DOGE days of summer; Plus, Bad Bunny’s homecoming

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Here's the Scoop" – Episode: DOGE Days of Summer; Plus, Bad Bunny’s Homecoming

Release Date: July 17, 2025
Host: Brian Chung (alongside rotating hosts Yasmin Vossoughian and Morgan Chesky)

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1. Introduction

In this episode of "Here's the Scoop," hosted by Brian Chung of NBC News, listeners are navigated through significant current events shaping the socio-political and cultural landscape. The episode delves into controversial government funding cuts, explores the cultural impact of Bad Bunny’s concert residency in Puerto Rico, and touches upon critical international relations and notable industry shifts.

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2. Senate Passes $9 Billion Funding Cuts: The Doge Days of Summer

Timestamp: [00:22] – [04:23]

Brian Chung opens the discussion with a critical analysis of the recent Senate vote to pass a $9 billion funding cut package targeting foreign aid and public broadcasting entities like NPR and PBS. Referred to metaphorically as the "Doge days of summer," this move signifies a strategic attempt by the Trump administration to reduce government spending through unconventional measures.

Key Points:

• Legislative Process: The package initially introduced as a $9.4 billion rescissions bill successfully navigated the Senate with a narrow 51-48 vote ([01:32]). It bypassed the 60-vote filibuster requirement, enabling party-line passage.
• Impact on Public Broadcasting: Approximately $1 billion will be slashed from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, directly affecting NPR and PBS services nationwide. This reduction is anticipated to particularly impact rural areas reliant on public broadcasting for essential information, including emergency alerts ([01:32]).
• Foreign Aid Reductions: The majority of the cuts, totaling $8 billion, target foreign aid programs. The lack of specificity in the bill grants the White House broad discretion in implementing these cuts, raising concerns about transparency and effective reimbursement of already approved funds ([02:56]).

Notable Quotes:

• Brian Chung: “Call it the Doge days of summer.” ([00:22])
• Sean Williams: “It’s a whole new frontier for a Trump administration… resorting to novel measures to slash government spending.” ([02:00])
• Sean Williams: “Future majorities can use this precedent to basically mess with bipartisan funding deals.” ([04:19])

Discussion: Sean Williams, NBC's senior national political reporter, elaborates on the bill's implications, highlighting bipartisan tensions and the potential for future funding negotiations to be undermined by such unilateral cuts. The debate underscores a broader political strategy to reassert fiscal control while navigating intra-party dynamics.

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3. Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican Concert Residency: A Cultural Resurgence

Timestamp: [05:44] – [14:30]

Transitioning from political turmoil to cultural vibrancy, Brian Chung explores Bad Bunny’s groundbreaking concert residency in Puerto Rico, marking a significant event for both the artist and the island’s economy.

Key Points:

• Concert Details: Bad Bunny has launched a 30-concert residency at the Choliceo Auditorium in San Juan, Puerto Rico’s largest venue with a 16,000-person capacity. The initial nine shows are exclusively for Puerto Rican residents ([05:44]).
• Economic Impact: The residency is projected to inject over $200 million into Puerto Rico’s economy, benefiting hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, taxis, street vendors, and other local businesses ([10:20]).
• Cultural Significance: The tour emphasizes Puerto Rican cultural pride, blending modern reggaeton with traditional genres like salsa, bomba, and plena. This fusion not only entertains but also reinforces cultural identity and heritage ([06:30]).
• Social and Political Undertones: By focusing the tour in Puerto Rico and delaying a U.S. mainland extension, Bad Bunny highlights the unique challenges and cultural distinctiveness of Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory, subtly addressing issues of resource allocation and representation ([09:13]).

Notable Quotes:

• Jose Diaz Belar: “There is such a demand for this… because of Bad Bunny's most recent album… a resurgence of pride for so many Puerto Ricans.” ([06:30])
• Jenna Bush Hager (clip): “He wants everyone in the global world to know who we are, who he is, where he comes from.” ([08:32])
• Brian Chung: “Bad Bunny isn't just promoting his music; he's sharing the culture, beauty, and stunning rhythms of Puerto Rico.” ([09:13])

Discussion: Jose Diaz Belar, NBC’s Nightly News Saturday anchor, provides an on-the-ground perspective, emphasizing the tour’s role in economic revitalization and cultural affirmation. The choice to prioritize Puerto Rico before embarking on a global tour underscores a strategic move to bolster local pride and address territorial disparities.

Personal Touch: The hosts engage in a light-hearted exchange about their favorite Bad Bunny songs, adding a personable element to the discussion and highlighting the widespread appeal of his music ([11:23]).

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4. Additional Headlines

Timestamp: [12:25] – [14:30]

Brian Chung transitions to a series of brief yet impactful headlines, rounding out the episode with updates on international relations, corporate strategies, and notable passings.

