Truth Social Paid Access, Colorado River Cuts, FIFA's Faceplant

Summary

Episode Summary: Up First – “Truth Social Paid Access, Colorado River Cuts, FIFA's Faceplant”

Date: August 1, 2026
Hosts: Ayesha Rascoe & Scott Simon
Top Stories:

• Truth Social’s Paid Access Program
• Colorado River Water Cuts
• FIFA’s Failed World Cup Private Investment Plan

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1. Overview

This episode of Up First explores three major stories shaping headlines:

• The controversial move by former President Trump’s Truth Social to monetize early access to his social posts, sparking insider trading concerns.
• Sweeping federal plans to address water shortages along the drought-ridden Colorado River, with severe cuts proposed for Southwestern states.
• FIFA’s sudden abandonment of a scheme to sell World Cup stakes to private investors after global backlash from teams and federations.

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2. Key Discussion Points and Insights

A. Truth Social’s Paid Access (01:59–05:24)

• Service Details:
  Truth Social, owned by Trump Media and Technology Group, launches ‘Truth API’—offering institutional investors (banks, hedge funds) the option to pay up to $100,000/month (over $1 million/year) for milliseconds-early access to Donald Trump’s and other prominent users’ posts.
  (02:29) Bobby Allen: “This is just a very unusual product for a president to be selling.”

• Market Impact & Legality:
  Trump’s social media posts, often containing market-moving policy news, would provide subscribers a trading advantage.
  Concerns are raised over potential violations of insider trading laws—using non-public info for profit.

• Regulatory & Political Response:
  Former SEC lawyers express skepticism over legality.
  (03:06) Bobby Allen: “Lawyers…said this service looks like it violates insider trading laws…Democrats…demanded an investigation.”
  Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff call for an SEC probe.

• Financial Sector Reaction:
  Most Wall Street players are wary; a high-profile executive (anonymous) called the offer “insane.”
  (03:35) Bobby Allen: “There’s no way myself and 200 of my friends in finance will get anywhere near the service, since in another administration it would be viewed as criminal.”

• Trump Media’s Defense:
  Company asserts it’s allowing “faster access to public information,” dismisses allegations as politically motivated attacks.

• Broader Context:
  Trump’s profit during his presidency, exceeding $2 billion last year (mostly from crypto), is historically unprecedented; methods—including meme coins and resort/business promotion—are described as “unusual ways of growing his family’s wealth while governing.”
  (04:33) Bobby Allen: “The President is just finding new, unusual ways of growing his family’s wealth while governing the country.”

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B. Colorado River Water Cuts (05:33–09:22)

• New Federal Plan:
  Interior Department’s 10-year proposal could result in up to 40% cuts to water distributed from the river to California, Arizona, and Nevada. The river sustains 40 million people and massive agriculture.

• Expert Opinions & Doubts:
  Critics lament lack of long-term stability, highlighting ongoing crisis management rather than real solutions.
  (06:53) Elizabeth Cobley (Univ. of Nevada, Reno): “I’m not very confident that there’s a lot in here that would get us beyond the challenges…this pattern of managing crisis to crisis…”

• State-Level Impact & Preparation:
  Hardest hit: Arizona, especially Phoenix; local utilities have prepped by diversifying water sources, so no immediate “taps running dry,” but future transitions will be “difficult and expensive.”

• Political & Economic Fallout:
  Arizona leaders call the harshest cuts "unacceptable," claim the plan puts an “unfair burden” on their state. They're offering voluntary, smaller reductions (~20%) as a compromise.

• Negotiation Challenges:
  Southwest states remain divided, with upstream states (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico) arguing they shouldn’t be forced into mandatory cuts due to already lower allocations from drought.
  Some states threaten legal action.

• Looking Ahead:
  The plan remains open to further negotiations; conservationists see it as a possible “pivot point” for a desperately needed consensus.

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C. FIFA’s Faceplant – World Cup Private Investment Proposal (09:30–14:03)

• The Plan:
  FIFA president Gianni Infantino floated a plan to sell 20% of a $20B new entity (bundling World Cup commercial rights) to private investors—reportedly led by Joshua Kushner’s group.
  (10:30) Michelle Steele: “Credit where it’s due: Martin Ziegler at The Times with this massive story breaking on Tuesday.”

• Immediate Backlash & Collapse:
  The proposal, leaked Tuesday, sparked uproar from UEFA and players; by Thursday night, FIFA withdrew the scheme.
  (10:30) Michelle Steele: “Didn’t even survive a normal work week…”

• Why Teams Revolted:
  Teams/associations (UEFA especially) were blindsided by a lack of communication.
  (11:49) Michelle Steele: “The World Cup is not for sale…when you bring in outside investors…decisions about the calendar and format…are dictated by what maximizes returns instead of what’s good for the sport.”

