Podcast Summary: "Here's the Scoop" (NBC News)

Episode: Serena Williams’ journey on a GLP-1; Texas redistricting fight
Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian

Overview

This episode of "Here’s the Scoop" is a double-feature, beginning with an exclusive interview with tennis legend Serena Williams about her public decision to use GLP-1 medications for weight loss and her new partnership with the telehealth company Ro. The second half dives into the political showdown in Texas over redistricting, exploring the potential national impact and the increasing partisan warfare around congressional maps.

Segment 1: Serena Williams on Health, GLP-1s, and Her Next Chapter

(Starts at 00:29)

Serena Williams on “GOAT” Status

• Serena’s view: She’s not entirely comfortable with being called “the GOAT” (Greatest Of All Time), finding the label a bit much:
  • “Of course not...There's a lot of goats out there, you know, and who am I to say that I am? So I never really thought about it.” (01:32)
  • Joking about the “baa” sound, she adds, “Is that with the sound they make? I think that's a sheep.” (01:42)

Why Serena Started GLP-1 Medications

• Persistent struggles with weight loss post-pregnancy:
  • “I've been trying to lose weight for so long…ever since I had my first child in 2017…no matter what I did…nothing ever worked.” (02:09)
  • “I played Wimbledon, I played Opens...I trained, I ran, I swam...I did it. And nothing ever worked...After I had the baby, I would lose a lot of weight fast, but then I would never, like, lose much more than that.” (02:25)
• Decision process:
  • “My friends were on it, a lot of people that I knew was on it. And then I was like, maybe I should try it. No. And I was like, maybe I should try it. No. And then eventually I was like, I gotta try it. I've tried everything else. I approach it like an opponent.” (03:13)
• Competitive mindset:
  • “I'm like, I can't beat this opponent, this weight loss opponent. And so let me try something new.” (03:39)

How GLP-1s Changed Things

• Routine didn’t change, but results did:
  • “There wasn't a lot of change in my habits. I'm like, probably one of the few people that, like, pretty much ate the same for a very long time...doing the exact same things, but getting the results.” (04:05)
  • “It was like, oh, I'm finally actually losing weight now that I'm doing the exact same things.” (04:13)

On Dealing with Criticism

• Resilience in the face of "haters":
  • “I don't care about haters. I actually had them my whole life. They can just get in line. It's a long line.” (05:01)
  • “I've gotten so good, actually almost too good at blocking out noise. But for me, I know what my journey is, and I've literally tried everything. And that's why I think it was also really important to share my story.” (05:31)

Accessibility and Advice for Others

• On barriers to access:
  • “You have to just start...That's why I love Ro because they do take a lot of different insurances, and so you just have to check and see...” (05:56)
• Sharing her journey to normalize the conversation and expand access:
  • “It also opens up the medicine for more people. I would hope so. We just hope to just continue on that journey.” (06:10)

Confidence and Well-being

• Effects beyond weight loss:
  • “I feel lighter. I feel more confident. Happier is an interesting word, but you do feel, in a way, happier, but in a different way…by the way a lot healthier. And that's the one thing that stands out the most, is the health aspect.” (06:21)

Podcast Announcement: "Stockton Street"

• Serena’s new podcast with Venus explores life, culture, women’s sports, fashion, and design, starting from their experiences in sports but opening up to a range of topics:
  • “We want to just talk about things that are in pop culture...through the lens of, you know, what we kind of started with, which is sport.” (07:30)
  • “We have a plethora of things that we can just talk about, and so that's what we plan on doing.” (08:04)

Closing on Serena’s Mindset

• Work ethic and perseverance:
  • “I know I don't take shortcuts. I know how to work hard, harder than anyone. And it didn't work. Everything I did didn't work for me...that's kind of how tennis is, which is also very helpful in life.” (08:47)

Segment 2: Texas Redistricting Fight & National Consequences

(Starts at 10:53)

The Republican Map & House Vote

• Recap of events:
  • Texas legislature set to push through a Republican-friendly congressional map, giving the GOP five likely additional seats.
  • Democrats' efforts to block the map through legislative maneuvers failed; “math is a tricky problem for Texas Democrats.” (11:41)
  • Senate likely to pass imminently; governor’s signature expected soon. (11:45)

Democratic Strategy: Legal Challenges

• Democratic recourse:
  • Their claim: the new map is racially discriminatory, fragmenting minority communities for partisan advantage—potential Voting Rights Act violation. (12:42)
  • Timeline is tight: maps must be settled before the 2026 midterms, especially March primaries. (13:09)
  • "This is a long legal battle that doesn't have a long runway to play out." (13:19)

Republican Position

• Justifying the new maps:
  • “The only consideration that they took into account was partisan advantage...as unfair or unpopular as that might sound...it is perfectly legal.” (13:41)

The Nationwide Domino Effect

• Response in California:
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing emergency redistricting to create five new blue seats as a direct response to Texas. (14:09)
  • Former President Obama supports Newsom’s move, framing it as necessary, "eye for an eye" partisanship. (14:38)
  • National implications: similar partisan battles could arise in Indiana and Florida. (15:15)

Why It Matters

• Control of Congress is at stake:
  • Yasmin: “At this point, it just seems like it's a race to the finish. And by finish, I mean the midterm elections.” (15:40)
  • Even a five-seat swing could change the balance of power in a divided Congress. (16:04)

Additional Headlines (16:09)

• Hurricane Erin: Category 2, pulling away from NC coast but continuing to threaten the Atlantic with flooding and dangerous surf. (16:09)
• Trump’s Civil Fraud Penalty Overturned: NY appeals court throws out the penalty as “excessive,” upholding some findings but delivering a “significant legal victory” for Trump. (16:36)
• Menendez Brothers Parole Hearings: After 36 years, the infamous brothers go before the board. If granted parole, the final decision goes to Governor Newsom. (17:20)
• Dawson’s Creek Cast Reunion: Original 90s cast reuniting for a charity event to benefit F Cancer and support James Van Der Beek. (18:03)

Top Memorable Quotes

• Serena Williams on body image after motherhood:
  “I literally played professional tennis and...I was never able to get my weight down to where I needed it to be for a healthy area, no matter what I did.” (02:09)

• On trying GLP-1s:
  “I approach it like an opponent...I can't beat this opponent, this weight loss opponent. And so let me try something new.” (03:39)

• On critics:
  “I don't care about haters. I actually had them my whole life. They can just get in line. It's a long line.” (05:01)

• On her journey’s significance:
  “I've gotten so good, actually almost too good at blocking out noise. But for me, I know what my journey is, and I've literally tried everything.” (05:31)

• On partisanship in redistricting:
  “This is new territory, this kind of eye for an eye, brutally partisan, unapologetically political battle for...Obama to endorse what California is doing...” (14:38)

Notable Timestamps

• Serena on “GOAT” label: 01:30
• Why start GLP-1s: 02:09
• Friends and decision-making: 03:13
• Change in results: 04:05
• On haters: 05:01
• Barriers and insurance: 05:56
• Podcast plans: 07:30
• Transition to Texas redistricting: 10:53
• Legal routes and partisanship: 12:42–14:38
• National significance: 15:40

Overall Tone

• Serena Williams: Endearingly self-deprecating, candid, and matter-of-fact—her tone mixes humor, competitive spirit, and openness in sharing her struggles and resilience.
• Texas redistricting discussion: Analytical, urgent, and clear, emphasizing the high stakes of partisan maneuvers and their broader national consequences.

This episode delivers relatable vulnerability and candor from a sporting icon, paired with clear, accessible explanations of a major political fight that could impact the shape of national leadership for years to come.