Roundup: Bolton In Court, Zelenskyy In Washington, Military In The Caribbean

Summary

The NPR Politics Podcast

Episode: Roundup: Bolton In Court, Zelenskyy In Washington, Military In The Caribbean

Date: October 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, NPR’s political reporters break down a dramatic week in politics and foreign affairs:

• The indictment of former National Security Adviser John Bolton for mishandling national security secrets.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington and shifting U.S.-Russia-Ukraine dynamics.
• Escalating U.S. military actions in the Caribbean and covert operations in Venezuela.
• Rapid developments in Gaza following a U.S.-brokered hostage deal and ceasefire.

The episode mixes in lively personal exchanges and the “Can’t Let It Go” segment for a signature blend of serious analysis and relatable moments.

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Major Segments and Key Points

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1. The Indictment of John Bolton

[01:36 – 08:59]

Charges and Details

• John Bolton is charged with 18 counts: 8 for transmission, 10 for retention of national defense info.
• Allegation: While serving as Trump’s National Security Adviser (2018–2019), Bolton kept detailed, classified notes, typed up daily, and sent via unsecured email and messaging apps to family members with no security clearance.
• Over 1,000 pages containing highly classified information were shared.
• After leaving the White House, Bolton’s personal email was hacked, believed by Iranian-affiliated actors, who accessed classified U.S. secrets.

Quote:

“This is like the crown jewels of what the US spy agencies do. A covert action program and intelligence collected on the leader of an adversary’s military. So very sensitive information, all told.”
— Ryan Lucas (02:32)

Bolton’s Response

• Bolton claims the indictment is politically motivated, part of Trump’s “vengeance campaign.”
• He calls the Justice Department “weaponized” and says he’ll fight to expose Trump’s abuse of power.

Quote:

“This is just an effort by the Trump administration to intimidate Trump’s opponents.”
— Ryan Lucas (04:34)

Trump’s Reaction

• Trump responded:

  “I think he’s a bad guy. It’s too bad. But that’s the way it goes.”
  — Donald Trump, quoted by Franco Ordonez (05:12)

A Pattern of Retributive Prosecutions?

• Compared with indictments of other Trump critics (James Comey, Letitia James): evidence against them was considered weak, and their charges filed by a Trump-loyal U.S. attorney.
• The Bolton case:
  • Investigated under both administrations.
  • Managed by career prosecutors.
  • 26-page detailed indictment, unlike the brief charges against Comey (1.5 pages) or James (4 pages).

Quote:

“These are very significant differences between the case against Bolton and the indictments that we saw against Comey and Tish James.”
— Ryan Lucas (07:24)

Public Perception

• There’s concern over politicization and the DOJ’s independence: 6 in 10 Americans, according to a YouGov poll, think Trump shouldn’t go after political foes with charges.

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2. Zelenskyy in Washington and U.S.-Russia Tensions

[10:17 – 14:34]

Zelenskyy’s Visit and U.S. Arms

• Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits the White House seeking U.S. Tomahawk missiles for deeper strikes into Russia.
• Trump has become more open to arming Ukraine recently.

Putin’s Moves & Trump’s Diplomacy

• Putin unexpectedly requests a summit with Trump in Budapest, following a dramatic shift in the peace process.
• Skepticism whether Putin is sincerely negotiating or maneuvering to stall action against Russia.

Quote:

“Putin is coming back to the negotiating table, reaching out to Trump. So Trump’s got some leverage. He’s using it, and it seems like he’s using it effectively. But…the meeting in Alaska did not result in any significant steps towards peace, despite all the high expectations.”
— Franco Ordonez (13:12)

Analysis

• Skeptical parallels drawn to previous failed talks (Alaska summit in August 2025).
• Trump’s tendency to trust in personal relationships could invite manipulation by Putin.

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3. U.S. Military Escalation in the Caribbean and Venezuela

[14:34 – 17:09]

Military Strikes and CIA Operations

• The U.S. recently struck a fifth boat in the Caribbean, claiming it carried drugs (without publicly released evidence).
• Trump confirmed authorizing a covert CIA operation in Venezuela.

