And Then The Majority Was 2

Summary

What A Day – Episode Summary

Episode Title: And Then The Majority Was 2
Host: Jane Coaston (Crooked Media)
Guest: Burgess Everett, Congressional Bureau Chief at Semafor
Date: January 8, 2026
Theme: An urgent look at the razor-thin GOP House majority, new Congressional dynamics, Venezuela policy, ICE violence in Minneapolis, and changing federal dietary guidelines—all with a focus on how these stories may shape the coming year in American politics.

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Overview

In this episode, Jane Coaston examines the precarious state of the Republican House majority, the shockwaves from U.S. actions in Venezuela, deep divides over health care, and the fallout from controversial ICE actions in Minneapolis. The show also explores late-breaking moves on redistricting, a bizarre resurgence of interest in Greenland, and the Trump administration’s new, controversial dietary guidelines. Coaston is joined by Burgess Everett for an inside view from Capitol Hill.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. House GOP Majority Shrinks & Legislative Paralysis

• Current Numbers Explained
  • With Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation and Doug LaMalfa’s death, GOP holds a 218–seat majority, but only 216 votes needed (due to vacancies and absences). ([01:17])
  • Speaker Mike Johnson can now only lose two votes for party-line legislation.
• Complicating Factors
  • Rep. Jim Baird (IN) is hospitalized after a car accident.
  • Rep. Thomas Massie (KY) is an unpredictable vote for the GOP.
  • Several Republicans expected to leave Congress soon, making their House majority even more tenuous.
• Political Consequences
  • Keeping the House in 2026 midterms looks “pretty unlikely.”
  • Trump links House control directly to his own future:

    “If we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be, I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me. I'll get impeached.” — Donald Trump (paraphrased by Jane Coaston, [02:02])

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2. Congressional Response to Trump’s Venezuela Operation

• Surprise Military Action
  • U.S. forces, under order from President Trump, captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a surprise operation. Congressional leaders—including the Senate Majority leader—were not informed in advance ([03:14]).
• Congressional Oversight & War Powers Resolution
  • Coming Senate vote on a War Powers Resolution to limit Trump’s future use of force in Venezuela without Congressional authorization ([03:35]).
  • Sen. Tim Kaine leads this bipartisan push, trying to force Republicans to take a public stance.
  • Burgess Everett on whether Trump would obey such a resolution:

    “I don't think it's a given that the president would follow a resolution like that even if it were passed and sent to his desk... I think it's an open question whether he would follow it.” — Burgess Everett ([04:34])

• Congress’s Decades-Long Reluctance on War Authority:
  • Congress has largely abdicated its responsibility to weigh in on war/peace since early 2000s.

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3. Health Care Deadlock & Policy Prospects

• Senate Bipartisanship vs. House Division
  • Bipartisan Senate group (led by Bernie Moreno, R-OH) working to revive Obamacare subsidies with reforms ([05:31]).
  • Senate coming close to a deal (draft legislation pending), which would be a big accomplishment.
  • House remains resistant; recently rejected a simple three-year extension of ACA’s enhanced subsidies.
• Democrats Back Off Threats to Shut Down Government
  • After a record-long shutdown over health care in 2025, Democrats say they do not plan to repeat the “shutdown strategy.”

  • “I think if there were to be a shutdown, it would probably be from more run-of-the-mill congressional ineptitude... I don't feel like Democrats are engineering an entire strategy based around using their funding leverage to make health care a big issue.” — Burgess Everett ([06:55])

  • Dems believe they’ve already won public opinion and don’t see the advantage in pushing further, at least on ACA subsidies ([07:46]).

