Podcast Summary: "Here's the Scoop" (NBC News)
Episode: Trump targets mail-in voting; Legislating the skies
Air Date: August 19, 2025
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian
Episode Overview
In today’s episode, "Here's the Scoop" dives into two prominent and polarizing topics shaping U.S. politics and public discourse:
- President Trump's renewed campaign against mail-in voting, allegedly fueled by post-summit conversations with Vladimir Putin.
- The surge of conspiracy theories about government "weather control," and their surprising entry into actual U.S. congressional legislation.
Senior NBC reporters Matt Dixon and Alan Smith join the host to unravel the facts, motivations, and consequences behind these developments. The show wraps with key headlines, including a high-profile drug case tied to actor Matthew Perry’s death, progress in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, and a dramatic new mixed doubles format at the US Open.
Segment 1: Trump Targets Mail-In Voting
(00:45 – 07:24)
Trump’s Post-Putin Pivot
- After a highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump emerged not with a Ukraine peace deal, but with a fresh call to end voting by mail.
- Trump (01:16): “Mail in ballots are corrupt. Mail in ballots. You can never have a real democracy with mail in ballots.”
- Trump cites Putin as inspiration for this stance, claiming Putin told him “no country has mail in voting” and "it's impossible to have mail in voting and have honest elections."
- Trump (02:21): “He said your election was rigged because you have mail in voting… It’s impossible to have mail in voting and have honest elections.”
Fact-Check & Political Strategy
- Matt Dixon dissects the credibility, practicality, and political risks of Trump’s latest crusade:
- On Russian credibility:
- (02:51) Dixon: “Holding up Russian elections as free and fair is kind of a silly argument. It holds about as much weight as calling me an astrophysicist.”
- Studies and reporting overwhelmingly show no evidence of widespread mail-in ballot fraud. Entire states (e.g., Oregon) conduct elections exclusively by mail without systemic issues.
- Mail-in voting isn’t just a Democratic advantage; in many states, Republicans historically embraced and dominated vote-by-mail systems for decades.
- (04:10) Dixon: “Republican politicians and the Republican Party had sort of conditioned their voters to really like the idea of voting by mail… And now all of a sudden, President Trump came along and kind of pulled the rug out.”
- Trump’s about-face on mail voting complicates Republican mobilization efforts, especially for elderly, rural, or shift-working supporters.
- On Russian credibility:
Legal and Logistic Hurdles
- Executive action is possible but would face immediate, significant legal challenges.
- (05:05) Dixon: “What we would anticipate is him doing an executive order… and ultimately that’s going to almost immediately go to court.”
- The U.S. Congress typically governs election law—making unilateral executive changes unlikely to stand.
- Realistically, changing the system before the 2026 midterms is "next to impossible," and even 2028 would be "an uphill climb."
- (05:59) Dixon: “It’s the uphill climbs we talked about with the courts, with Congress, with the states…”
Campaign Costs
- Mail-in voting reduces campaign costs because campaigns "micro-target" and can cease outreach to voters once their ballots are received.
- (06:25) Dixon: “It is cheaper campaigns when their voters vote by mail, because if they don’t… those things have to continue until actual election day.”
Memorable Moment:
- Host Yasmin Vossoughian’s anecdote about her mom believing campaign texts are personal:
- (07:05) Vossoughian: “Whenever my mother gets any of those phone calls or text messages, she literally says to me, so and so called me and asked me to go out to vote. I’m like, mom, they’re not calling you directly.”
- (07:16) Dixon: “Oh, don’t ruin her dream… let her have this.”
Segment 2: Legislating (and Conspiracizing) the Skies
(08:46 – 15:05)
Storm Watching, Scapegoating, and Science vs. Conspiracy
- With Hurricane Erin threatening the East Coast, the resurgence of fringe weather control conspiracies breaks into mainstream politics.
- (09:46) Vossoughian: “The outlandish ideas of weather control were once on the fringes... but now across the country, Republican lawmakers are pushing new bills to deal with the weather.”
- NBC political reporter Alan Smith explains:
- Theories blame cloud seeding, solar radiation modification research, and “chemtrails” for large-scale storms and natural disasters.
- (11:07) Smith: “They’re pointing to things like cloud seeding, which happens at a very small scale… They do it at ski resorts to like create additional snow. It does not happen at scale where it would be triggering a massive flood.”
- Solar radiation modification is “very much in the experimental, not actually happening,” and chemtrails are entirely debunked.
- (12:12) Vossoughian, directly: “And to be clear, it’s not happening.”
