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- [00:01]
McDonald's Representative
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- [00:31]
Thumbtack Advertiser
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Yasmin Vesugian
Welcome to here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugian. So today on the podcast, everybody knows about the GLP1 craze, but did you know some people are actually microdosing these drugs? We're going to tell you all about it. Plus we have new details on where those boats in the Caribbean and Pacific are actually going. And then the origins of kissing. That is right. Making out goes back way further than you think. Up first, though, President Trump meeting with New York City Mayor elect Zorra Mamdani in the Oval Office today. It is a very highly anticipated meetup. The two have been publicly sparring in recent months. Mamdani addressing Trump directly in his election night victory speech.
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Zoran Mamdani
So Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you. Turn the volume up.
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Yasmin Vesugian
And President Trump responding on Fox News.
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Donald Trump
Yeah, I thought it was a very angry speech, certainly angry toward me. And I think he should be very nice to me. You know, I'm the one that sort of has to approve a lot of things coming to him. So he's off to a bad start.
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Yasmin Vesugian
The president has repeatedly called Mamdani a communist. He's a democratic socialist and bristled at comparisons between himself and the mayor elect. Like on CBS 60 Minutes, some people have compared him to a left wing version of you, charismatic, breaking the old rules. What do you think about that?
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Donald Trump
Well, I think I'm a much better looking person than him.
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NBC News Announcer
Right.
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Yasmin Vesugian
But today it seems the two are putting their differences aside, at least for the moment.
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Donald Trump
We had discussions on something. I'm not going to discuss what they were but that I feel very confident that he can do a very good job. I think. I think he's going to be. I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually, and some very liberal people. He won't surprise him because they already like him.
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Yasmin Vesugian
I want to bring in our reporter on this, Alan Smith, who has spent a heck of a lot of time with Mamdani and covers the president as well. Hi, Alan.
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Alan Smith
Great too with you, Yasmin.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Great to have you. So Trump and Mamdani, they have been trading barbs back and forth. Walk us through how they got to this meeting.
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Alan Smith
So you got to start with Zoran, right? He gets through the mayoral primary, starts from 1% in the polls, barely registering. You know, he's fighting against Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and eventually the general election. Curtis Lewa, Eric Adams for a time. And he kind of outfoxes all of them with a real grassroots campaign. Energizes a lot of young voters in New York. You know, the consistency in his message is I'm fighting for affordability and I'm going to fight Trump. And of course, Trump takes note of this. He spent months trying to kneecap Mamdani, endorse Cuomo at the last minute, and they have been trading barbs back and forth. I mean, Trump is referring to him as a communist repeatedly. And Mamdani, I mean, most notably in his victory speech on election night, said that he was going to be kind of a singular force, him and his movement in New York, stopping not only Trump, but stopping the next Trump.
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Zoran Mamdani
After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Well, it's interesting, though, because, Alan, you and I have talked about this. But even in the early days of Mamdani's candidacy, he reached out to Trump voters wanting to understand why it was they supported the president.
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Alan Smith
And one of the most fascinating elements here is that NBC News's own exit polls found that 10% of Trump voters who showed up at the polls this month to vote in the mayoral race voted for Zoran even before his win. He has expressed a willingness to speak with the president specifically on affordability issues. Just yesterday, he was talking to reporters at a press conference and said, you know, there are a lot of voters in New York who voted for the president and voted for me who wanted to see cost of living issues tackled. So he has framed the meeting as an opportunity to discuss and potentially make progress there.
- [04:58]
Zoran Mamdani
My team reached out to the White House to fulfill a commitment I made to New Yorkers over the course of this campaign, a commitment that showed a willingness to meet with anyone and everyone, so long as it was to the benefit of the eight and a half million people that call the city their home, and so long as it would help to address the affordability crisis that is pushing so many of them out of this city.
