UNBIASED Politics – December 8, 2025

Host: Jordan Berman

Episode Title: What We Know About the D.C. Pipe Bomb Suspect, ACIP Votes to Change Hepatitis B Birth Dose Recommendation, New Bill Proposes End to Dual Citizenship, and More

Date: December 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of UNBIASED Politics, hosted by lawyer Jordan Berman, delivers clear, impartial coverage of current political and legal events. The episode’s major topics include:

• The arrest of the D.C. pipe bomb suspect from January 2021 and the unfolding investigation;
• The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) vote to alter the hepatitis B birth dose recommendation;
• New legislative action on dual citizenship;
• Updates on the Venezuelan "drug boat" strike and Supreme Court news;
• Quick takes on new laws and legal controversies;
• And a concluding segment on critical thinking.

The following breakdown highlights key details and notable commentary from each news segment, structured for those seeking the essential facts and context without editorial spin.

1. D.C. Pipe Bomb Suspect Identified and Arrested

[00:27–21:44]

Background and Incident Details

• Suspect Arrested: Brian J. Cole, Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, VA, was arrested last Thursday in connection with the January 5, 2021 placement of pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters in Washington, D.C.

  • Arrest was based on a “fresh review of already collected evidence and data,” not a new tip.
  • The investigation lasted nearly five years, involving over 1,000 interviews and review of millions of pieces of evidence.

• Incident Recap:

  • Date: Night of January 5, 2021; night before Congress convened to certify 2020 electoral votes.
  • Description: Individual (now believed to be Cole) seen on video surveillance moving through neighborhoods near RNC and DNC buildings.
  • Suspect’s Description: Dark pants, gray hoodie, dark gloves, Nike Air Max Speed turf shoes, face mask, backpack. Height estimated 5’7” (+/- 1 inch), wore glasses.
  • IED Placement: Around 7:54pm placed one IED (pipe bomb) outside DNC; at 8:16pm placed another outside RNC.

  “Both of those devices went undetected for roughly 15 hours… The hazardous devices section of the US Capitol Police responded to both locations and safely rendered both devices.” [03:30]

  • FBI Analysis: Both IEDs were assembled with everyday materials (pipes, end caps, timers, 9V batteries, steel wool, etc.).

Investigation, Evidence & Arrest

• No New Lead: AG Bondi: "No new tips directly led to this arrest… the arrest was the result of a, quote, unquote, fresh review of already collected evidence and data.” [07:31]
• FBI Director Patel:

  “The investigation into the pipe bombs in Washington D.C. has been a high priority… our FBI teams have gone back over every fact and every data point… today’s arrest is the result of that outstanding work.” [08:02]

• Dan Bongino’s Prior Theories: Bongino, now Deputy FBI Director, had previously speculated about a “massive cover up” and an inside job. When asked by Fox’s Sean Hannity, Bongino replied:

  “That's why I said the investigation has just begun. We are pretty comfortable. We have our guy… [Now] we base investigations on facts.” [09:15]

Key Evidence Leading to Cole

• Purchases Tied to Components:

  • Pipes, end caps, timers, wires, steel wool all traced to Cole’s financial transactions (2019–2021).
  • Purchases continued even after January 2021.

• Location Data:

  • Cole had made past purchases in D.C. despite not living there; one on December 14, 2020 near device route.
  • Cell phone records show Cole’s phone connecting to towers along the bomb placement route, matching video surveillance movements.

• Vehicle Data:

  • License plate readers captured Cole’s Nissan Sentra near the scene on the night in question.

• Physical Attributes:

  • Cole is 5’6” and wears corrective eyeglasses, consistent with original suspect estimates.

Suspect Profile

• Personal Background:

  • Lives with family in Woodbridge, VA; works at family bail bonds office.
  • No criminal record but several traffic violations.
  • Not registered to vote, but told FBI he believed "the 2020 election was stolen." [20:00]

• Family & Neighbors:

  • Grandmother:

    “He’s almost autistic, like, because he doesn’t understand a lot of stuff… He’s very naive. He would not hurt a fly. He’s just that kind of person.” [17:32]

  • Neighbors describe as “quiet,” “reclusive,” “very, very introverted,” known for walking a Chihuahua year-round in red Crocs.

