "Here's the Scoop," Yasmin Desugian adeptly navigates listeners through the intricate worlds of cryptocurrency regulation and the burgeoning supplement market's health implications. By featuring expert insights and timely headlines, the podcast provides a comprehensive overview of issues impacting both the financial landscape and public health.

Transcript

[Don Wildman]

What started the Civil War? What ended the conflict in Vietnam? Who was Paul Revere? And did the Vikings ever reach America? I'm Don Wildman. And on American History Hit. My expert guests and I are journeying across the nation and through the years to uncover the stories that have made America. We'll visit the battlefields and debate floors where the nation was formed, meet the characters who have altered it with their touch and count the votes that have changed the direction of our laws and leadership. Find American History Hit twice a week, every week, wherever you get your podcasts. American History Hit. A podcast from History Hit.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasm Desugian. Okay, so what's a single item that you would spend $120,000 on? A car, Maybe a Birkin bag? A down payment on a house? Yeah, I bet. Not a virtual coin? Well, yesterday the value of a Single Bitcoin surpassed $120,000 at an all time high for the digital token. And before you think that we've gone all finance, bro, on you, Congress has declared this week Crypto Week with the goal of establishing a more clear framework to regulate the industry. By the way, the president's in the game as well. He's branded himself as pro crypto and is involved in several ventures, including his own currency named Dollar Sign and. Yeah, you heard me right. Joining me now to help us understand all of this, or at least try to NBC News, is senior business correspondent Christine Roman and chief Capitol Hill reporter Ryan Nobles. Welcome to you both, guys. Thanks for being here. Hi.

[Christine Romans]

Nice to see you.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Thanks for having us. Let's start with the overarching basic question, Romans, which is what is crypto?

[Christine Romans]

It is a digital asset. It is a cryptocurrency, and it is a relatively new phenomenon. I think bitcoin first started really trading in 2009. So it's been around. But it is not like a dollar or a yen or a stock or a bond or even real estate, which is something that you can trade that has fundamentals. It is just a digital currency that has become a speculative investment that has gotten a lot of interest.

[Yasmin Desugian]

It's only as legitimate crypto as one makes it. And the president is trying to, along with the government now make it legitimate.

[Christine Romans]

He was initially a skeptic of crypto and now is all in. He's all in. His family is all in. I mean, remember what the beginning of crypto, this is how you sold weapons illegally or drugs illegally or this is how human trafficking happened in cryptocurrency it was a way to buy and sell things without any kind of record, really. And it was really the purview of the darkest, darkest corners of society and the economy. And now it is right square in the mainstream. Just a couple of years ago, you had celebrities who were, you know, doing crypto ads and then in the Super Bowl.

[Yasmin Desugian]

So now we're hitting this all time high. As of yesterday, $120,000 for a single bitcoin. What is that about?

[Christine Romans]

It's about a new mood in Washington that is pro bitcoin, pro crypto. This administration is really focused on letting this industry flourish and making sure the US Is the center of it.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Ryan Nobles, the Trump administration likes theme weeks. And we're talking about this because it is a theme week. It's crypto week. How did that even come to play?

[Ryan Nobles]

Well, I think it became a series of pieces of legislation that all kind of diverged at the same moment and with the opportunity to vote on them all at the same time. And so they seized on that and said, okay, let's just do this. This week, Congress has been relatively busy trying to get Trump's big, beautiful bill off and to his desk that consumed all their time. Now that they've got that off the shelf, they can focus on some of these ancillary issues that have been bubbling up for some time that need to be addressed. And crypto is one of those big. And I think part of what you see happening here is this idea that you have the people that are very, very pro crypto that think that the crypto industry should be front and center, but then you also have a lot of people that are have come around to the reality that maybe I'm not super comfortable with the idea of crypto being an important part of the economy, but I also can't deny that it exists. So if the government doesn't come in and play a role here, it essentially is the Wild west, and people could lose a lot if there isn't some sort of government stability or account or regulation attached to it.

[Yasmin Desugian]

What is the regulation of the crypto industry looking like? And by the way, with the average age being above 50 years in Congress, do they even have the know how to understand how to regulate crypto?