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4. The Razor-Edge House and GOP Legislative Strategy

• Speaker Johnson Aims for Party-Line Reconciliation
  • Johnson considers a reconciliation bill (which can bypass the Senate filibuster, requires only a majority) ([08:19]).
  • Reality check: GOP would need nearly total unity in both House and Senate, with several moderate or outgoing GOP senators still wildcards.
  • “Buyer’s remorse” from the 2017–18 period drives desire to press agenda—even if odds are low.
  • Trump wants to kill the filibuster, but lacks Senate support; reconciliation is his alternative route.
  • Everett’s prediction:

    “If I had to bet on it, I'd bet against one passing this year.” ([09:14])

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5. Redistricting Chaos: The Florida Gambit

• Late Breaking: DeSantis Calls April Special Session
  • Florida’s legislature may redraw congressional districts, potentially boosting GOP House seats ([09:27]).
• Wider Implications & State-by-State Stalemates
  • Other states (Virginia, Maryland) could be spurred to counter, leading to a “wash.”
  • Everett:

    “A lot of the country is already pretty damn gerrymandered, if you ask me.” ([10:47])

• Time Crunch:
  • April is considered “awfully late” for midterm-year redistricting, especially with some states’ primaries already completed.

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6. Bipartisan Issues—Or Not?

• Surprise Entrant: Greenland
  • Talks on the Trump administration’s proposal to “take over” Greenland; even Republicans are skeptical ([11:12]).

  • “I never would have thought I'd say this a week ago, but, like, Greenland is a big issue now. Like, I'm not even kidding.” — Burgess Everett ([11:12])

  • The Danish ambassador is meeting senators; unpredictability dominates the legislative outlook.
• Routine Legislation?
  • Some bipartisan bills (permitting reform, transportation) might advance, but “that has not been the story of this Congress. It's been partisan power plays, party line bills, and government shutdown.” ([12:09])

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7. Headlines: ICE Killing in Minneapolis

• Incident
  • ICE officer fatally shoots Minneapolis driver Renee Goode, a 37-year-old American citizen, in broad daylight ([16:11]).
  • Eyewitness videos dispute official account of events.
• Community & Political Response
  • Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz: “Don’t believe this propaganda machine.”
  • Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to ICE:

    "Get the fuck out of Minneapolis." — Jacob Frey ([17:15])

  • Thousands protest as ICE announces no pause in operations.
• Broader Context
  • Surge in ICE agents in Minneapolis; fifth reported ICE-involved death since 2024.

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8. Venezuela Oil Policy Aggression

• Seizures & Strategy
  • U.S. forces board and seize two sanctioned Venezuelan tanker ships ([17:54]).
  • Vice President J.D. Vance explains that the U.S. will “exert incredible pressure on Venezuela without endangering American lives.”
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlines three-phase oil strategy: seize, sell, and “transition.”
  • Rubio quips:

    “I hope I'm alive to see it.” ([18:32])

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9. Women in Combat: Pentagon Review

• The Pentagon reviews effectiveness of women in ground combat roles ([18:57]).
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (mocked for constructing a “makeup studio” for TV):
  • “There are domains exclusively for men and others for women... Pete does his own makeup.” — Jane Coaston ([19:33])
• Review comes after sexist comments and amid slow change in military demographics.

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10. Gutting of Environmental Laws

• NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) rules are slashed to accelerate permit approvals.
• White House boasts: “NEPA’s reign of terror has ended.”
• Bipartisan talks on “permitting reform” stall; coaston quips that for Trump, “the real terrorizer [is] paperwork asking if a pipeline might poison a river.” ([20:58])

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11. New Food Pyramid: Protein Maxxing

• RFK Jr., as Health & Human Services Secretary, unveils upside–down food pyramid, prioritizing protein and fat, vilifying sugar and processed food ([22:01]).
• Notable Quote:
  • “Today, the lies stop. New guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower healthcare costs. Protein and healthy fats are essential, and we are ending the war on saturated fats.” — RFK Jr. ([22:22])
• Coaston’s Reality Check
  • Good: Emphasis on less processed food, more protein.
  • Bad: Underlying moves benefit industry; skepticism about the true motivation.
  • Calls out “protein popcorns and protein waters and tallow in pretty much everything. Because money.” ([24:35])
  • “The real issue with the new food recommendations isn't the food recommendations, it's that RFK Jr is full of shit.” — Jane Coaston ([25:37])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jane Coaston, on Trump’s Congressional defiance:

  “Honestly, he's right, because he's getting away with it.” ([02:32])