- Theories blame cloud seeding, solar radiation modification research, and “chemtrails” for large-scale storms and natural disasters.
Political Reframing of Climate Change
- Instead of denying extreme weather events, the new narrative blames supposed government manipulation—not climate change or fossil fuel impacts.
- (12:27) Smith: “A lot of people see this as kind of their response to climate change itself.”
- Notable quote from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who frames the science community as hypocritical:
- (13:08) Marjorie Taylor Greene (as recounted by Smith): “I think it’s kind of a funny hypocrisy actually for, say, the left or the climate change crowd that’s been yelling we've got to stop climate change, but yet they’re like, no, don’t stop man made climate change. So I find that to be laughable.”
- Smith observes, “...that climate change is in fact man made.”
Legislation’s Progress and Federal Involvement
- Laws have passed in Tennessee and Florida; similar bills are introduced in about 20 states, but progress is slow elsewhere.
- (14:06) Smith: “There are Republican lawmakers everywhere who are introducing bills that all sound pretty similar. The ultimate effort though... these guys want to see something passed in Congress.”
- Despite the Trump administration’s attempts to address these conspiracy narratives (e.g., new informational web pages from the EPA), actual federal legislation on weather modification is unlikely in the near term.
- (14:33) Smith: “I would say pretty unlikely. I mean, Marjorie Taylor Greene for her bill has a pretty steep road ahead.”
Segment 3: Rapid Headlines
(15:08 – 18:55)
Quick Summary of Key Stories
- Ketamine Queen Pleads Guilty
- Jasveen Sangha, aka “the Ketamine Queen,” pleads guilty to five federal charges for supplying the drug that led to "Friends" star Matthew Perry’s death.
- Perry’s mother, Suzanne, comments on finding some relief and hopes for tighter controls.
- Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations
- Hamas signals acceptance of a truce deal mediated by Egypt—to free Israeli hostages and enable humanitarian aid; Israel has yet to respond.
- New COVID Guidance From Pediatricians
- The American Academy of Pediatrics now strongly urges COVID vaccinations for kids as young as 6 months, breaking from current federal administration guidance.
- Cites “sharper contrast” with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s recommendation against vaccines for healthy children.
- US Open Mixed Doubles Drama
- The NYC tennis tournament launches a new $1 million mixed doubles Grand Slam format.
- Internet buzzes over player drama (notably Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas breakup; Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu pairing).
Notable Quotes & Exchanges
- (02:51) Matt Dixon on Russian Elections:
“Holding up Russian elections as free and fair is kind of a silly argument. It holds about as much weight as calling me an astrophysicist. It just does not work.”
- (04:10) Matt Dixon on GOP Mail-In History:
“Republicans created these vote by mail programs. Gosh, 20 years ago at this point...Democrats had to catch up.”
- (13:08) Marjorie Taylor Greene (via Alan Smith):
“It’s kind of a funny hypocrisy actually for, say, the left or the climate change crowd ... I find that to be laughable.”
Key Timestamps
- 00:45 – Show intro, top headlines teased
- 01:16 – Trump’s Oval Office statement on mail-in ballots
- 02:21 – Trump cites Putin re: mail-in voting
- 02:51 – Matt Dixon debunks voter fraud myths
- 04:10 – Mail-in voting history and GOP impact
- 05:05 – Legal obstacles to an executive order banning mail-in voting
- 06:17 – Financial and campaign impact of mail-in voting
- 08:46 – New segment: Weather conspiracies and legislation
- 10:20 – Alan Smith explains mainstreaming of weather modification theories
- 11:07 – Actual science of cloud seeding vs. conspiracy
- 13:08 – Rep. Greene quote on climate and “hypocrisy”
- 14:06 – State-by-state legislative landscape
- 15:08 – Rapid news headlines (Perry case, Gaza, vaccine guidance, US Open)
Tone & Style
- The show maintains a brisk, conversational, and smartly skeptical tone, especially when challenging misinformation and highlighting the absurdity of unfounded arguments.
- Experts and reporters provide data-driven responses, often with wry humor or pointed analogies (“calling me an astrophysicist”).
- The host balances seriousness (public trust in elections, climate/legislative developments) with relatable asides and pop culture breaks (tennis, viral news).
Conclusion
This episode artfully bridges political analysis, fact-checking, and cultural relevance—clarifying why current showdowns over mail-in voting and weather conspiracy legislation matter for democracy, science, and daily life. Listeners gain the facts (and some wit) needed to make sense of the noise—just as "Here's the Scoop" promises.