[Ryan Nobles]

I cannot tell you how many examples of this that I've encountered in my time covering Capitol Hill that technology is moving at such a rapid pace and Congress moves in the exact opposite pace. There is nothing that Congress does rapidly. I'll give you another example is drones. Right? When drones first became A thing to make it as simple as possible. Congress didn't know what to do with it. They didn't know how to regulate it because it was not the same thing as an airplane. They couldn't put it in the same category. It took them forever to get to the point where they could regulate it. Crypto is like that, but except on crack. It's changing and evolving every single day. You're 100% right that the average member of Congress doesn't know anything about this, doesn't own a single bit of Bitcoin. So you know what ends up happening. You know who fills that void? It's the lobbyists. And so the lobbyists are heavily involved in the crafting of this legislation. They're the experts here. But the problem is lobbyists come into these conversations with a vested interest in mind. And that's part of what I think you see playing out with this legislation.

[Yasmin Desugian]

With not knowing enough about this industry. How is it that a member of Congress who's shaping this legislation, that, by the way, could affect millions upon millions of Americans down the road, how can they even kind of trust the quote, unquote, experts in the cryptocurrency world to understand what to do?

[Christine Romans]

Well, that goes for any kind of regulation of an industry. You're talking about an industry that is so new and so exciting and so complicated that you've got the industry telling Congress, we want regulation because it helps legitimize us, and we're going to tell you how we should be regulated.

[Dr. Kavita Patel]

Right.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Bloomberg reporting earlier this month that crypto's recent rise has added $620 million to the president's estimated net worth. Wow, that seems like a conflict of interest to me. If you're the President of the United States and you are also, though a proponent pushing for the regulation and or.

[Ryan Nobles]

Normalization of crypto, Democrats wanted to insert language into the Genius act that would basically prevent a President of the United States from trading using his or her own name in a digital currency space. And Republicans rejected that. And I think part of what Donald Trump has been able to take advantage of here in the Unknowns as it relates to the crypto industry, is that he's found loopholes here that don't necessarily apply to the ethics laws that currently exist on the books when you are President of the United States. And I think we do need to separate it when we have this conversation. There is a real, earnest and I think responsible effort by members of Congress to regulate this industry in a responsible way to allow it to flourish, to Allow people not to be taken advantage of and to make sure that there is true competition in the market. But there is also opportunities for, for the people crafting this legislation and being involved in it to grift off of it. And those two things right now are running on parallel tracks in many ways. The Republicans in Congress just seem to be ignoring that.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Christine, if you're just a regular person trying to pay your bills, trying to save enough money for your kids to go to college, you're seeing the normalization and now possibly the regulation of the crypto industry. What do you do with that? Do you make a decision to invest in, in crypto? How volatile is the future of this, of this industry?

[Christine Romans]

It's incredibly volatile right now. It really is. If you are fully funding your 401k or IRA every year, if you have a 529 college saving plan for every one of your kids, if you can make your monthly house payments and you've got six to nine months of reserves, you know, in case of an emergency. And then if you want to put 1% into crypto, it might be appropriate if you are prepared for that money to disappear.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Right.

[Christine Romans]

Use it if you can lose it. It is purely speculative for the average person. And most people who really argue with me about that are risk takers. People who have gone in and are maybe day trading and they just have a higher risk appetite than I think the typical family has when they have all of these other costs, rising costs I will point out, for just the regular middle class life.

[Yasmin Desugian]

And if you have more questions about crypto, please ask Christine Romans at.

[Christine Romans]

Please don't, please don't argue with me.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Crypto Bros.

[Christine Romans]

Please do call me.

[Yasmin Desugian]

She's lovable, guys. Don't send her hate mail. Christine Romans, thank you. Ryan Nobles, thank you as well.

[Ryan Nobles]

Thank you.

[Yasmin Desugian]

All right, we're going to take a quick break, but up next, are your supplements making you sick?

[Tom Yamas]

Taking over the helm of NBC Nightly.

[Ryan Nobles]

News, a 75 year old broadcast, it's a great responsibility. Good evening, I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out there to.

[Tom Yamas]

Bring people at home closer to the store.

[Ryan Nobles]

Wildfires continue to be a threat.

[Tom Yamas]

With that massive hurricane comes the massive response.

[Ryan Nobles]

The best reporters in our business know how to listen.

[Tom Yamas]

And when you listen, you get the truth.

[Ryan Nobles]

For NBC News, NBC News, I'm Tom Yamas.

[Tom Yamas]

That's what we do every night.