Experts’ Concerns: Regime Change?

• Many experts believe this more likely signals preparation for regime change against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, not simply counternarcotics operations.
• Large-scale U.S. military assets in the region far exceed requirements for drug interdiction operations.

Quote:

“So much military hardware…more than needed just to fire on a few boats…Experts…see this more as regime change…potentially as unfinished business [from Trump’s first administration].”
— Franco Ordonez (15:06)

Domestic Political Response

• Divisions among Republicans:
  • “MAGA” base and some GOP leaders are unhappy with interventionist moves and lack of transparency.
  • Congressional Republicans mostly avoid public criticism, tacitly support the administration’s actions.

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4. The Fragile Ceasefire and Hostage Return in Gaza

[17:45 – 20:09]

Ceasefire and Hostage Release

• Major U.S.-brokered deal: living hostages returned to Israel; ceasefire takes effect.
• The situation remains volatile—violence and executions by Hamas reported, Hamas resists disarmament.

Trump’s Warning

• Trump’s explicit threat:

  “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”
  — Paraphrased by Franco Ordonez (18:53)

Ongoing Challenges

• Trump’s success in brokering the hostages deal is a major win, but fragility persists and questions loom about possible U.S. military involvement if ceasefire fails.

Quote:

“Gaza and Israel in this crisis is not exactly out of the woods. As Franco noted, this is a fragile peace.”
— Domenico Montanaro (19:30)

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5. “Can’t Let It Go” – Lighter Moments

[21:23 – 26:49]

A humorous close to the episode, discussing viral internet hoaxes, bizarre sports scandals, and sports fandom extremes.

• Domenico unravels the viral “Terenza” passport hoax video, a reminder of the need for skepticism with viral media.

  “We are gonna have to be really, really, really cautious and careful about videos that we see that seem to be real when it comes to politics.”
  (23:11)

• Franco tells the story of a tennis player blaming a positive meth test on kissing someone—parallels drawn to previous sports scandals.

• Miles shares what he’d give up for his team (the Tampa Bay Rays) to win the World Series: pizza, alcohol, holidays, maybe even a finger or toe.

  “I would definitely give up pizza for the Tampa Bay Rays to win a World Series…I would work every holiday for a decade.”
  — Miles Parks (26:01)

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Notable Quotes & Highlights

• “Bolton is very much trying to frame this as part of Trump’s vengeance campaign.” – Ryan Lucas (04:27)
• “This is not something that just started after Trump came back to office…with Bolton, this is a different U.S. attorney’s office. It is led by a career prosecutor. They were working with the National Security Division…” – Ryan Lucas (07:03)
• “Putin…throws a lot of secondary pitches…to get other people off balance. Because…Trump puts a lot of faith in his personal relationships.” – Domenico Montanaro (11:58)
• “Experts…are questioning whether Trump is actually gearing up for some kind of military action in Venezuela…more like a effort to have regime change and to kind of overthrow the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro.” – Franco Ordonez (15:06)
• “But Gaza and Israel in this crisis is not exactly out of the woods. As Franco noted, this is a fragile peace.” – Domenico Montanaro (19:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bolton indicted, DOJ Independence: 01:36 – 08:59
• Zelenskyy at the White House, U.S. and Russia: 10:17 – 14:34
• U.S. in Venezuela and Caribbean: 14:34 – 17:09
• Gaza ceasefire and hostages: 17:45 – 20:09
• “Can’t Let It Go” (viral hoax, sports scandals): 21:23 – 26:49

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Tone and Style

The conversation is brisk, analytical, and infused with the personality and banter that NPR Politics Podcast fans expect. With sharp insights and just the right degree of skepticism, the team connects headline developments to bigger trends in American politics, democracy, and U.S. global standing, while ending on relatable, light-hearted notes.

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For listeners who missed the episode:
You’ll come away with a clear grasp of the major legal, strategic, and diplomatic stories shaping this moment—and a reminder to factcheck viral internet stories before believing or sharing!