• Existential Fears:
  Outside/private control could bias World Cups to rich countries (e.g., US) and shift the tournament from a sporting legacy to a mere financial asset.

• Political Fallout:
  UEFA declared lost confidence in Infantino; his re-election as FIFA president, previously “almost a lock,” is now in doubt. (13:17) Michelle Steele: “Whether Infantino survives as president is now a real question…UEFA says they will work…to devise a plan so this never happens again.”

• Larger Lesson:
  The story illustrates the power of coalitions among federations, and ongoing fragility at FIFA’s top.

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3. Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Truth Social Paid Access:
  “This is just a very unusual product for a president to be selling.”
  —Bobby Allen (02:29)

  “There’s no way myself and 200 of my friends in finance will get anywhere near the service, since in another administration it would be viewed as criminal.”
  —Anonymous Wall Street executive (03:35)

  “That scale of profit while being in the White House is record breaking.”
  —Bobby Allen (04:33)

• On Colorado River Water Cuts:
  “I’m not very confident that there’s a lot in here that would get us beyond the challenges… this pattern of managing crisis to crisis…”
  —Elizabeth Cobley (06:53)

• On FIFA’s Investment Scheme Collapse:
  “Didn’t even survive a normal work week. I think this was like half a Scaramucci or something.”
  —Michelle Steele (10:30)

  “The World cup is not for sale.”
  —UEFA statement, quoted by Michelle Steele (11:49)

  “Whether Infantino survives as president is now a real question…”
  —Michelle Steele (13:17)

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4. Key Timestamps

• 01:59–05:24: Truth Social paid access controversy
• 05:33–09:22: Colorado River federal water cut plan and states’ reactions
• 09:30–14:03: FIFA’s World Cup private investment faceplant

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5. Tone and Style

The tone is brisk, analytical, sometimes dryly humorous (e.g., “half a Scaramucci”), and grounded in expert reporting and interviews. The hosts maintain an accessible approach, summarizing complex regulatory, environmental, and global sports developments for a broad morning audience.

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6. Conclusion

This episode provides a tightly packaged overview of three significant, unfolding stories:

• The intersection of social media, politics, and market ethics with Trump’s Truth Social gambit;
• The never-ending water wars of the western US amid climate change;
• The high-stakes politics—and resistance to further commercialization—inside global soccer.

Listeners are left with a sense that all three stories are in motion, facing legal, political, and cultural crosscurrents that will shape future headlines.

Transcript

[Ayesha Rascoe]

President Trump's social media company will charge people to see posts first.

[Scott Simon]

He is the biggest user on Truth Social and his post certainly moved markets. So will people pay for early access?

[Ayesha Rascoe]

I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Scott Simon. And this is up first from NPR News. Wall street trading firms can make money from an edge of just milliseconds in information about the economy and global affairs.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

President Trump wants a cut in Arizona, California and Nevada. Farms and communities will see steep cuts to their water from the Colorado river over the next decade.

[Scott Simon]

And global soccer gets a red card. FIFA's plan to sell off stakes in the World cup to private investors is gone just days after it was revealed. So please stay with us. We got the news you need to start your weekend.

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[Ayesha Rascoe]

Learn [e-mail] President Trump's social media platform, Truth Social begins selling a new service today. For a fee of up to $100,000 a month, Truth Social offers early access to posts from prominent users, including the president.

[Scott Simon]

NPR correspondent Bobby Allen joins us. Bobby, thanks for being with us.

[Bobby Allen]

Hey, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

First, give us just some of the details about what the service is.

[Bobby Allen]

Sure. Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, is calling this Truth API and it's being offered to banks and other institutional investors as a way to get a jump on what Trump and others post on Truth Social. Now Trump's announcements about government policy conflicts in the Middle east and other developments can send company share prices up or down. So you know, getting Trump's post, even a few moments faster could make a difference with stock trading. And I gotta say, Scott, this is just a very unusual product for a president to be selling. His social media posts, and it's led to a fair amount of concern in Washington and on Wall Street.

[Scott Simon]

What are those concerns?

[Bobby Allen]

Yeah, I talked to lawyers who formerly worked at the securities and Exchange Commission, and they said this service looks like it violates insider trading laws against misusing public information to give certain investors an upper hand. Say the president posts about the Strait of Hormuz and a uses that to make money on oil futures. Democrats, too have taken notice. They've been criticizing this. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff wrote a letter to the SEC demanding an investigation.

[Scott Simon]

Are Wall street traders biting?

[Bobby Allen]

You know, this service is being pitched to big banks and institutions. We're talking about a price tag of over a million dollars a year. This isn't cheap. I reached out to a dozen brokers, hedge fund managers, and other investors, and nearly all of them declined to be interviewed. But one high profile Wall street executive did talk to me on the condition that he not named since this person feared retaliation from the Trump administration. And this person called the service, quote, insane and said there's no way, quote, myself and 200 of my friends in finance will get anywhere near the service, since in another administration it would be viewed as criminal.