• On ICE and Minneapolis:

  “Get the fuck out of Minneapolis.” — Mayor Jacob Frey ([17:15])

• On Greenland:

  “I never would have thought I'd say this a week ago… like, Greenland is a big issue now. Like, I'm not even kidding.” — Burgess Everett ([11:12])

• Dietary guidelines skepticism:

  “The real issue with the new food recommendations isn't the food recommendations, it’s that RFK Jr is full of shit.” — Jane Coaston ([25:37])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 01:17 | Shrinking House GOP majority and math explained | | 03:14 | Venezuela operation shocks Congress | | 04:34 | Will Trump listen to Congress on military limits? | | 05:31 | Health care: Senate bipartisanship vs. House splits | | 06:55 | Shutdown prospects and Dems' tactics | | 08:19 | Reconciliation and GOP's legislative challenge | | 09:27 | Florida redistricting – will it matter? | | 10:47 | Stalemate and exhaustion with gerrymandering | | 11:12 | Greenland emerges as a surprise issue | | 16:11 | ICE officer kills Minneapolis driver | | 17:15 | Mayor Frey to ICE: "Get the fuck out..." | | 17:54 | U.S. seizes Venezuelan tankers; Rubio outlines plan | | 22:01 | New dietary guidelines; protein prioritized | | 25:37 | Coaston's blunt assessment of RFK Jr.'s intentions |

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Overall Tone & Approach

• Jane Coaston’s style: Sharp, unsparing analysis with biting humor and a commitment to clarity.
• Burgess Everett: Pragmatic, insider’s view, consistently highlighting uncertainties and political realities.
• Mood: Wry, skeptical, focusing on real consequences amid political chaos.

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Conclusion

And Then The Majority Was 2 is a brisk yet substantive episode capturing the fluid, unpredictable, and frequently absurd state of American politics at the start of 2026. Coaston and Everett detail the perilous state of Congress, the chances (or lack thereof) for major policy breakthroughs, and the profound disconnect between official narratives and on-the-ground realities—whether in Washington, Venezuela, or Minneapolis. The episode’s sharp, candid tone underscores what makes What A Day unique: complex issues, made accessible (and often entertaining), for an audience that wants more than partisan noise.

Transcript

[Burgess Everett]

Foreign.

[Jane Costen]

It's Thursday, January 8th. I'm Jane Costen, and this is what a day. The show that can think of a shorter answer to this question for Energy Secretary Chris Wright here on CNBC Wednesday.

[Burgess Everett]

Is there a narrative in Venezuela that.

[Kristi Noem]

You are stealing our oil? I have not heard that narrative. I've seen celebrations in the street, libre Venezuela out. I think people are thrilled. They've lived under between Chavez and Maduro, 26 years in a brutal dictatorship that's only devastated that country and hurt the whole hemisphere. So I've not heard that narrative at all. And of course, if that narrative's out there, it's untrue. We're just controlling the flow of revenues from their oil.

[Jane Costen]

Just say yes next time. On today's show, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shoots a Minneapolis driver in broad daylight. And the Trump administration moves forward with its plan for Venezuelan oil. Let's start with Congress, and let's start with some very important numbers. There are 435 members of the House of Representatives, and as of today, the GOP House majority is down to 218 after the resignation of Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and the passing of California representative Doug LaMalfa, with vacancies reducing the total number of House seats. Legislation would require 216 votes to pass. That means Speaker Mike Johnson could only lose two Republicans on any party line vote. And then there's the hospitalization of Indiana Representative Jim Baird following a recent car accident. And Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie being, shall we say, not a sure vote for GOP legislation. The GOP House majority is razor thin. Even without discussing the number of Republicans soon to leave office, whether it's to run for other positions or just because being in Congress sucks right now. So keeping the House majority in the midterms seems pretty unlikely, which is tough news for President Donald Trump for one reason he made very clear during remarks to congressional Republicans on Tuesday. You got to win the midterms. Because if we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be, I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me. I'll get impeached. The funny thing is that it's not like House Republicans have big plans going forward on Venezuela, Trump seems to believe that Congress is an obstacle he can avoid entirely. And honestly, he's right, because he's getting away with it. And on issues like health care, the GOP is woefully divided, even from Trump, who suggested Tuesday Republicans be, quote, flexible on allowing federal funds like those that go into Medicaid be used to pay for abortion coverage. Republicans are not going to be flexible on abortion coverage. So what does all of this mean for Congress in 2026? To find out, I spoke to Burgess Everett. He's a Congressional bureau chief at semafor. Burgess, welcome back to what a Day.