Key Points:

• US-Iran Relations: A new assessment reveals that U.S. strikes on Iran destroyed only one out of three targeted nuclear enrichment sites, potentially allowing Iran to resume nuclear activities within months. Additionally, President Trump rejected a more extensive military plan against six Iranian sites to avoid prolonged conflict and high casualties ([12:11]).
• Coca-Cola and High Fructose Corn Syrup: President Trump claims to have persuaded Coca-Cola to revert to real cane sugar, though the company has not confirmed any changes. This announcement affected corn industry stocks, reflecting the interconnectedness of political statements and market responses ([12:11]).
• Passing of Connie Francis: The episode pays tribute to pop icon Connie Francis, who passed away at 87. Renowned for hits like "Stupid Cupid" and "Pretty Little Baby," her legacy in music and culture is celebrated ([14:24]).

Notable Quotes:

• Studio Narrator: “Connie Francis wasn’t just a chart hopper. She was a trailblazer, a pop icon and a sound that never truly faded.” ([14:30])

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5. Conclusion

Brian Chung wraps up the episode by summarizing the key takeaways and encouraging listeners to stay informed through upcoming coverage, particularly highlighting the Saturday Nightly News section for further insights into the discussed topics.

Closing Remarks: “We’re sorry we have to leave you, but that’s going to do it for us here at 'Here’s the Scoop' from NBC News. Until next time, I’m Brian Chung.” ([14:30])

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Reflection:

This episode of "Here's the Scoop" adeptly balances in-depth political analysis with vibrant cultural storytelling, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of significant events. From scrutinizing controversial government funding decisions to celebrating a cultural phenomenon like Bad Bunny’s concert residency, the podcast delivers content that is both informative and engaging, enriched by expert insights and relatable anecdotes.

Transcript

[Danny Gold]

Do you want to know what it's like to hang out with Ms. 13 in El Salvador? How the Russian mafia fought battles all over Brooklyn in the 1990s?

[Sean Williams]

What about that time I got lost in the Burmese jungle hunting the world's biggest meth lab? I'm Sean Williams.

[Danny Gold]

And I'm Danny Gold. And we're the hosts of the Underworld podcast. We're journalists that have traveled all over reporting on dangerous people and places. And every week we'll be bringing you a new story about organized crime from.

[Brian Chung]

All over the world, available wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Brian Chung. Call it the Doge days of summer. Overnight, the Senate voted to pass a package that would cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS and those inside the D.C. beltway. They say the bill has ripple effects even beyond your radios and TVs because of the politics that are behind it, because of, because that $9 billion it was funding that was already approved by Congress. And the move now to claw that money back, it marks a whole new frontier for a Trump administration that you recall Elon Musk's Doge movement. It's resorting to novel measures to slash government spending. But it's not a done deal yet because after passing the Senate, the bill still needs to clear the House and be signed in the Oval Office by midnight Friday for these cuts to stand. Here to catch up on all that happened while we were asleep last night. NBC News senior national political reporter Sahil Kapoor. Sahil, what's up?

[Sean Williams]

Great to join you, Brian.

[Brian Chung]

So tell us about what's in this bill. It's been a minute.

[Sean Williams]

Yeah, absolutely. So this started off as a $9.4 billion so called rescissions package. That's basically a fancy word for spending cuts that can pass along party lines. It can get around the 60 vote filibuster rule in the Senate. So that's crucial because Republicans are trying to cancel this money on party lines. This package passed the House last month on a narrow vote 214 to 212. And a slightly slimmer version of it passed the senate overnight around 2am by a vote of 51 to 48. It includes about a billion dollars in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funding to NPR and pbs. So that's going to be felt all over the country. Listeners and viewers of NPR and PBS will end up noticing it in some form or fashion. There was some concern among not Democrats, but also Republicans like Lisa Murkowski, that it would be particularly detrimental in rural areas, which don't have a lot of broadcasting options, where voters and Americans there rely on NPR and PBS for basic things, including emergency alerts and things like that, not just other content that they provide. So there's that, and then there's another $8 billion in cuts to foreign aid, a whole host of programs, which the way this is structured, it'll give the White House significant discretion to decide how the cuts are implemented. That was another problem that some Republicans had with the bill, that it's not very specific, but ultimately Republicans were fine with it.

[Brian Chung]

Let's explore the foreign aid aspect of this a little bit more since that's actually the majority of where these cuts are happening. Do we really know the implications of these cutbacks?

[Sean Williams]

I think this is part of the problem that various Republicans, even some who ended up voting for the package, like Mitch McConnell, the former longtime Senate Republican leader, said it was unacceptable that the White House was not detailing exactly how and which accounts would be cut. We don't exactly know which account and how they're going to implement the cuts and what time horizon.