Confession & Charges

• Cole’s Admission: Reportedly confessed to FBI that he planted the bombs; said he was “disappointed in the results of the [2020] election.”
• Motive: No clear political alignment.
  • U.S. Attorney Janine Pirro:

    “This guy was an equal opportunity bomber… He was disappointed a great deal in the system, both sides of the system.” [21:08]

  • Evidence described as “unmistakable” that Cole is the perpetrator.
• Charges:
  • Transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce (max 10 years)
  • Attempted malicious destruction by fire and explosives (max 20 years)
• Next Court Appearance: Detention hearing scheduled for December 15.

2. Update: Venezuelan “Drug Boat” Strike

[22:16–30:56]

Congressional Briefings & Controversy

• Recap:

  • Incident: September 2 strike on an alleged drug-running boat in the Caribbean.
  • Initial reports (Washington Post): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a “kill everyone” order. Hegseth denied it.
  • White House clarified: Hegseth authorized a follow-up strike; Admiral Bradley gave the order.

• Testimony Recap:

  • Admiral Bradley briefed Congress behind closed doors; lawmakers emerged split:
    • Democrats concerned about legality;
    • Some Republicans confident in legality.
  • Bradley claimed boat was heading to Suriname, not directly to the US.
  • Four strikes occurred (not two); the latter two sank the boat.
  • Pentagon had ID’d 11 passengers as “military targets.”
  • No evidence Bradley received a “leave no survivors” directive from Hegseth.

“All of this controversy is to determine whether the strikes were lawful or unlawful… Congress… [is] just for lawmakers to get down to the bottom of the legality of all of this.” [29:58]

• Outcome:
  • Congress is demanding release of full video and written orders.
  • President Trump has expressed openness to releasing video, but nothing published yet.

3. ACIP Votes to Change Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation

[30:56–39:27]

Policy Change

• Vote Summary:
  • The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel (ACIP) voted 8–3 to recommend hepatitis B birth vaccination only for:
    • Infants whose mothers are Hep B positive or unknown status.
    • For mothers who test Hep B negative, parents are to consult a doctor; first dose may be safely postponed to 2 months.

“These are simply recommendations at this point. To become official CDC policy, they have to be adopted by the acting CDC director.” [32:03]

Reasoning & Reactions

• Medical Context:

  • Hep B is a viral liver infection; newborns are at greatest risk of chronic illness if infected early.
  • Since universal birth dose was recommended in 1991, U.S. infection rates dropped ~99%.

• Supporters of Immediate Birth Dose:

  • American Academy of Pediatrics strongly opposed the ACIP change, calling it:

    “Irresponsible and purposely misleading guidance that… will lead to more hepatitis B infections in infants and children.” [34:43]

  • Cited the vaccine’s role as a “safety net,” especially for families with poorer access to follow-up care.
  • Public health projections warn delays could cause hundreds more infections, liver cancers, deaths, and over $200M in annual excess costs.

• Supporters of Revised Policy:

  • Some doctors, e.g. Dr. Paul Thomas, argue infants of Hep B negative mothers do not need immediate vaccination.
  • Concerns about aluminum adjuvants in vaccines, but recent large studies (1.2M+ children) have found no link to neurodevelopmental or autoimmune disorders.
  • Other nations (e.g., Denmark), with strong prenatal screening like the U.S., do not give Hep B vaccine at birth.

• Bottom Line:

  • ACIP recommends:
    • Within 24 hours: Only for at-risk or unknown status infants.
    • For others: Doctor consultation; first dose deferred to ≥2 months if postponed.

4. Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025: Proposal to End Dual Citizenship

[39:57–49:00]

Bill Summary

• Sponsored by: Senator Bernie Moreno
• Purpose: Would require U.S. citizens with dual nationality to forfeit their foreign citizenship, or renounce U.S. citizenship.
  • Direct quote from Moreno:

    “Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege. And if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.” [40:39]

• Legal Mechanism: Anyone with dual citizenship must, within a year, choose to renounce their foreign or U.S. citizenship; failure to comply means loss of U.S. citizenship.