[Burgess Everett]

Hey, Jane, thanks for having me.

[Jane Costen]

Congress returned this week after the news that President Trump had captured then Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the middle of the night without telling Congress. What are you hearing from Representatives and senators?

[Burgess Everett]

Yeah, I mean, it's been a. It's been a big shock being back. It was a shock to everybody that this happened. I mean, even the Senate Majority leader told us he didn't know beforehand, which he said was was appropriate because he basically said this mission's too sensitive to let members of Congress know. I would say that aspect of it has fallen on a party lines a little bit. And now, you know, we're entering a moment where the Senate, at least, is actually going to have to vote on this. There's a War Powers Resolution vote coming up on Thursday that would limit the use of military force in Venezuela absent a authorization from Congress, which, as, you know, as a student of politics, Congress has really shirked its duty in terms of weighing in on matters of war and peace. Basically, since the Iraq and Afghanistan resolutions 25 years ago. Senator Kaine's been, like, really creative in forcing votes on the Senate floor. And this is kind of his. His baby and his attempt to kind of put Republicans on the record, because, as you know, Democrats are in the minority in both chambers of Congress. So this is one of these tools they have to actually force Republicans vote on some of Trump's policies.

[Jane Costen]

Now, let's say, hypothetically, in a universe that maybe is on Earth too, that War Powers Resolution actually passed Congress. Would Trump listen to it?

[Burgess Everett]

Well, I think it's a great question that I don't know the answer to. I mean, one of the stories of this Congress has been how little the president seems to care about what Congress wants to do or says, especially when it comes to Democrats. I mean, this is an administration that had the Senate rewrite its rules basically to confirm Trump nominees more quickly. So, no, I don't think it's a given that the president would follow a resolution like that even if it were passed and sent to his desk, and even if he vetoed it and they overrode that veto. I think it's an open question whether he would follow it.

[Jane Costen]

Now, Congress ended 2025 with a focus on health care, health care, healthcare. But Not a lot has actually gotten done. And they seem, especially the Republicans in the majority seem very divided on the issue of health care, despite Trump saying we're going to own this issue because that's what's going to save me in the midd midterms. What's the latest on healthcare legislation entering the new year?

[Burgess Everett]

So we've got kind of a split screen going on here in the Senate. There's like a bipartisan group that is talking about reviving these subsidies. It's an interesting group. Bernie Moreno, who I'm not sure I would have predicted a year ago this would be a situation he'd find himself in. He's kind of like the leader on this. Him and Senator Collins on the Republican side. He's trying to revive these subsidies, making some changes to them, income caps and no more zero dollar plans, things like that. And so, I mean, people like him are actively working in a bipartisan way. It could pass the Senate. I'm not saying it definitely will, but they're getting pretty close to putting a draft out, which would honestly in this Congress be a pretty big accomplishment because there really hasn't been many of these famous Senate gangs doing much then across the Capitol and the House, there's not that much appetite for this, although they have forced the issue onto the House floor. It's a three year extension of the Affordable Care Act's enhance subsidies. The Senate's already voted on this. They rejected it. Four Republicans voted to advance it. So you can see the three year extension without the changes, that's not going to become law. But if it passes the House with a pretty big vote and the Senate has some momentum here, I wouldn't totally rule out the possibility of a deal on these ACA subsidies.

[Jane Costen]

Last year the government shut down for the longest period in history over healthcare. We're approaching a deadline for multiple spending bills at the end of the month. Is there any appetite from Democrats for a repeat?