[Ryan Nobles]

NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas.

[Christine Romans]

Evenings on NBC.

[Tom Yamas]

This week on Meet the Press. After the tragedy in Texas and as more questions emerge about what happened, Kristen, welker sits down with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Ngo, plus Governor Andy Beshear and Senator John Barrasso on President Trump's trade war this week on Meet THE Press. Listen to the full episode now, wherever you get your podcast.

[Yasmin Desugian]

And we're back with here's the scoop. The supplement market is booming. Vitamins A, B, C, D, magnesium, fish oil, even turmeric. According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, as many as three out of four adults were taking supplements in 2024. That is up from about 60% just a few years before in 2017. But with the rise of supplements, we're also seeing a rise in drug induced liver injuries. More people are getting sick, even needing liver transplants because of supplements. To talk more about this, I want to bring in Dr. Kavita Patel. She's a physician and health policy researcher, and she's with us now. Hi, Dr. Patel.

[Dr. Kavita Patel]

Hi, Yasmin. Great to be here with you.

[Yasmin Desugian]

What do you think is driving this supplement craze?

[Dr. Kavita Patel]

So it's funny, the literature says that about 75% of Americans report taking dietary supplements. And I think that they just haven't talked to the other 25% of Americans because I think everybody, even just to help with that cold, has taken some form of a vitamin or an herb or an enzyme or a mineral. But I think the problem, as we're learning, is that not all supplements are created equal. Not all of them have gone through the rigorous testing. And unfortunately, we're taking them in such large quantities that they can actually hurt you more than they help you.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Well, I'm glad you brought that up because there's a difference in the supplements that folks are taking. Right. You could be taking, for instance, vitamins like vitamin B, vitamin C. You could also be then taking an herbal supplement, for instance. What are folks taking and which ones are problematic? It seems.

[Dr. Kavita Patel]

Yeah. So I think the most common category of supplements that people are taking are vitamins, all sorts of vitamins in different shapes and forms that constitutes, I think, a large majority of what people are taking for dietary supplements. But you're also seeing some additional minerals and herbs. And this is very common, especially in certain parts of your life when you're having kids. A lot of women have been taking not just the prenatal vitamins and iron is recommended, but you'll see a lot of women taking additional minerals and vitamins and enzymes that can help with nutrition or additional folic acid. And then take, for example, men around hair loss. So usually what I see is patterns associated with things happening in your life and then minerals and enzymes to kind of what I like to say is a little bit of the frosting on top where people feel like, well, if I take a little bit magnesium, that might help me with my sleep. For example, many patients taking all of the above and just grabbing off of a store shelf because they think if it's being sold in my big box pharmacy, it must be fine. And then people take it in quantities that are not safe.

[Yasmin Desugian]

I want to talk about the science here behind some of what we're seeing when it comes to these supplements. So this is from an NBC story from 1995 through 2020, supplement related liver failure requiring patients here in the United States to be wait listed for transplants increased Eightfold, Dr. Wurtel, Eightfold. And that is according to a 2022 study in the journal Liver Transplantation. In addition, you had this 2017 review in the journal Hepatology, and it found that 20% of liver toxicity cases nation are tied to herbal and dietary supplements. That is a high percentage. And really concerning it is.

[Dr. Kavita Patel]

And the liver, I like to explain, like the liver does an incredible job of trying to just make sure that your toxins, what's in your blood is what should be in your blood and what's not supposed to be there gets weeded out. But the liver can get overwhelmed. Just like we take a drain in a sink, we can overwhelm that drain very quickly if we have so much going down that drain. But some of the biggest culprits, especially for the liver, high doses of vitamins A, vitamin E, high doses of calcium, high doses of turmeric. And then to your point, the herbal mixtures, you don't exactly know what's in some of these herbal mixtures because some of them have been shown to be mixed with heavy metals and pesticides even, and that leads to some of that accidental poisoning. And then there's a lot of unlisted pharmaceutical drugs, especially in these supplements for weight loss. A lot of men and women who are kind of trying to substitute because they can't afford some of the weight loss drugs and they're buying these things in bulk and they can also cause damage to not just the liver, but other organs.

[Yasmin Desugian]

So then how do you know what to take and if they even work?