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Alan Smith
So I go back to this interview that I had with Mamdani earlier this month in which he said, look, I get the chance to speak with the President. I want to talk to him about affordability. I want to talk to him about how we can both make life better and more affordable for everyday New Yorkers. But if the President wants to talk about withholding millions in additional funding to New York City, if he wants to do ICE raids here right after I take office, if he wants to do any number of things that I believe are harmful to the city, I'm going to be standing up for that, no problem.
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Yasmin Vesugian
When the President was asked on 60 Minutes about the similarities that many see between both him and Mamdani as candidates, he kind of scoffed at that. But with that said, you know, you and I have talked about this, and I say that it seems as if Mamdani is the result of POTUS and Bernie Sanders having a baby. And then they would have Zoran Mamdani, because he is kind of taking a page out of the President's book and the way in which he campaigns, the issues he campaigns on, the way in which he speaks to voters, and then, of course, kind of the Democratic socialist agenda that, that Bernie Sanders was akin to as well.
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Alan Smith
You think about Trump and Zoran, both New Yorkers, both entered competitive primaries against much more well established candidates. They both started off at about 1% in the polls. They both overcame the scions of political dynasties, Trump with the Bush family, Zoron with the Cuomo family, and with messaging that was really memorable. So there are a lot of similarities there. And I thought it was so notable. You know, you mentioned the 60 Minutes interview when he was asked about any of those similarities, and his response is, well, I think I'm a better looking person than he is. Right. You know, as someone who has followed the President for a long time, especially considering he was not prompted on Zoran's looks, he tends to comment on the looks of Democratic lawmakers when he either has heard people say or is thinking about their level of attractiveness. And certainly, at least in New York City, that was a theme of Zoron's campaign. This guy's 34 years old. A lot of younger voters had built him up as kind of this good looking guy and clearly the president had taken notice of that and views that as an important thing.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Alan Smith, thank you.
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Alan Smith
Thanks, Yasmin.
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Ann Thompson
All right.
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Yasmin Vesugian
We are going to take a very quick break. And when we are back, the latest trend in weight loss. That's next. Who's ready for some football all season?
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TODAY Show Announcer
The TODAY SHOW takes you inside the game.
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Donald Trump
We are going to get this party started.
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TODAY Show Announcer
Join us every week as we go behind the scenes with your favorite NFL teams for the biggest stories on and off the field. Big game tonight, plus game day recipes that dial up your tailgate.
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Ann Thompson
Football food soup to nuts.
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TODAY Show Announcer
From stadium lights to game day bites, the Today show is your home for all things football. Every morning on NBC.
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NBC News Announcer
NBC News focuses.
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Yasmin Vesugian
On the facts, looking deeper and listening wider.
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Alan Smith
It's clear reporting free from opinion, facts, clarity, calm.
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NBC News Announcer
NBC News reporting for America this week on MEET THE press. With the government shutdown finally over, but Democrats divided over what was sacrificed to make a deal, Kristen Welker sits down with Senator Tim Kaine, Congressman Ro Khanna and Senator John Barrasso this week on MEET THE press. Listen to the full episode now, wherever you get your podcasts.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Welcome back to here's the scoop from NBC News. Let's dig into a trend that you probably heard whispered about at gyms, at group chats and yes, even from celebrities.
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Donald Trump
I was microdosing a glp.
- [09:24]
Alan Smith
Whatever.
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Yasmin Vesugian
I didn't think that's what you were going to say. You were microdosing. No. Well, so that was Andy Cohen talking about microdosing GLP1s. He's talking about the wildly popular drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound. Originally designed for diabetes and weight loss, these drugs are now being used by some people in tiny sub therapeutic doses, a trend commonly referred to as microdosing. So we got intrigued, adding fuel to the craze, telehealth companies like NOOM and ro, all making it easier than ever to get your hands on these kind of medicines. Users saying microdosing helps with everything from appetite tuning to just keeping their weight in check. I want to bring in NBC News correspondent Ann Thompson, who talked to someone currently microdosing. Hi, Ann.
