Podcast Summary: Here’s the Scoop – “The GOP holds on in the Volunteer State; A Lawsuit That’s Anything But Sugarcoated”

Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Ryan Nobles (filling in for Yasmin Vossoughian)
Podcast: Here’s the Scoop, NBC News

Brief Overview

This episode spotlights two major stories:

1. A closely-watched special congressional election in Tennessee’s 7th District — a bellwether for national party dynamics heading into the 2026 midterms.
2. San Francisco’s unprecedented lawsuit against major food companies, alleging that ultra-processed food marketed by these giants has caused a public health crisis.

Also covered: immigration enforcement in New Orleans, updates from NATO, the reopening of Camp Mystic after a tragic flood, and a look at Spotify Wrapped 2025.

1. Tennessee’s 7th Congressional Election: GOP Narrowly Hangs On

[00:47 – 10:06]

Key Discussion Points

• The Contest

  • Republican Matt Van Epps (Army vet, former state official) vs. Democrat Afton Bain (state representative).
  • Race attracted national attention and heavy spending from both parties due to unexpectedly tight polling.
  • Van Epps’ victory margin was low, despite Trump’s 2024 landslide in the district.

• Central Campaign Issues

  • Democratic Focus: Cost of living, inflation, affordability.
    • "She would immediately try to pivot right back to the cost of living and to inflation."
      – Steve Kornacki (02:37)
  • GOP Theme: Attack Bain’s prior statements/positions (e.g., on policing), casting her as out of step with local values.
    • “It was about turning the race into a referendum on her and the Democratic Party in a district where the Democratic Party doesn't typically do well.”
      – Steve Kornacki (03:07)

• Results Analysis

  • Bain dominated in Davidson County (Nashville), but failed to gain traction in suburbs and swing county (Clarksville).
    • “If she had [done better in swing areas], we might be talking about a race this morning that had been a real squeaker.”
      – Steve Kornacki (03:35)

• Trump’s Influence

  • Trump endorsed Van Epps and hosted a “telerally,” credited by Van Epps during his victory speech.
    • "President Trump was all in with us and it made the difference..."
      – Matt Van Epps, quoted by Steve Kornacki (01:39)
  • Kornacki notes that while Trump motivates infrequent voters in presidential years, his “political currency” is less effective in off-cycles.
    • “If he's not there, even if he gives his full throated endorsement...that's not a guarantee that his political currency will translate.”
      – Ryan Nobles (05:49)
    • “They haven't found a good answer for that yet.”
      – Steve Kornacki (06:25)

• Redistricting’s Impact

  • 2022 gerrymander split Nashville into multiple districts, making each less Republican but more competitive as the political climate shifted.
    • “What it had the effect of doing is...suddenly they're playing defense all over the place...”
      – Steve Kornacki (08:19)
  • This may backfire for both parties as demographics and political winds change.
    • “That bill is probably going to come due for them at some point, too.”
      – Steve Kornacki (09:55)

Memorable Quotes

• “It was a Democratic overperformance...at the same time, I think it was a Democratic underperformance in that they could have done better here.”
  – Steve Kornacki (03:37)

• “There seems to be this trend line...if Donald Trump's on the ballot, Republican voters are motivated to come out and cast a ballot. But if he’s not there...that's not a guarantee that his political currency will translate.”
  – Ryan Nobles (05:49)

• “The thing that happens with these gerrymanders...the climate changes a few years later and suddenly they're playing defense all over the place and they end up losing some of them.”
  – Steve Kornacki (09:09)

2. San Francisco vs. Big Food: “A Lawsuit That’s Anything But Sugarcoated”

[11:51 – 20:14]

Key Discussion Points

• The Lawsuit

  • San Francisco sues 10 major food companies (Kraft Heinz, Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, etc.).
  • Allegation: Marketing ultra-processed foods that are addictive and known to harm health, creating a “public health crisis.”
  • No immediate comment from the companies.

• Medical Perspective

  • Dr. Kavita Patel summarizes health risks of ultra-processed foods:
    • “Increased rates of cancer, higher rates of obesity, higher rates of diabetes...linkages to neurodegeneration.”
    • “[Check] the back of the ingredient list. If it looks like a lot of words...it is highly likely it’s ultra processed.”
      (12:43)

• Legal Analysis with Danny Savalos

  • First-of-its-kind suit from a city, but an evolution from earlier tobacco and opioid lawsuits.