Transcript

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Rhinoplasty, the humble nose job. It's one of the most common facial plastic surgeries performed today, but it's been around for over 2,000 years. If you're wondering why on earth would doctors thousands of years ago need to reconstruct noses, that's a great question. And on NPR shortwave podcast, we dive into that answer. Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Mary Beth, Tom, Marty, Anna, Terry, Louise.

[Miles Parks]

After growing up on our mother's childhood stories from a time in Ireland, we.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Are here in Galway for our first visit.

[Miles Parks]

This podcast was recorded at 1:20pm on October 17, 2025. Things may have changed by the time.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

You hear this, but we'll still be drinking in the wonderful music, beautiful sights, inspiring history, and all the Ishka Baha we can get. Slantia, enjoy the show.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Wow.

[Miles Parks]

What are those words? Do you know those words?

[Domenico Montanaro]

I don't know, but I want some Ishkabaha.

[Ryan Lucas]

Sounds like a fun trip.

[Miles Parks]

I just want a Guinness. You know, it's Friday.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I was gonna say. Yeah, that's what I was ready for.

[Miles Parks]

I know.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Apparently Ishka baja is water of life in Irish Gaelic.

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah.

[Miles Parks]

Now you know. Hey there. It's the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Miles Parks. I cover voting.

[Ryan Lucas]

I'm Ryan Lucas. I cover the Justice Department.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior editor and correspondent.

[Miles Parks]

And today on the podcast, we are wrapping up another busy week in Washington, starting with the indictment this week of former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Which is why you are here, Ryan. You cover the Justice Department. That's right. Can you talk us through just the basics of this indictment? What is Bolton charged with? What does the Justice Department say he did?

[Ryan Lucas]

So bolton is facing 18 counts in all, eight counts for the transmission of national defense information, the remaining 10 for the retention of national defense information. And what the indictment says is that when Bolton served as President Trump's national security advisor during the first term, so in 2018, 2019, that Bolton would often take handwritten notes on yellow notepads about his daily activities. So meetings that he'd have with U.S. intelligence officials or with military officials, meetings that he would have with foreign leaders or foreign intelligence services. So we take notes on those. And the indictment says that he would then type up these diary like entries on a regular basis into an electronic form, material that included classified information, and then send those diary like entries via a commercial messaging app and his AOL and Gmail accounts to two family members, family members who had no security clearances in total, the indictment says Bolton sent more than a thousand pages of information. And in those thousand pages, there was, the indictment says, highly classified information.

[Miles Parks]

What kind of evidence does the Justice Department say they have for all of this criminal activity?

[Ryan Lucas]

Well, look, this is a 26 page indictment. It's not going to provide all the evidence that the Justice Department has, but it certainly has a lot of details in it. It provides examples of what it says is ins some of these documents. It says, one document, for example, reveals intelligence about foreign adversary plans to attack US Forces. A document reveals a covert action planned by the United States. Another document reveals human intelligence using sensitive sources and methods. This is like the crown jewels of what the US Spy agencies do. A covert action program and intelligence collected on the leader of an adversary's military. So very sensitive information, all told. You may recall that Bolton wrote a tell all memoir from his time in the Trump White House. There was a fight back in the day about whether there was classified information in there or not. The Justice Department tried to sue him. Ultimately, the book was published. The indictment says that none of the classified information in the charged accounts appears in that book. There's one more thing that I'll mention from this indictment that's very interesting, and it is that after he left the Trump White House, Bolton's personal email at some point was hacked by people who the department believes have ties to the Iranian government. And the indictment says that those hackers did gain access to the classified information that he was sending over his personal email.

[Miles Parks]

Got it. Well, I mean, what is Bolton saying about these charges? Has he made any public comments since the indictment came out?

[Ryan Lucas]

He'd put out a statement last night after he was indicted, and he is very much trying to frame this as part of Trump's vengeance campaign. Bolton said that he's a target by a weaponized Justice Department that's going after those who Trump deems his enemies, with charges that Bolton says, quote, were declined before or distort the facts, end quote. He says that this is just an effort by the Trump administration to intimidate Trump's opponents. And he says he looks forward to this legal fight, to defending what he calls his lawful conduct and exposing what he says is Trump's abuse of power.