[Scott Simon]

How does Trump's media company respond to these criticisms?

[Bobby Allen]

Yeah, a spokeswoman for Trump's media company said Truth API gives customers faster access to public information and said that critics, including law professors and Democrats, have invented new theories of insider trading to attack the President.

[Scott Simon]

Bobby, how does this Truth social service fit into the larger picture of how the President's been able to profit during his time in office?

[Michelle Steele]

Yeah.

[Bobby Allen]

You know, recent government disclosures show how Trump earned more than $2 billion last year, mostly from cryptocurrency ventures. And according to legal scholars and historians, that scale of profit while being in the White House is record breaking. And he has been sharply criticized for whether it's his Trump meme coin or visits to Mar a Lago and his golf courses or this latest Truth Social offering. The President is just finding new, unusual ways of growing his family's wealth while governing the country. Now, in response, a spokeswoman for Trump's media company said, quote, certain politicians accuse us of anti free market behavior while pressuring businesses into boycotting a product, all in a coordinated effort to harm a publicly traded company. So, Scott, for now, all this pushback isn't keeping the Trump media and technology group from shopping around its latest service.

[Scott Simon]

NPR correspondent Bobby Allen, thanks so much.

[Bobby Allen]

Thanks, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

There's a new federal plan for sharing the limited water of the Colorado River.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The Interior Department's proposal released yesterday calls for potentially huge cuts in water for California, Arizona and Nevada. The Colorado river provides water for more than 40 million people in seven US states and dozens of tribes, tribal communities. It's facing severe drought conditions fueled by climate change and heavy demand.

[Scott Simon]

Alex Hager, who covers water issues at member station KJZZ in Phoenix, joins us. Thanks for being with us, Alex.

[Alex Hager]

Thank you for having me.

[Scott Simon]

I gather this federal plan's a ten year framework. What are the biggest changes?

[Alex Hager]

The river is vital for big cities, small towns and a huge farming industry across the Southwest. And this new plan offers a very wide range for how much water could be cut from them. Under the worst case scenario, the federal government could cut water by up to 40% for Arizona, California and Nevada. That would be massive. The plan forces states to come together every two years and adjust the rules. Some experts say that's not the kind of long term stability these cities and farms need. I talked about it with Elizabeth Cobley, who researches water policy at the University of Nevada, Reno.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

I'm not very confident that there's a

[Michelle Steele]

lot in here that would get us

[Ayesha Rascoe]

beyond the challenges we've seen over the last couple of years and this pattern of managing crisis to crisis that the basin has really been in lately.

[Alex Hager]

The Interior Department is expected to announce the exact size of cuts for the next two years in the coming days or weeks.

[Scott Simon]

And of course, the Colorado River Basin is facing some of the most severe drought conditions on record. How are the state's most affected, Arizona, California and Nevada preparing for the potential cuts?

[Alex Hager]

Yeah, we expect the hardest hits will come for Arizona, specifically the millions of people in the Phoenix area. But taps are not going to go dry anytime soon. That's because local utilities have been preparing for this day for years. The Colorado river is not their only source of water. So when they get less from the Colorado, they can lean a little harder on a different source like groundwater or a different nearby river. But shifting to new sources and planning for the long term future, that will be difficult and expensive.

[Scott Simon]

Alex, what's the reaction been from these three states?

[Alex Hager]

There's some disappointment so far in Arizona. Leaders say the worst cuts proposed under this plan are unacceptable and that they would devastate Arizona's economy. Arizona's U.S. senators, both Democrats, they said the cuts put a really unfair burden on the state. But Arizona officials do not expect that those big 40% cuts will become a reality, at least for the next two years. They have a counter proposal that they hope the federal government will implement. They are volunteering big cutbacks, you know, about 20% less water. It's still a big deal, but they would deal a little less pain to the Phoenix area.

[Scott Simon]

And what's ahead for this plan? Is it already done?

[Alex Hager]

Water managers say this new plan leaves the door open for states to come back to the negotiating table and finally agree. Tensions are still really high. But John Bergren with the conservation group Western Resource Advocate says this new plan could make a difference. Clearly, the last two and a half years of negotiations hasn't worked. So let's change that up. Let's use this as an opportunity, as a pivot point to start something new and get to that seven state agreement. But there are still some deep fundamental disagreements between the states in these negotiations. The upstream states, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico, they argue they shouldn't have to take mandatory cuts at all because they already get less water due to drought and climate change. So the states are still far apart and some of them haven't ruled out suing each other or the federal government.

[Scott Simon]

Reporter Alex Hager with member station KJZZ in Phoenix, thanks so much.