    • “For probably decades now we've been seeing the growth of these, I think of them as vice lawsuits.”
      (13:47)

  • Challenges: Individual choice, causation. Companies likely to argue consumers are informed and responsible for their choices.

    • “We put the ingredients on the back of all of our packaging...it’s right there in black and white.”
      (15:18)
    • “Is it foreseeable to hold us responsible...for somebody getting something like type 2 diabetes...?”
      (15:18)

  • What is San Francisco seeking?

    • Compensation for citywide health care costs, not direct payouts to individuals.
    • City wants “costs and fees and the harm that the city has suffered,” not a direct cash settlement for residents.
      (17:32)

  • Broader Implications

    • Lawsuit looks for industry change, not just cash (“injunctive relief”).
    • Uniqueness: “Food is something we all need” — harder to regulate than tobacco/opioids.
    • “How will they do that? Do they change their packaging? Will that resolve it? Do they make the warning labels larger? What do you do to remedy this?”
      (18:51)

Memorable Quotes

• “Thirty years ago, if you had asked lawyers, were these kinds of lawsuits viable, where you're essentially holding large companies responsible for people's own independent choices... But yes, this is a first in the sense that you have a city government suing all of these companies.”
  – Danny Savalos (13:47)

• “How can you blame us for someone's diabetes when they have been predisposed to have diabetes? How can you blame us for something like that?”
  – Danny Savalos (16:35)

3. Headlines Round-Up

[20:19 – 24:29]

Key Stories

• Immigration Crackdown in New Orleans

  • Border Patrol and DHS launch operations targeting criminals; context against backdrop of Trump administration’s revived immigration enforcement.
  • Despite official data showing New Orleans is on track for its safest year since the 1970s.
    • “Murders have dropped from 266 in 2022 to just 97 as of early November.”
      – Ryan Nobles (20:38)

• NATO and Ukraine

  • U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the NATO foreign ministers meeting; European leaders frustrated at lack of voice in peace talks with Moscow.
  • Russia reportedly open to “some American territorial proposals” on Ukraine, but other points remain rejected.

• Camp Mystic Reopening After Tragedy

  • Camp Mystic (TX) to reopening after a deadly flood killed 27 earlier this year.
  • New safety measures: flood sensors, weather radios, satellite internet, improved generators.
  • Families of victims have sued the camp for gross negligence.
    • “...they intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes...”
      (Camp’s lawyer statement, 22:51)

• Spotify Wrapped 2025

  • Feature reveals users’ top songs and a “musical age” metric.
  • Bad Bunny remains the top global artist and album; K-pop “Demon Hunter” soundtrack is runner-up.

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Steve Kornacki on shifting climates:
  “The story in Tennessee...is the perfect illustration of the risk parties take when they do aggressive gerrymandering, both parties." (08:19)

• Ryan Nobles wraps Spotify’s annual review:
  “Your musical year in review arrived today and exposed any songs you had on loop all year.” (23:18)

• Light Humor:
  “As the father of four, no surprises there for me and a bit of a confession. I'm not a Spotify guy, never have been.”
  – Ryan Nobles (24:02)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:47 – 10:06: Tennessee election discussion with Steve Kornacki
• 11:51 – 20:14: San Francisco lawsuit analysis (including Dr. Patel and Danny Savalos)
• 20:19 – 24:02: Headlines (Immigration, NATO-Ukraine, Camp Mystic)
• 23:18 – 24:29: Spotify Wrapped 2025

Tone & Language

The conversation is brisk, insightful, and rooted in accessible explanations. The episode balances hard news with conversational analysis, making sense of complex topics for a general audience. Occasional humor and personal asides keep the pace lively without trivializing the topics.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This is a timely, well-calibrated look at both the political fault lines in Middle America and the evolving legal landscape around food and health. The takeaways? Suburban and swing voters are volatile, gerrymandering’s shelf-life is always limited, and the food on Americans’ plates could be the next battleground—for courts and for public health.

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