[Miles Parks]

Well, I feel like it's time to bring up the sort of elephant in the room, which is that Bolton has been very critical of President Trump since he left the first Trump administration. We can just hear a little bit of what Trump had to say about this indictment yesterday.

[Franco Ordonez]

I think he's a bad guy.

[Miles Parks]

Yeah, he's a bad guy. It's too bad. But that's the way it goes. That's the way it goes.

[Ryan Lucas]

Right.

[Miles Parks]

Domenico, can you remind us a little bit more of the history between these two?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, you know, Bolton was somebody who appeared a lot on Fox News, was known as a pretty hawkish member of the sort of right wing foreign policy community, someone that Trump saw a lot. He brought Bolton into his inner circle, made him his national security advisor during his first term. But they had a falling out, and Bolton went on to write a book about Trump. Trump tried to block the release of that book. Trump wound up calling Bolton a boring old fool. And Bolton had revealed some things in his book that obviously made Trump pretty upset. And, you know, look, there were a lot of people who were in Trump's inner circle in that first who then wound up having a falling out because they disagreed with how Trump conducted himself in office.

[Miles Parks]

Well, then the obvious question, Ryan, is this indictment comes on the heels of indictments against James Comey and Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, who are also people who Trump perceives as enemies. How does this indictment against Bolton compare with those other indictments?

[Ryan Lucas]

Well, look, Trump obviously campaigned in 2024 on seeking vengeance against his perceived enemies. In the case of James Comey and Letitia James, Trump publicly called on the Justice Department to prosecute them. Shortly afterwards, they were charged. Comey was charged with false statements to Congress. Letitia James was charged with bank fraud and false statements. We know that career prosecutors had serious doubts about the strength of the evidence in both of those cases. They were overruled by a new acting U.S. attorney who was put in place, handpicked by President Trump. This woman, Lindsay Halligan, has no prosecutorial experience. She had once worked as a personal attorney for the President. That is all a very unusual process. That's not how these things normally go down. That series of events fed concerns that this was about political retribution and not about the facts and the evidence of the case against them. With Bolton, this is a different U.S. attorney's office. It is led by a career prosecutor. They were working with the National Security Division at the Justice Department. This is the normal process for these sorts of things. I will also add that the investigation into John Bolton is a long running investigation. It was underway, well underway during the Biden administration. So it's not something that just started after Trump came back to office. And this is a 26 page indictment. The indictment against James Comey was a page and a half. The indictment against Letitia James was Four pages and two, basically another sentence. The indictment against Bolton is full of detailed allegations. So these are very significant differences between the case against Bolton and the indictments that we saw against Comey and Tish James. Ultimately, Bolton is going to have his day in court. He did plead not guilty in his initial appearance in court today in Maryland. We'll see how it plays out.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, and I think Ryan has made this point before, but I think that this is why the independence of the Department of Justice is so important, because you want to have legitimacy behind these cases, political legitimacy. And as it is, a lot of people think that Trump has gone too far on his targeting and his retribution campaign of political foes. You know, a recent YouGov poll, for example, found that 6 in 10 people thought that Trump should not pursue charges against political foes. And a majority of people believed that he is, in fact doing that. And, you know, in a case like this, that may not be something that's as seemingly clearly political as the James Comey case or Letitia James that can undermine the credibility of a case that may have some legitimacy.

[Miles Parks]

Well, we can leave it there for now. Ryan, thank you so much for your reporting.

[Ryan Lucas]

Thank you.

[Miles Parks]

All right. Let's take a quick break. More in a moment.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story. But right now you probably need more on up first from NPR, we bring you three of the world's top headlines every day in under 15 minutes because no one story can capture all that's happening in this big crazy world of ours on any given morning. Listen now to the Upverse podcast from NPR.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air. Hey, take a break from the 24 hour news cycle with us and listen to long form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians and musicians, the people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. So listen to the FRESH AIR podcast from NPR and whyy. You know, I have to ask, with.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

This endless stream of sellable content, do.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You think Taylor Swift is exploiting her fans?