[Dr. Kavita Patel]

Yeah, so I think that the first things first, having that frank conversation with a trusted healthcare professional, and I think that's where I want everyone to anybody listening to just basically do an inventory of what you're taking. Take a picture of the bottle or bring the bottle in and come talk to a medical professional. I know people are worried they'll get dismissed out of hand. But honestly, if you come and say I want to make sure what I'm taking doesn't hur and I'd like to know if you think that this is good quality, that or a dietitian, those are health professionals that can help at least just navigate some of this. And then I would say warning signs like anything you're buying off the Internet. I would be just very suspicious of and really ask about third party testing. Almost every supplement that has had a third party testing to make sure that what's in that little pill is actually what's in that pill. They put that on the front of the label. If it doesn't mention it and you can't source it, you should move on and try to find something else. That's the second piece of advice. The third is that as we're starting to take more and more and more, I've had a lot of patients that are using supplements to just substitute for things in their diet because they don't have enough time. They've been told they need to get more fill in the blank. Creatine, protein, vitamin D. And they're now not using whole food sources for that. So just remember supplement means what it is, not a substitute. And it's even hard for me to remember that.

[Christine Romans]

Yasmin.

[Dr. Kavita Patel]

It's tempting because I'm busy. I would love to be able to get all the protein I need or all the vitamin D I need in one pill, but there is just no thing as a whole substitute for something.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Dr. Kavita Patel, you are the best as always. Thank you, my friend.

[Dr. Kavita Patel]

Thank you.

[Yasmin Desugian]

All right, let's move on to some headlines. First up, inflation ticked up 0.3% in June, the biggest monthly rise since January, nudging the annual rate to 2.7%. One culprit, tomatoes. A new 17% tariff on fresh Mexican imports could hike prices up by about 10%, turning your summer BLT or Caprese salad into a luxury item. But rent and services staying steady. The Fed's holding off on rate cuts, waiting to see what July and August could bring. But inflation may be cooling. Overall, your produce aisle is sweating. Mike Walsh got some tough questions from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, where he appeared for his confirmation hearing to be UN Ambassador. Walsh used to be the national security adviser, but was ousted after he accidentally added a journalist to a signal chat about military strikes in Yemen, which definitely came up at the hearing. Here's New Jersey Senator Cory Booker at.

[Tom Yamas]

A moment where our national security was clearly compromised, you denied, you deflected and then you demeaned and degraded those people who objectively told the truth and criticized your actions. Smearing people, attacking folks, singling them out just furthers it compounds what I think is disqualifying about you for this position.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Despite the controversy, he is expected to be confirmed without any major hiccups. For Beyonce, she may have just lost some things that are irreplaceable. According to police, hard drives containing Beyonce's unreleased music were stolen from her choreographer's rental vehicle in Atlanta. NBC News has obtained audio of the 911 call made by that choreographer after the alleged theft on July 8th.

[Ryan Nobles]

They have my computers and it's really, really important information in there.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Like I work with.

[Ryan Nobles]

Someone who is.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Like, of a high status. According to the police report, the hard drives contained watermarked music footage, plans for a show, and past and future set lists. The police department has secured an arrest warrant, but the suspect has not been taken into custody.

[Tom Yamas]

Three strikes, you're out and the old ball game.

[Yasmin Desugian]

Baseball's brightest stars take center stage tonight in Atlanta for the MLB All Star Game, where this year tradition is meeting tech for the first time. Robot umps. Yes, robot umpires are gonna call balls and stark. It's gonna be funny to watch those players fighting with umpires that are robots. Players also ditching flashy uniforms for their regular team threads. It is a fresh spin on a fan favorite with 81 all stars ready to bring the fireworks that's going to do it for us. And here's the scoop from NBC News. I'll be back tomorrow with whatever the news may bring. Signing off from 30 Rock, I'm Yasmin Desuyan.

[Tom Yamas]

Hey everybody, I'm Al Roker from the Today show here to tell you about our Jumpstart July event. The Start Today app has everything you need to get, get and stay motivated on your wellness journey all in one place. Like walking challenges for all levels to get you moving. Healthy recipes that are easy and delicious and so much more. And now when you subscribe for an annual plan, you'll get your first month completely free with promo code Jumpstart. Just download the Start Today app now to get started offering 73125 must enter code at checkout. Must be 18 or after first month. You will be automatically charged $65.99 a year plus tax for an annual subscription until you cancel. Cancel anytime through your device settings under Apple account. See website for full.