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Ann Thompson
Hi, Yasmin.
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Yasmin Vesugian
It's great to have you in studio. This is the ultimate water cooler conversation about microdosing. GLP1s. What is microdosing?
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Ann Thompson
So microdosing is taking a smaller amount of these weight loss drugs than what the FDA approved. So instead of taking, let's say one milligram of one of these drugs, you're taking a tenth of a milligram, and you're taking in smaller amounts. And the people who do this say there are a couple of reasons why they do it. First of all, it tends to be less expensive. I mean, these drugs can run you four figures a month. Another reason is fewer side effects. They say the nausea, the stomach upset, the headaches that some people experience with GLP1s they don't experience with microdosing. And then the third issue, it's an easier way, it's more manageable way to lose weight. I would say that's what you will hear from people who do this. And what's fascinating about this is that it's customers who started doing this. This isn't the pharmaceutical companies saying you can do this. People were figuring this out on their own. And now you've got companies like Noom who are sort of jumping on this bandwagon.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Wait, so if I'm hearing you correctly, essentially these are folks that said, you know what? I'm just gonna start taking smaller percentages of this medication that I have. What have been their experiences that they told you about?
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Ann Thompson
So the woman who is featured in our story is Jen Ro. Lives outside of Boston. She's 53 years old, and I think, like many women of that age, suddenly discovered she had gained 20 pounds she couldn't lose. And she was really frustrated because she said, I'm very active. She skis, she bikes, she goes to the gym four times a week. But she had these 20 pounds that wouldn't go away. And so she thought, you know what? I'm gonna try microdosing.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Cause she wanted.
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Ann Thompson
She was afraid of the side effects of a full dose of Gl. And so she's done it. She uses one of the apps, and she's lost. She says she needs to lose those 20 pounds. She's lost 13. And the other thing that's interesting about what Jen is doing, she went to a regular doctor and said, hey, I'm doing this. And her regular doctor said, that's fine, and is watching to make sure there aren't any adverse impacts of microdosing.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Does she have any side effects? Has she gotten her blood done since she started microdosing?
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Ann Thompson
She does not have any reported side effects at this point. What's interesting about this, first of all, two things. If you get the brand name drugs like WeGovy or Ozempic, they come in an autoinjector pen, so the dose is already there. If you're microdosing you're getting a vial and a needle and you have to fill that syringe. I don't know about you, but that terrifies me.
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Yasmin Vesugian
It's amazing what will motivate people. So is it. So is it safe?
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Ann Thompson
That's the big question. That's what obesity doctors will question. Is it safe? There are no clinical studies that say microdosing drug X is safe and effective. There are lots of anecdotal stories. Noom says it's got tens of thousands of people who say they have succeeded losing weight using microdoses, but there's been no clinical trial. And in that, you take a group of people who are on the drug and then a group of people who are getting a placebo and compare the differences.
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Yasmin Vesugian
I wonder if you asked this question of these obesity docs in that why would it not be safe for someone who wants to lose 20 pounds versus someone who wants to lose 80 pounds?
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Ann Thompson
Because what they say is that these drugs were never approved to be used in microdoses. This is something that people have decided to do, and until there is that science to back it up, not anecdotal evidence, but that science, they are not willing to endorse it. I spoke to Carolina Povian, who heads Brigham and Women's obesity efforts in Boston, and she said she gets people coming into her office every day asking about microdosing, and she will not prescribe microdoses because she said, I just don't know if it's safe. I don't know.
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Yasmin Vesugian
So that leads to my last question, which is a lot of folks listening would say everybody seems to be getting quite thin these days, and I don't think it's just because of diet and exercise. So as we look ahead towards maybe a Caribbean vacation in the winter or the summer bathing suit season, what are doctors telling you as to whether or not they should be able to go and take these drugs to lose maybe the winter 15. Yeah.