[Burgess Everett]

I don't sense that. I did a bunch of reporting on this recently talking to Democrats like, you know, let's recreate the same scenario that we just had. You don't revive these ACA subsidies, is that enough for you to shut the government down? They're saying no, we're not talking about doing that strategy again. I think if there were to be a shutdown, it would probably be from more run of the mill Congressional ineptitude, waiting too long or losing a vote on the House floor or something like that. That surprises. I don't feel like Democrats are engineering an entire strategy based around using their funding leverage to make healthcare a big issue. I think they made their point. And then I would also say like this may give Democratic leaders a little pause on whether to fully engage on the Affordable Care act subsidies, because I think they think they won that fight in the shutdown. That Republicans look bad and divided right now and they may not want to bail them out.

[Jane Costen]

Frankly, Congress looks different than it did even a year ago or even a month ago. A lot of people have resigned or retired. We've had a California Republican member pass away. There's an Indiana Republican member who has been hospitalized after a car accident. So considering all of that, does it feel to you like House Republicans aren't going to try to do anything because a party line vote is, you know, they can only lose two votes and you've got multiple members of the House who seem like kind of not a sure bet?

[Burgess Everett]

I think they're going to try. Speaker Johnson has indicated this week he wants to try to do a reconciliation bill, which is that party line bill that you're talking about. I think there's a lot of skepticism in the Senate about whether that can pass, given the math that you just talked about in the House is challenging. It's also challenging in the Senate. You have a handful of moderates. You got Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins got retiring YOLO Thom Tillis, and you got retiring YOLO Mitch McConnell. So I just don't know that it's guaranteed that you can pass anything through either one. However, there's a little bit of like buyers remorse from the last time Republicans were in charge back in 2017 and 2018 that they didn't try to implement more of their agenda. So I do think there's a little bit of a feeling among these, a lot of these folks that they should at least try to do more. And also little subtext here. Trump wants to kill the filibuster in the Senate. There's not the votes for that. So what is the only other way to pass something without Democratic votes? It's these party line reconciliation bills. So that's kind of what's leading to this talk about it. But I agree with you, it's really difficult. I wouldn't rule it out entirely, but if I had to bet on it, I'd bet against one passing this year.

[Jane Costen]

It's funny because I feel like the redistricting conversation to me really changed at the end of last year, especially when you saw one Virginia start to be like, well, Democrats can do it too. And you also saw Indiana stand up to Trump on this issue. But on Wednesday, Florida entered the redistricting conversation because Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he plans to call a special session in April for the state legislature to draw new congressional districts because we all need more to do. This would potentially hand the GOP more House seats. What are the chances this happens ahead of the midterms, and how would it impact the party's chances, especially given that redistricting was kind of the story of 2025, but it didn't seem to work in the way Republicans thought it would?

[Burgess Everett]

No, I mean, it's. It's sort of led a little bit to a stalemate. I think maybe they have, like, a slight one or two seat advantage as it's all played out so far. But as you just referenced, Jane, like, the story's not over. If Florida moves and appears like it's going to be successful, I would think, like, Virginia might get more aggressive. I don't know if you could totally discount Maryland trying to draw out Andy Harris, who's the one Republican there. So it does feel like it could end up being a wash. I wouldn't totally rule out Florida redrawing these districts, but that's awfully late in the process to be doing that. Some states will have already had their primaries over at that point. So I think that that sounds like an uphill battle for me to me. But they may have the votes to be able to do it. I think that would be an unprecedented late redraw of these districts, and people are going to run out of districts to redraw eventually. I mean, a lot of the country is already pretty damn gerrymandered, if you ask me.

[Jane Costen]

I hope so, because. Good Lord, it's just like, it's very.

[Burgess Everett]

Hard to keep track of.

[Jane Costen]

It really is. And it's also difficult to keep saying the word redistricting. But more importantly, what other issues are at the top of Congress's docket this year?

[Burgess Everett]

You know, I never would have thought I'd say this a week ago, but, like, Greenland is a big issue now. Like, I'm not even kidding.

[Jane Costen]

No, no, no, I know you're not kidding, and I'm only laughing because that's horrifying.