[Brian Chung]

This vote actually canceled funding that had already been approved by this same Congress. So if this new rescissions process that we've seen with this particular bill that the Senate passed is just clawing back this funding that the same Congress already appropriated, that no one will ever really know where the money is going because it's about to go somewhere and then they pull it back last minute.

[Sean Williams]

I think listeners can see why this would be problematic. Why would the minority party going forward sign off on bipartisan deals if they're not ultimately going to be honored, if some pieces of it will be eliminated? Now Republicans argue that 9 billion is just a tiny drop in the bucket. They're not eliminating a whole lot, that it's considerably less than 1% of the overall federal spending. True. But the dumb view is that a deal is a deal, and if they can do 9 billion now, they can do twice that or three times that much later. And future majorities can use this precedent to basically mess with bipartisan funding deals.

[Brian Chung]

Sahil Kapoor, thanks so much.

[Sean Williams]

Great to join you.

[Brian Chung]

We're gonna take a quick break. And when we come back, one of the biggest stars in the world is going on tour, but won't be hitting mainland usa. That's right. We're talking bad Bunny brb.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, everybody, it's Hoda Kotb. And I would love for you to join me for new episodes of My Podcast Making Space. Each week I'm having conversations with authors, actors, speake and dear friends of mine. Folks who are seeking the truth, compassion and self discovery. I promise you will leave these talks stronger and inspired to make space in your own life for growth and change. To start listening, just search making space wherever you get your podcasts and follow for new episodes every Wednesday.

[Brian Chung]

Taking over the helm of NBC Nightly News, a 75 year old broadcast, it's a great responsibility. Good evening, I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out there to bring people at home closer to the store. Wildfires continue to be a threat. With that massive hurricane comes the massive response. The best reporters in our business know how to listen. And when you listen, you get the truth. For NBC News, NBC News, I'm Tom Yamas. That's what we do every night, NBC.

[Sean Williams]

Nightly News with Tom Yamas evenings on NBC.

[Brian Chung]

And we're back with here's the scoop from NBC News. We are coming at you from 30 Rock in New York City. AKA if you recognize that song, then you probably already know that Bad Bunny has kicked off the tour for his latest album Debit Armas Photos, which translates to I should have taken more photos. The Tour starts with 30 sold out shows in Puerto Rico, the first nine of which, get this, are exclusively for residents of the island. My colleague Jose Diaz Bellar, he is our Nightly News Saturday anchor. He actually got to go to the show last week in what is probably the coolest assignment ever. Jose, it's great to talk with you. And I have to ask you, what was that crowd like? How amped up were they knowing that Bad Bunny means so much to Puerto Rico?

[Jose Diaz Belar]

Brian, it's great to see you, buddy. And I gotta tell you, I would have loved if you would come with us to next time to really enjoy and to witness history in so many ways in the making. So it's interesting because this 30 concert residency in the auditorium in San Juan known as the Choliceo, it's the largest venue in Puerto rico and holds 16,000 people. And when Bad Bunny announced that he was going to give these 30 concerts, the entire series sold out in less than four hours. And when you get to Puerto Rico and you get in a cab or you speak to the people on in the streets. There is such a demand for this, Brian, and I think it has a lot to do with Bad Bunny's most recent album. I mean it's significant because he does bring in to probably one of the most modern musical genres, reggaeton. He brings in elements of other traditional Older musical genres, Puerto Rican in nature, all of them. So salsa from the 70s. He brings in to Nova Yol, he brings in Bombay Plena, which is an autochthonous Puerto Rican rhythm, Afro Caribbean based of all of those elements of Puerto Rican cultural musical history. He blends in so brilliantly in this album. And that has Brian prompted, I think, this resurgence of pride for so many Puerto Ricans. And Brian, if I could, here's what some of the folks that were outside the concert waiting to get in on, you know, Friday night, the first night of this series, had to say about what it meant to them to be here. Take a listen.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

He wants everyone in the global world to know who we are, who he is, where he comes from. And he feels humble even though all his success and that is something to be proud of. So that is like typical of a true Puerto Rican.

[Brian Chung]

And so that's very powerful. Obviously, I wonder what is there to be read about the Puerto Rican experience that you were talking about as well? Because the politics of this can't be ignored either. Puerto Rico being a territory of the United States, at times feeling like they don't have access to the same resources that the rest of the mainland does. And I think it cannot be ignored that this Bad Bunny tour will not include stops on the US mainland. What's to be read from that?