[Miles Parks]

No. I'm gonna say yes with an asterisk. Every pop star exploits their fans.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Is Taylor Swift exploiting her fans or is she feeding them? Listen to It's Been a Minute on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Miles Parks]

And we're back. And NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordonez is here with us. Hi, Franco.

[Franco Ordonez]

Hey, how are you?

[Miles Parks]

I'm good. So we are going to talk about a few different foreign affairs topics that have popped up this Week. I want to start with the news about the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is at the White House today. What are we expecting to come out of that visit?

[Franco Ordonez]

I mean, it is a meeting. The two leaders are expected to talk about the US Providing Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, which Ukraine wants to use to fire deep into Russia. They've done a good job of kind of attacking Russia and kind of disrupting their economy. And Trump has actually been kind of warming to the idea. He's talked about it a few times. And Trump is also warming up to Zelensky. In recent months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has kind of backed away from the negotiating table and kind of backed away from some of the assurances that he gave Trump about meeting with Zelensky and kind of slowing down the attacks or at least leading towards a potential peace deal. But Putin yesterday actually threw kind of a curveball into the mix. He had a call with Trump yesterday, and now Trump and Putin are going to meet in Budapest, Hungary. This will be after some high level leaders meet next week to talk about a potential end of the war. I can't imagine Zelenskyy is necessarily happy about that considering that he wants these Tomahawk missiles. And I can only question whether Trump is going to want to provide more missiles if he has kind of this carrot of a potential piece in front of him that Putin just gave him.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, I mean, Putin is one of those people you mentioned, curveballs. It's like he throws. We're in the Major League Baseball playoffs here, and he throws a lot of secondary pitches, sliders, cutters, sinkers, screwballs, whatever it is to get other people off balance. Because, you know, President Trump puts a lot of faith in his personal relationships. And he's continued to say often that he has this great relationship with President Putin. And the reason why Trump, it seems, wants to like Putin is because Trump really respects absolute power. So he wants Putin's sort of friendship and respect, and he wants Putin to go along with what he wants him to do. But as the world knows, people who've seen Putin for many years, this is somebody who does not exactly go along with what others want to have happen. And he's happy to tease and say he might go along with something and drag something out and then nothing really winds up coming from it. That's outside of what his end goals are.

[Miles Parks]

Well, Franco, it wasn't that long ago that President Trump met with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. And there were big hopes coming out of that meeting that There was imminent peace or some big development coming in this conflict that didn't really happen. How does this moment compare to that meeting in August?

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah, I mean, I think it feels very similar. Clearly. I will say that the threat of arming Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles caught Russia's attention. Putin is coming back to the negotiating table, reaching out to Trump. So Trump's got some leverage. He's using it, and it seems like he's using it effectively. But as you kind of point out, the meeting in Alaska did not result in any significant steps towards peace, despite all the high expectations. Remember, Trump had called for a ceasefire and said he'd be mad if there wasn't a ceasefire. After the meeting, after the meeting, he talked about Putin and Zelensky meeting and getting together, which, you know, was a huge deal. Lots of headlines that didn't happen either. So, while, of course, this meeting with Putin is a very, very big deal, I think it is going to come with some skepticism and questions about whether Putin is playing Trump because of what happened last. Let's just remember that before he announced the Alaska meeting, Trump was supposed to, you know, slap Russia with more economic sanctions. So Putin, as kind of like Domenico was saying with the curve balls and the slide balls, he knows what he's doing and he's coming to the table and. Or coming to at least the pitcher's mound, you know, right at the last minute and making a difference. And at least Trump seems to be reacting.

[Miles Parks]

Well, I want to move to another part of the world now, Venezuela, where the United States involvement there. We're getting more and more information. Seemingly every week, the United States conducted a military strike on a fifth boat in the Caribbean that the administration, the Trump administration says was carrying drugs, though the administration has provided no evidence to support that claim. And Trump also confirmed this week that he had authorized a covert CIA operation in Venezuela. Franco, get us up to speed here. What are experts that you've spoken to saying about the administration's actions there?