[Burgess Everett]

I mean, the Danish ambassador is coming to Capitol Hill this week to meet with senators about the Trump administration's talk of taking over Greenland, and Republicans are pushing back against it. So, you know, I mentioned this all just to say, like, in a typical election year, you know, not a lot's gonna happen, but I think things are, like, fairly unpredictable. Now I, I do think there's been this bucket of bipartisan bills like permitting reform or even new transportation bills that I think like theoretically Congress can kind of look past its divisions and do this sort of routine legislating even if it's not a must pass bill. I'm not sure there's a lot of appetite for Democrats to make a deal on other small ball issues. So you know, I wouldn't totally rule out some bipartisan action, but that has not been the story of this Congress. It's been partisan power plays, party line bills and government shutdown like that. That's been the story of this Congress. So I don't think we can predict quite what will Congress will be doing five or six months from now. But you know, we're going to see an early reconciliation play. We're going to see where this health care goes and whether there's another government shutdown and then maybe there's time to do a handful of other things. But at some point Democrats may feel the wind is at their back and any deal that they cut, they get better terms terms a year from now.

[Jane Costen]

Burgess, as always, thank you so much for joining me.

[Burgess Everett]

Indeed. Thanks, Jane. What a day.

[Jane Costen]

What a day. That was my conversation with Burgess Everett, Congressional Bureau Chief at semafor. We'll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. What a Day is brought to you by Smalls. Cats do not care about the new year or politics or pretty much anything besides being a cat and getting fed. Smalls cat food is protein packed recipes made with preservative free ingredients you find in your fridge and it's delivered right to your door. That's why cats.com named Smalls their best overall cat food. Starting with Smalls is easy. Just share info about your cat's diet, health and food preferences. Then Smalls puts together a personalized sampler for your cat. No more picking between random brands at the store. Smalls has the right food to satisfy any cat's cravings. After switching to smalls, 88% of cat owners reported overall health improvements. That's a massive deal and the team at Smalls is so confident your cat will love their product that you can try it risk free. That means they'll refund you if your cat won't eat their food. Make 2026 your cat's healthiest year yet. Take advantage of their New Year's special and get 60% off your first order plus free shipping when you head to smalls.com wad one last time. That's 60% off your first order plus Free shipping when you head to smalls dot com wad.

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[Burgess Everett]

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[Jane Costen]

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[Jane Costen]

Per month when network is busy See Terms. Here's what else we're following today.

[Burgess Everett]

Head of Lines.

[Kristi Noem]

Do you have no decency? We have someone dead in their car for no reason whatsoever. And, and I, I don't, I don't want to be right about this, but I said if they do this, they're going to create a chaotic situation where someone innocent is going to get killed. And they did it.

[Jane Costen]

Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walls was outraged on Wednesday after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a driver in Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security defended the officer's action in a statement saying the officer, quote, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. But the video of the incident doesn't look like that at all. The victim, Renee Goode, was a 37 year old American citizen. She is the fifth reported person killed in ICE operations since 2024, various bystanders posted different angles of the shooting on social media, which appeared to contradict ice's account of what happened. Walt said he'd reviewed the video himself and urged the public, quote, don't believe this propaganda machine. Democratic Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Fry flatly rejected DHS's account of what happened and didn't mince words when addressing ICE on Wednesday.

[Burgess Everett]

There's little I can say again that'll make this situation better. But I do have a message for our community, for our city, and I.

[Kristi Noem]

Have a message for ICE to ice.

[Burgess Everett]

Get the fuck out of Minneapolis.

[Jane Costen]

Within hours, thousands of protesters gathered in response to Good's killing. This is the second time in the last few months that ICE operations have surged in Minneapolis. DHS announced Tuesday that it was sending roughly 2,000 officers into the city. At a press conference, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was asked whether ICE operations are paused as a result of what happened. Noem responded, quote, no, we're still out on the streets.

[Burgess Everett]

The way that we control Venezuela is we control the purse strings, we control the energy resources, and we tell the regime, you're allowed to sell the oil so long as you serve America's national interest.

