A Contentious Media Merger, and the F.B.I.’s Epstein Scramble

About this episode

<p>Plus, your Friday news quiz. </p><p><strong>On Today’s Episode:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/business/media/fcc-skydance-merger-paramount.html" target="_blank"><strong>F.C.C. Approves Skydance’s $8 Billion Merger With Paramount</strong></a>, <i>by Benjamin Mullin</i></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/us/politics/trump-bank-federal-reserve.html" target="_blank"><strong>Trump Spars With Powell Over Fed’s Costly Renovations in Rare Visit</strong></a>, <i>by Colby Smith</i></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/us/politics/epstein-files-trump-bondi-justice-department-fbi.html" target="_blank"><strong>How a Frantic Scouring of the Epstein Files Consumed the Justice Dept.</strong></a>, <i>by Adam Goldman and Alan Feuer</i></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/middleeast/gaza-starvation.html" target="_blank"><strong>Gazans Are Dying of Starvation</strong></a>, <i>by Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, Isabel Kershner and Abu Bakr Bashir</i></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/europe/france-palestine-statehood-macron-gaza.html" target="_blank"><strong>France Will Recognize Palestinian Statehood, Macron Says</strong></a>, <i>by Roger Cohen</i></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/us/politics/israel-us-hamas-talks.html" target="_blank"><strong>Israel and the U.S. Pull Back From Talks With Hamas</strong></a>, <i>by David E. Sanger and Johnatan Reiss</i></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/sports/hulk-hogan-dead.html" target="_blank"><strong>Hulk Hogan, Shirt-Shredding Superstar of Pro Wrestling, Dies at 71</strong></a>, <i>by Victor Mather</i></p><p>Tune in every weekday morning. To get our full audio journalism and storytelling experience, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nyt-audio/id1549293936"><strong>download</strong></a> the New York Times Audio app — available to Times news subscribers on iOS — and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/audio"><strong>sign up</strong></a> for our weekly newsletter.</p><p>Tell us what you think at: theheadlines@nytimes.com. </p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>