Legal and Political Hurdles

• No Co-sponsors: Not a single other senator has signed on.

• Constitutional Issues:

  • 14th Amendment and Supreme Court precedent forbid revoking citizenship without voluntary renunciation (Afroyim v. Rusk (1967); Vance v. Terrazas (1980)).
  • Even acts like swearing allegiance to another country are insufficient without intent to relinquish U.S. citizenship.
  • Berman:

    “Moreno’s bill directly conflicts with this Supreme Court precedent by essentially saying... then they've just automatically voluntarily relinquished U.S. citizenship. That's just simply not a legal mechanism to revoke citizenship under current precedent.” [44:58]

• Likelihood: Bill is almost certain not to pass and would almost certainly be struck down if challenged.

5. Quick Hitters: Legal and Political Roundup

[49:00–51:39]

• Supreme Court Case on President’s Removal Power:

  • Examining Trump’s firing of FTC commissioner; may overturn 1933’s Humphrey’s Executor precedent.
  • Initial views suggest court could side with administration, increasing presidential power over independent agencies.

• Trump Birthright Citizenship Order:

  • Court to hear case on whether birth on U.S. soil guarantees citizenship absent a U.S. citizen parent.
  • Arguments in spring; decision expected by late June 2026.

• Medal of Honor Act:

  • Pension for living recipients tripled from ~$17k/year to $67,500/year.

• Support for Patients and Communications Reauthorization Act:

  • Reauthorizes federal substance abuse prevention and treatment supports.

• U.S. Attorney in NJ Resigns Post–Legal Disqualification:

  • Alina Haba steps down after appeals court ruling, saying,

    “This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me.” [51:08]

• Rep. Henry Cuellar, Recently Pardoned by Trump, Files for Reelection:

  • Trump reacts negatively, calling it a “lack of loyalty.”

• Trump Expected to Announce $12B in New Farmer Aid.

  • Administration examining beef price increases and antitrust enforcement.

6. Critical Thinking Segment: ACIP Vaccine Policy

[51:39–End]

Berman encourages listeners to challenge assumptions and consider consequences of changing public health policy:

• For supporters of relaxed rules:
  • “If the safety net of a universal birth dose goes away, who should bear the responsibility when a missed maternal infection leads to a lifelong chronic illness in a child? Should that responsibility fall on the parents, the doctor, or the federal government? And then how much ‘acceptable risk’ should a newborn face for the sake of giving parents more autonomy or flexibility?” [52:10]
• For supporters of universal birth dosing:
  • “If countries like Denmark… safely start Hep B vaccination after the newborn stage, what factors make the United States different in your mind? At what point does a better safe than sorry approach become overly paternalistic?” [52:40]
• Universal:
  • “Should public health policy prioritize what protects the most children overall or what preserves the most parental choice and why?” [52:58]

Notable Quotes

• On D.C. Pipe Bomb Investigation:

  • AG Bondi: “No new tips directly led to this arrest… the arrest was the result of a, quote, unquote, fresh review of already collected evidence and data.” [07:31]
  • FBI Dir. Patel: “Today’s arrest is the result of that outstanding work.” [08:02]
  • Bongino: “We base investigations on facts.” [09:15]
  • U.S. Attorney Pirro: “This guy was an equal opportunity bomber... disappointed a great deal in the system, both sides.” [21:08]
  • Cole’s grandmother: “He would not hurt a fly.” [17:32]

• On Citizenship Bill:

  • Senator Moreno: “Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege… it’s all or nothing.” [40:39]
  • Jordan Berman: “If you take one thing away from this story… this bill most likely will not pass and therefore will not become law.” [48:16]

Segment Timestamps

• D.C. Pipe Bomb Case: 00:27–21:44
• Venezuelan Boat Strike Investigation: 22:16–30:56
• Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation Update: 30:56–39:27
• Dual Citizenship Legislation: 39:57–49:00
• Quick Hitters: 49:00–51:39
• Critical Thinking: 51:39–end

In Brief:
This UNBIASED Politics episode delves into significant national security, health, and legal stories, offering context, careful legal explanation, and thought-provoking questions for listeners. True to promise, host Jordan Berman delivers no-spin news, helping listeners stay informed and critically engaged.