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah, I mean, the experts that I'm talking to are questioning whether Trump is actually gearing up for some kind of military action in Venezuela and that this is looking less like a counternarcotics operation and more like a effort to have regime change and to kind of overthrow the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro. I mean, there is already an incredible amount of military hardware in the Caribbean. I'm talking about destroyers, navy ships, helicopters, and many, many sailors and Marines. And it's so much military hardware that all the experts I speak to say it's much More than needed, just to fire on a few votes. And now, as you point out, Trump says he's authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. Now, the White House will tell you that Trump campaigned on a promise to stop drugs, and he'll do anything that is needed to do that. He'll take any necessary steps. But Venezuela is not necessarily a drug. It's not producing fentanyl, which is the big drug that's a problem here in the United States. And that drug usually comes via land through Mexico. So I think that is one of the big reasons why so many of the experts, diplomats, foreign officials, are seeing this more as regime change. And let's also just one more point. Remember that in the first Trump administration, Trump tried to topple Nicolas Maduro. He put a lot of political capital into getting Maduro out, you know, supporting another leader, even inviting that leader to the State of the Union. So some of the experts I talked to see this potentially as some unfinished business.

[Miles Parks]

We should also note that Maduro in Venezuela is widely considered to be an authoritarian leader. His last election was considered by independent observers to have been fraudulent. But, you know, the United States becoming involved via the CIA in another country is a whole. I mean, that is a can of worms. What has the domestic response been at this point?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, I mean, I think there's a split clearly among Republicans who don't necessarily want to go in and have this kind of interventionist policy. A lot of the MAGA base certainly don't want that. And there's a lot of Republicans on Capitol Hill who quietly are upset because they see a lack of transparency in what the US Actions have been when it comes to, you know, these droning, these boats in the Caribbean that the Trump administration says are carrying drugs, or any of the other actions that the Trump administration is taking. But, you know, Republicans in Congress have been largely enabling of the Trump administration and don't want to talk out about any of that publicly.

[Miles Parks]

Well, last thing before we go, Franco, I do want to talk a little bit about Gaza, because there have obviously been some major developments there in the last couple weeks. At the beginning of this week, the living hostages were returned to Israel and the ceasefire began. Where do things stand there now?

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah, I mean, it's a very big deal, the deal that Trump broke. Let's be real clear about that. But it is also a very fragile deal. It's a fragile ceasefire. I mean, violence has already broken out in Gaza. There's actually video that was distributed by Reuters which appeared to show a public execution by Hamas as Hamas seeks to maintain control of Gaza. Now, a big part of the agreement that the United States brokered was the disarming of Hamas. And Hamas doesn't seem to want to disarm. And Trump earlier this week said that if Hamas doesn't disarm that they will disarm Hamas. And just yesterday, in response to these public executions, Trump issued a very pretty clear warning on his social media site. He said, if Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. Very strong words. And another way that Trump is, you know, trying to use. Use his muscle to get his means.

[Domenico Montanaro]

But what does that mean? I mean, the US Military, he says, is not gonna go in. Does that mean letting Israel go back in? Does it mean drones, which obviously would be using the US Military?

[Miles Parks]

Well, it presents this complicated issue, right, where Trump clearly wanted to take a major win, reasonably so, for getting the hostages back and getting this ceasefire deal done. But does taking credit for that then put him on the line for how this goes for the next couple weeks or months as well?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, look, clearly the United States is a pivotal figure and like maybe country, and has been for a long time when it comes to potentially brokering peace between Israel and the Arab world. I mean, there's no question about that, right? And no doubt about it, this was Trump's first major accomplishment being able to get most of these hostages released. But Gaza and Israel in this crisis is not exactly out of the woods. As Franco noted, this is a fragile peace. Even though Trump wants to say that this is potentially something that's generational and is gonna lead to long term peace, there's no real evidence that that's gonna be the case.