[Jane Costen]

Vice President J.D. vance, a normal person, told Fox News Jesse Waters, that's how the U.S. will, quote, exert incredible pressure on Venezuela without endangering American lives. His comments come as the White house announced that U.S. forces boarded two sanctioned tanker ships on Wednesday. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said on Twitter that both ships were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it. One vessel, which had been trying to evade US Capture for weeks, was seized in the North Atlantic Sea. According to shipping databases, during the pursuit, the vessel had been renamed and flagged to Russia. The second ship was in international waters near the Caribbean. After the announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to reporters on Capitol Hill about the administration's plans for Venezuela's oil.

[Kristi Noem]

I mean, Venezuela step one is destabilization of the country.

[Burgess Everett]

We don't want it descending into chaos.

[Jane Costen]

Rubio said the US is working on a deal to take up to 50 million barrels of oil, sell it, and disperse the money in a way that benefits Venezuelans. For comparison's sake, that's about two weeks of oil coming out of the Permian Basin in Texas. He said the second recovery phase would involve making sure American companies have fair access to the Venezuelan market. The last step would be a transition phase. I hope I'm alive to see it. Nearly a decade after women were authorized into ground combat, roles. The Pentagon confirmed it's reviewing how effective they've been in those roles after NPR obtained a memo. All of this follows Secretary of WarLittleBoy Pete Hegseth's September remarks lamenting women and fat soldiers who can't meet the highest male standard of Fitness. About 3,800 women currently serve in the Army's infantry, armor and artillery units, including more than 150 who have completed Ranger training. Roughly 10 women have also qualified as Green Berets, and I invite Pete Hegseth to tell them they're not qualified to their faces, a Pentagon spokesperson told the Hill. Quote, the Institute for Defense Analyses is reviewing the effectiveness of having women in ground combat roles to ensure standards are met and the United States maintains the most lethal military Pete Higseth clearly thinks there are some domains exclusively for men and others for women. Strange for a man who ordered a makeup studio constructed in the Pentagon so that he could look good on tv. And don't worry, tax dollars aren't paying for a makeup artist because, according to a defense official, Pete does his own makeup the Trump administration took another sledgehammer to the environment, gutting regulations and a major environmental law in the name of Hurry up. On Wednesday, the White House scrapped regulations in the National Environmental Policy act, also known as nepa, which requires federal agencies to weigh a project's environmental impact before granting approval. A spokesperson for the council declared that under Trump, NEPA's, quote, reign of terror has ended. So yes, Trump is making threats to friends and enemies alike, but don't forget the real terrorizer paperwork asking if a pipeline might poison a river. The action comes as Congress is currently debating legislation. Lawmakers in both parties agree the decades old law has grown sluggish. The Republican led House introduced a bill to accelerate project approvals, shorten review timelines and narrow the ability to challenge decisions in court. Democrats warn the proposal weakens public input on projects and limits judicial oversight. Last month, bipartisan permitting reform stalled when Democrats lost trust in negotiations after Trump paused five offshore wind projects, citing unspecified national security concerns. Knowing him, his national security concern is the wind. And that's the news. One more thing, food. Personally, I'm a big fan and so are most people. But as you may know, figuring out what foods are healthiest and what foods aren't can be confusing, especially since our media environment advantages loud people on the Internet who want to tell you about the horrifying effects of, say, oatmeal.

[Burgess Everett]

Oatmeal is one of the worst foods that you can put in your body.

[Jane Costen]

So I Understand why health and Human Services secretary and dead bear enthusiast Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Wants to make life easier for Americans and finally settle once and for all what Americans should be shoving into their metaphorical pie holes. On Wednesday, he announced revamped dietary guidelines, including a new food pyramid, which is basically the old food pyramid upside down.

[Kristi Noem]

Today, the lies stop.

[Jane Costen]

New guidelines recognize that whole nutrient dense.

[Kristi Noem]

Food is the most effective path to better health and lower healthcare costs. Protein and healthy fats are essential, and we're wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines. We are ending the war on saturated fats.