[Jose Diaz Belar]

He said it. He said, listen, the reason I'm not going to the States right now and he's going to go into a world tour after he finishes this 30 concert series in. He says, I have toured the United States incessantly recently. All my fans have been given the opportunity to see me. And it's true. I mean, the guy was just blanketing the United States for the last couple of years in huge sold out concerts everywhere in the United States. And he says this concert tour is not about a greatest hits like this isn't Taylor Swift eras. This is me promoting and sharing the culture, beauty and stunning rhythms of Puerto Rico. And you know, there is such a mixture of songs and of genres and of emotions that I think he thinks done it in the United States. Now I'm going to the rest of the world. But first, First I'm doing 30 concerts in the choliceo and the first nine for Puerto Ricans only.

[Brian Chung]

Jose, tell me about the economic impact of the shows in Puerto Rico because you mentioned the ERAS tour and I hear your point about it being different. But the ERAS tour generated so much money in the cities that they toured in. I mean, by some estimates millions, billions of dollars.

[Jose Diaz Belar]

Billions. Yeah. It's unbelievable. So the Ministry of Tourism was telling us that these 30 concert series, that whole process is expected to bring in more than $200 million just during the time that the concert series is underway. Every hotel is packed, every restaurant is booked, nightclubs, I'm told I didn't get.

[Brian Chung]

A chance to confirm this second hand sources.

[Jose Diaz Belar]

Right. But then also think about all of the street vendors and the food vendors and the taxis and, and all of this side industry that is really booming now because of this residency.

[Sean Williams]

Wow.

[Brian Chung]

So, Jose, as we wrap up here, fun question, favorite album, favorite song among Bad Bunny's extensive catalog.

[Jose Diaz Belar]

Boy, I think to put you on the spot, the last album for sure. David Mas photos, La Mulanza, the last song when he talks about his history, but then ties it in to the need for all of us to remember where we came from and never let that go. And I think that no photos en la mudanza, but the one about Hawaii has also been one that I've been listening to a lot. So I would maybe three of those.

[Brian Chung]

All right. You may have cheated by picking three, but I'll let it pass. I think mine is off and my Spanish is not very good, but yo no soy saloso off of un vernono senti, which I think translates to I'm not jealous. Is that correct?

[Jose Diaz Belar]

It does.

[Brian Chung]

Which means because I bring that up, because I'm not at all jealous that you went to the concert and I didn't. So.

[Jose Diaz Belar]

And I'm not at all jealous that I got to go.

[Brian Chung]

You got. Yep. Jose Diaz Belar again, Ankara.

[Jose Diaz Belar]

Great to see you, man.

[Brian Chung]

Weekend Nightly News. Thanks so much for stopping by.

[Jose Diaz Belar]

Thanks.

[Brian Chung]

And by the way, guys, if you want more on this story, be sure to check out Nightly News this Saturday. You won't want to miss it. All right, moving on now to some headlines, starting with an NBC exclusive. A new damage assessment has found that US Strikes on Iran destroyed only one of three nuclear enrichment sites targeted last month. But the two others were not as badly damaged. And Iran could resume nuclear enrichment in the next several months at those sites if the country decided to that, according to five current and former U.S. officials familiar with the assessment. We've also learned that President Trump rejected a military plan for more comprehensive strikes on six Iranian nuclear sites that would have lasted several weeks and potentially led to a high number of casualties. President Trump said he convinced Coca Cola to ditch high fructose corn syrup and bring back real cane sugar. That in a true social post. But the soda giant isn't backing him up. In a statement, Koch thanked Trump for his support, but stopped short of confirming any recipe changes. The post still sent ripples through the market with corn industry stocks taking a hit. And by the way, if you're jonesing to taste what a Coke with cane sugar is like, there's only one way to do that in the US and that's by buying an imported Coke from Mexico. Before we say goodbye, we want to remember a true icon. Connie Francis has died at the age of 87. Her voice helped define the late 50s and early 60s with unforgettable hits like Stupid Cupid and of course, the song that became a film with Frances starring in it herself. Her music speaking to the dreams and heartbreaks of all generations. Her 1962 track Pretty Little Baby, Pretty.

[Jose Diaz Belar]

Little baby, you say that maybe you'll.

[Sean Williams]

Be thinking of me and try to.

[Brian Chung]

Love me Found new life thanks to a viral moment on social media. Connie Francis wasn't just a charts hopper. She was a trailblazer, a pop icon and a sound that never truly faded. And we're sorry we have to leave you, but that's going to do it for us here at here's the scoop from NBC News. Until next time, I'm Brian Chung.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Hey everyone, I'm Jenna Bush Hager from the Today show and I'm excited to share my podcast Open Book with Jenna. It is back for season two. Each week, celebrities, experts, friends and authors will share candid stories with me about their lives and new projects. Guests like Rebecca Yarros, Kristin Hannah, Ego Wodom, and more. Like a good book, you'll leave feeling inspired and entertained. Join me me for my podcast Open Book with Jenna. Listen now on Apple Podcasts.