[Miles Parks]

All right, well, it's time for one more break. When we come back, it's time for Can't Let It Go.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

When someone you love is diagnosed with cancer or another serious illness, all you wanna do is help. But where do you start? On the Life Kit podcast, we have tips for you.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Your agenda should be. I'm gonna be with you and be totally present to whatever comes up.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Up Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts for different ways to offer support. America's global role is shifting fast. On sources and methods. We explain how and why. I'm Mary Louise Kelly. I've talked to spies, I've reported from war zones, I've interviewed ambassadors, generals, presidents. Want to understand what is happening around the world and how it affects us. Join me and my fellow reporters as we break it down for you. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. In the U.S. national Security News can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors. On our new show, Sources and Methods, NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people, helping you understand why distant events matter here at home. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Miles Parks]

Fall in love with new music every Friday at All songs considered. That's NPR's music recommendation. Podcast Fridays are where we spend our whole show sharing all the greatest new releases of the week. Make the hunt for new music a part of your life again. Tap into new music Friday from All Songs Considered available wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back. And it's time for Can't Let It Go. The part of the show where we talk about things we just cannot let go of, politics or otherwise. Domenico, why don't you start us off?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, we were talking a lot about foreign policy, so I want to talk about another piece of foreign policy, I think, kind of. And about immigration and the country of Terenza. You guys know about Terenza?

[Miles Parks]

Not familiar.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Okay, well, there was video that went viral of a woman who arrived at JFK airport in New York with a passport from the country of Terenza. It had biometrics. It had all kinds of stuff that looked real. Apparently the customs agent was quite confused and didn't know where it was. Said that it was in the caucuses. Turns out this entire thing is fake, that it was basically reflected in old urban legend. The man from Taured about a traveler who arrived in Tokyo with a passport from this non existent country and then vanished. And US reality show TV clips from a reality show called Airline from like 2004, 2005, which had followed basically Southwest Airline staff around. And I gotta tell you, this thing was so hard to unravel that it took me a good, you know, several minutes after my daughter told me about this story. And I just thought, oh, my God, we are gonna have to be really, really, really cautious and careful about videos that we see that seem to be real when it comes to politics.

[Franco Ordonez]

I saw that as well. At first I thought, is this like some AI thing? This is crazy.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah.

[Miles Parks]

So she did not get let into the country. Or you're saying this person. Nothing happened? No, I thought you meant oh my God. The entire thing never happened.

[Domenico Montanaro]

The entire thing never happened. Somebody put together a video using old footage from this reality Made it look real. And then a Facebook post was made out of this and it went viral.

[Miles Parks]

So. Did your daughter know that?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yes.

[Miles Parks]

Never happened.

[Domenico Montanaro]

We were talking about what should I do for can't let it go. I was gonna talk about how I. My back hurts from taking them to the ACL Music Festival and how that's a young person's game. And we just decided that this was way more interesting.

[Miles Parks]

Okay. Yeah, it's pretty good.

[Franco Ordonez]

I am noticing your posture is a little hunched right now.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, I'm in pain. I do have some salon paws on.

[Miles Parks]

Brutal.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Nothing says I'm old like salon paws and an AOL account.

[Franco Ordonez]

Yoga.

[Miles Parks]

Franco, what can't you let go of?

[Franco Ordonez]

Well, I love talking sports with Domenico because he's always kind of fired up about him. This one is not about MLS soccer, by the way.

[Ryan Lucas]

Oh, right.

[Franco Ordonez]

Forgot about that. This one's about tennis. And if you're a professional tennis player or a professional any athlete, you should be careful about who you kiss. And that's because I thought this was.

[Domenico Montanaro]

About soccer, because there was a kissing scandal in that.

[Franco Ordonez]

Well, this is another kissing scandal. A professional tennis player was given a four year suspension for taking methamphetamines. And his excuse was that he kissed someone and that's how he caught it.

[Miles Parks]

And this was not AI gen methamphetamines. So we don't know whether that's true or not, do we?

[Franco Ordonez]

Well, he.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, he didn't inhale meth from somebody he kissed. Is this an excuse?

[Miles Parks]

I don't know. I don't know. Well, I'm open minded. You know what? Guilty. Innocent until proven guilty.

[Franco Ordonez]

I'm going to defend Miles here a little bit. Who knows?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Did that happen to you, too?