[Jane Costen]

That's right, we're protein maxing. As Kennedy said in his fallen angel voice, the new food pyramid emphasizes meat, dairy, cheese, fruits and vegetables and discourages consuming sugar and processed food. Congratulations to CrossFit coaches and people who track their macros everywhere. Actually, I'll be serious. This is good, but also bad. I'll explain. Yes, protein is good, especially if you work out a lot, and also if you don't. Whole foods, as in foods that are not processed or refined, are good. Whole grains, including, yes, oatmeal, are good for you. Fat is also good in moderation. And sugar, as we've been learning, is not very good, but also delicious. But there's a big fly in the high protein ointment. This is the Trump administration. And the Trump administration does not love nutrition. It loves money. See, if you grew up like I did in the 1990s, you remember that dietary fat was supposedly the worst thing in the history of time? A recommendation that came straight from the government, which resulted in companies trying to make money from it, sometimes by making fat free cookies like SnackWells. Here's an ad from 1993. Excuse me, do you make these delicious.

[Burgess Everett]

Fat free Snackwell devil's food cookies?

[Jane Costen]

Why, yes, I do. Want to tell us why we can't find them in the stores anymore? What is this?

[Burgess Everett]

You got some explaining to do, cookie man.

[Jane Costen]

Or by making new products like olestra, known as olene, a fat substitute added to products like potato chips in the mid-1990s and promoting it in ads like.

[Burgess Everett]

This, the farmers have been bringing us their harvest for 45 years. Then the farm co op brought me something different. News that soybeans like ours could be used to make a cooking oil fry up snack chips without adding any fat or calories. At Crisco, they figured without all the fat of regular chips, this olean could help lots of people eat a little healthier. Well, all I say is doing good starts right in your own backyard.

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

New fat free olean a good place to start.

[Jane Costen]

But it turns out that Snackwell's cookies weren't any better for you than normal cookies, and Olean had some extremely unpleasant side effects. Now, despite RFK's rhetoric about, quote, corporate profit taking, he is palling around with dairy corporations who brag about removing food dyes from ice cream. He's encouraging burger joints to cook their fries and other foods in beef tallow because processed foods like ice cream and fries are fine. If they're Make America Healthy Again processed, I guess. So we're not going to see a burgeoning Whole Foods revolution. Instead, we're getting more protein popcorns and protein waters and tallow and pretty much everything. Because money. The real issue with the new food recommendations isn't the food recommendations, it's that RFK Jr is full of shit. Before we go, you've heard the headlines out of Venezuela. Now hear directly from Venezuelans. On today's episode of Runaway Country, Alex Wagner is on the ground talking with people about their hopes and fears for what comes next. She's also joined by Jon Favreau and Ben Rhodes to break down Trump's escalating imperial ambitions. Listen now in the Runaway country feed or on YouTube and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe. Leave a review Congratulations to Mafuko, the Congolese mountain gorilla who gave birth to twins, which is massive news for the survival of the rare species. And tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how Mafuko is beating the odds, she's an endangered mountain gorilla living in Africa's largest national park, a swath of which is under rebel control as Congo continues to struggle with civil conflict. But observers say her babies look happy and healthy, like me. What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coston and good gorilla news is good news for everyone. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Emily Foer and Chris Allport. Our producer is Kaitlyn Plummer. Our video editor is Joseph Tutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Ethan Oberman, Greg Walters and Matt Berg. Our senior producer is Erika Morrison, and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adrienne Hill. Our theme music is by Kyle Murdock and Jordan Kanter. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.

[Kristi Noem]

Hi there, it's Andy Richter, and I'm here to tell you about my podcast, the three Questions with Andy Richter. Each week I invite friends, comedians, actors and musicians to discuss these three where do you come from, where are you going, and what have you learned? New episodes are out every Tuesday with guests like Julie Bow and Ted Dance and Tig Notara, Will Arnett, Phoebe Bridgers and more. You can also tune in for my weekly Andy Richter Call in show episodes, where me and a special guest invite callers to weigh in on topics like dating, disasters, bad teachers, and lots more. Listen to the three Questions with Andy Richter wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

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