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Ann Thompson
Well, what I will tell you is, and this will not surprise you, given who he works for, Dr. Jeffrey Egler, who's the chief medical officer for Noom, which is one of these telehealth companies. I asked him that. I said, you know, should you be prescribing drugs for somebody who just wants to lose 15 pounds? And he said, look, I've heard that criticism, but if losing those 15 pounds makes you feel better, eat better, exercise more, feel better about yourself, why not? You know, he will say, they're not doing you any harm. On the other side, other doctors will say the only way to lose the weight and keep it off. It's the same tried and true formula. You've got to eat less and exercise more. You change the way you eat, change the way you exercise, you will not only lose weight, you'll keep it off.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Ann Thompson, thank you.
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Ann Thompson
It's so nice to be with you.
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Yasmin Vesugian
All right, let's get to some headlines. President Donald Trump is pushing Ukraine to accept a new peace deal by Thanksgiving even though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns the proposal is forcing his country to choose between its dignity and a, quote, key partner. According to three U.S. officials. The White House wants Kyiv to sign off on a framework to end the Ukraine Russia war Based on the US crafted 28 point peace plan that was quietly hammered out over the past few weeks. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are defending US Military airstrikes on suspected drug boats off Latin America as essential to stopping narcotics from reaching American shores. But current and former US Law enforcement and military officials, along with narcotics experts, told NBC News the Caribbean vessels being targeted, accounting for roughly half of all strikes, are primarily moving cocaine from South America to to Europe, not the United States. Those same officials also note that fentanyl, America's deadliest drug, is almost exclusively smuggled over land from Mexico. The administration disputes this. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, quote, all of these decisive strikes have been against designated narco terrorists bringing deadly poison to our shores. At the same time, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell insisted their intelligence confirmed the boats were, quote, trafficking narcotics destined for America. The administration has produced no evidence supporting its allegations about the vessels or the people on board. Since September 2, the US military has conducted 21 lethal strikes on suspected drug boats, killing more than 80 people. According to the Pentagon, Representative Eric Swalwell of California is following in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger and used late night television to announce his bid for California Governor.
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Eric Swalwell
I came here tonight, Jimmy, to tell you and your audience that I'm running to be the next governor of California.
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Yasmin Vesugian
Swalwell, who's been in Congress for more than a decade, told Jimmy Kimmel Live last night that he's jumping into the race, joining a CBS receipt length list of Democrats already vying for the seat, including Representative Katie Porter, former LA Mayor Antonio Villaragosa, and more. Swalwell is a staunch critic of Trump and picked the right venue to tick him off since the president called on ABC to fire Kimmel just this week. In his campaign video, Swalwell said that the governor of California has two jobs keep the worst president in our history out and bring a new California Kiss me beneath the milky twilight. Kissing can happen anywhere beneath the milky twilight or out on the moonlit floor. But how old is kissing, you ask? Some British scientists say the age of the lip lock is about 16 million to 21 million years old. And humans are not the only species that love a good kiss. Ants, fish, giraffes, monkeys, they were all getting to first base. Their study suggests that great apes and a common ancestor of humans were also serial snoggers. Study found that kissing does get passed down. It just couldn't tell us why. There's a number of theories about communication, grooming or compatibility, but maybe, just maybe, they do it for the same reasons we do. Love, or even sometimes just like. So kiss me. All right, that's gonna do it for us at here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back here Monday with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
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Eric Swalwell
On the night before Halloween in 1975, 15 year old Martha Moxley was murdered. But police failed to make an arrest until in 2000, her one time neighbor Michael Skakel was arrested. He was also a cousin of the Kennedys. The Kennedy connection is the reason that most people know about this case. But the deeper I dug, the more I came to question everything I thought I knew. Search Dead Certain the Martha Moxley Murder on Apple Podcasts to listen to the latest episodes each week.