[Franco Ordonez]

Who knows how you. I did play tennis, but when I was growing up, I was ranked.

[Miles Parks]

Were you really?

[Franco Ordonez]

I was. Miles, how about you?

[Miles Parks]

Well, so mine also. I had the same thought as you did, which is like, domenico's here. We have to do a sports. Can't let it go. But actually, it was a moment that happened here at the NPR newsroom yesterday, where I was working, plugging away on a story, and I heard a voice, and it was Domenico from across the newsroom. And he says, miles, you love the Tampa Bay Rays. Which is true. Tampa Bay Rays are like my favorite team of all time. And he says, miles, you love the Tampa Bay Rays. Would you give up pizza forever for them to win the World Series? And I said, absolutely, without missing a beat. Yeah, like, yes, 100%.

[Domenico Montanaro]

He added to the pizza well, that's.

[Miles Parks]

What I was gonna say. So then that inspired me. The last 24 hours, I've been keeping a list on my phone of other things I would give up for sure.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You've been keeping a list?

[Miles Parks]

Well, I just started every time I thought of one.

[Domenico Montanaro]

This is your, like, Santa Wishlist.

[Miles Parks]

Exactly. I would definitely give up pizza for the Tampa Bay Rays to win a World Series. I would definitely give up alcohol. I would become a vegetarian. Vegan is, like, right on the borderline. I would give up international travel. I would work every holiday for a decade. I don't think I want to work every holiday for the rest of my life, but I would do it for a decade if I was sure that they were going to win the World Series. And then the thing that kind of got us debating, and I'm curious, your take on this finger or toe, would you give up one of those extremities? And I have been thinking about.

[Domenico Montanaro]

We don't know about Franco's allegiance.

[Miles Parks]

We don't, actually.

[Franco Ordonez]

I ain't giving up no finger. Toe.

[Miles Parks]

You're not giving up?

[Franco Ordonez]

Is there a tone that you are nothing? No. No.

[Miles Parks]

Well, what would you give up, Domenico?

[Domenico Montanaro]

I already said who. I already said that if I went under and I didn't feel it that I would give up a finger or toe.

[Franco Ordonez]

For who?

[Domenico Montanaro]

For a guarantee for the New York Mets to win the World Series. Absolutely.

[Miles Parks]

All right, that's all for today. Our executive producer is Mathoney Muturi. Our producers are Casey Morell and Bria Suggs. Our editor is Rachel Ben. Special thanks to Krishnadav Kalamer, Dana Farrington, and Anna Yukonanov. I'm Miles Parks. I cover voting.

[Franco Ordonez]

I'm Frank Ordonez. I cover the White House.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Miles Parks]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Do you think people would notice if I just said I'm Franco Adornes?

[Miles Parks]

Yes. Yes, they would notice.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I don't know if they would.

[Miles Parks]

Crime looks different than it used to. A loophole in a crypto wallet could.

[Ryan Lucas]

Yield a billion dollars.

[Miles Parks]

A deep fake of your voice could be used to steal money from your bank. We have PhDs in our team, and they can't tell the difference themselves. AI has gotten that good. The Indicator from Planet Money is digging into the evolving business of crime. And listen in the NPR app or wherever you get podcasts.

[Franco Ordonez]

We all wonder about life's big questions.

[Miles Parks]

Why are we here? What are we to do?

[Franco Ordonez]

And how to make sense of it all on Ye Gods.

[Miles Parks]

With Scott Carter. I talk with politic priests, actors and.

[Franco Ordonez]

Atheists on how they wrestle with life's mysteries. Their stories will spark reflection, challenge assumptions.

[Miles Parks]

And maybe even bring you some clarity.

[Franco Ordonez]

On your own journey.

[Miles Parks]

Listen to Ye Gods, part of the NPR Network. Wherever you get your podcasts, you care.

[Domenico Montanaro]

About what's happening in the world. Stay informed with NPR's State of the World podcast. In just a few minutes, we take you to stories around the globe. You might hear the latest development in world conflicts or about what global events mean. For the price of your coffee, listen to the State of the World podcast from npr.