[Alex Hager]

Thank you.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Global soccer's wild summer took another turn this week. FIFA wanted to let private investors own stakes in the World Cup, a sell off of the tournament that has been built over generations by players and teams all over the world. A revolt from those players and teams killed it.

[Scott Simon]

Reporter Michelle Steel joins us now. She's the writer of the Steel Cut substack on sports and markets. Michelle, thanks for being with us.

[Michelle Steele]

Good morning, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

Let me try and put this in order. Tuesday, the Times of London reported that FIFA president Gianni Infantino planned to allow private investors to get a 20% stake in his most popular tournaments, including the World Cup. Thursday, European teams threatened to boycott. More teams threatened to join that boycott. And last night, FIFA announced it was pulling back on the plan. It lasted about as long as a hydration break. Why did it collapse so quickly?

[Michelle Steele]

Yeah, a hydration break might be generous, Scott. This didn't even survive a normal work week. I think this was like half a Scaramucci or something. And credit where it's do Martin Ziegler at the Times with this massive story breaking on Tuesday, Infantino's plan to sell up to 20% of a new $20 billion entity bundling all the commercial rights to the World Cup. And you mentioned the Kushner family involved Jared Kushner's brother Joshua was expected to lead the investor group. And then UEFA, which is the biggest, most powerful confederation in the sport of soccer, objected. And they didn't just object. They voted to boycott every FIFA competition, including the World cup, until the plan was dead. You had the COO of FIFA saying his own staff had been deceived. And by last night, Infantino announcing the project will not proceed. Scott, breaking literally this morning, UEFA coming out and sort of doubling down, saying they've lost confidence in Infantino entirely. So this story is fast moving and not over by any means.

[Scott Simon]

Why all the criticism? I mean, it would have meant a lot more money.

[Michelle Steele]

Sure. I mean, that was the selling point to some of the poorer confederations in the sport, that they would get sort of this upfront payment. Well, you know, there were a couple reasons why the criticism was so harsh. One was the head of the German federation said he found out by reading media reports. So when you don't have a communication strategy to your principles, that's going to be a problem. The other part of it is very existential and UEFA said it outright, quote, the World cup is not for sale. They said that in their statement. The fear is when you bring in outside investors and you allow them to have a stake and make decisions about the calendar and format. Hey, you know, let's, let's figure out what maximizes returns is going to be your guiding light instead of what's good for the sport. You can see easily a world where the World cup has to be in the United States every time or another rich country, because that's where you're going to be able to maximize prices on everything. And that's how you have a full blown crisis on your hands for Infantino and for FIFA.

[Scott Simon]

And I have to ask, because before this week, Johnny Infantino looked to be, you know, coming off a very successful World cup, looked to be cruising to re election for another four year term as FIFA president. The election's now going to be held next March. Doesn't have such a lock on the job anymore, I don't think so.

[Michelle Steele]

We'll see if he even lasts until March because UEFA is certainly not standing down saying that they not only lost confidence in Infantino, but many other members of the football family. They called the whole scheme a shabby back room, opaque deal. Them fighting words. Whether Infantino survives as president is now a real question because UEFA says they will work in the coming, quote, days and weeks to devise a plan so that this never happens again. It shows the power of coalitions here, Scott, because other football associations are coming forward and backing UEFA on this.

[Scott Simon]

Michelle Steele, thanks so much. Talk to you soon.

[Michelle Steele]

Talk to you next time.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

That's up first for Saturday, August 1st, 2026. I'm Ayesha Roscoe.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Scott Simon. This podcast was produced by Michael Radcliffe and Gabe o' Connor and edited by Diana Douglas.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

She worked alongside Shannon Bond, Eric Westervelt and Fernando Nara.

[Scott Simon]

Our director is Linda Turek. Our technical director is David Greenberg. For their expert Clockmakers, our engineering team includes Simon Laszlo Jansen, Zoe vankenhoven and Nisha Heines.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Our senior supervising editor is Shannon Rhodes. Evie Stone is our executive producer and

[Scott Simon]

Katherine Laidlaw is our deputy managing editor.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Tomorrow on the Sunday story, Republicans keep warning us that the Communists are coming for America. It's a midterm strategy that has nothing to do with Communist China and everything to do with the Democratic socialists who have surged on the left flank of the Democratic Party.

[Scott Simon]

Thank you for listening and for supporting your local NPR station. If you need to find yours, and we all do, to have a happier life, you can go to stations.NPR.org and we hope you will.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Yes. Take a dose of NPR a day to keep the sadness away. I think. To keep the sadness.

[Scott Simon]

I like that. I like that. A dose of NPR a day. A dose of NPR a day to keep the sadness away.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

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[Ayesha Rascoe]

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[Ayesha Rascoe]

Ideas about the brain, addiction and empathy. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.