Twitter, Trump, and time off: 5 news podcast episodes from this week’s headlines

This week in news, America is reckoning with the age of its politicians after Senator Dianne Feinstein’s colleagues came out saying they were concerned she’s no longer mentally fit to serve. Plus, war in Ukraine continues to rage on and the White House has decidedly changed their stance and strategy when it comes to assisting the invaded country.

We have included an episode from “The Journal” explaining Florida Governor Ron Desantis’s battle against Disney as well as what it will mean for Florida residents. Finally, April 29th will mark 30 years since the start of the L.A. Riots. The L.A. Times podcast, “The Times,” looks back on those six days and examines the ripple effects it’s had across Los Angeles and the United States.

Hear all of this and more with these five news podcast episodes from this week’s headlines.

The Journal

By now, we’ve all heard about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis going to battle against the state’s largest tourist attraction: Disney World. Desantis stripped the theme park’s special self-governing authority after Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek came out in support of repealing Florida’s Parental Rights Act, also nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill.” On this episode of “The Journal,” Wall Street Journal’s Robbie Whelan explains what led to Desantis’ decision, what it means for Disney, and what it means tax-wise.

Today, Explained

“Today, Explained” tackles an American problem that has been sneaking its way to the forefront when the last two U.S. presidential elections were between two (three, with Bernie) people who could definitely be described as geriatric: the age of our politicians.

It was recently reported that Dianne Feinstein’s colleagues were concerned about the 88-year-old California senator’s memory as it affects her ability to do her job, and that has many looking towards the highest politicians in the land.

In this episode, delightfully titled “The Senate’s age-old old age problem,” Noel King looks at the aging of our politicians, why politicians don’t seem to retire along with the rest of Americans, and what that says about American politics.

The Powers That Be: Daily

Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Hamby hosts this Puck and Cadence13 daily news podcast “The Powers That Be: Daily.” On this morning’s episode, he was joined by Julia Ioffe to discuss Biden’s new stance on Putin’s war with Ukraine.

Between mass graves spotted from space in Mariupol to Russia cutting off gas to Poland and Bulgaria, along with Zelensky’s very public calls for assistance, the White House has had to change its tune.

Also, yes, Elon Musk is still in the news for his attempt to buy Twitter. But, in this episode, Peter is also joined by Tina Nguyen to explain why Donald Trump is also not happy with Elon’s takeover bid.

Morning Announcements

In this bite-sized episode from Betches Media’s “Morning Announcements,” hear more about Russia shutting off Poland and Bulgaria’s natural gas supply in retaliation. Also, the Minnesota Human Rights Department has found that the Minneapolis Police Department has violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Plus, Californians were asked to cut their outdoor water use due to drought, and Representative Madison Cawthorn was cited for a second time for carrying a loaded gun into Charlotte International Airport.

The Times: Daily news from the L.A. Times

It’s been 30 years since the start of the L.A. riots when four police officers were acquitted for the beating of Rodney King despite a video recording of the assault. “The Times” host Gustavo Arellano speaks with people from Black, Latino, and Asian communities who remember the uprising and aftermath, as well as the racial reckoning that happened within the L.A. Times newsroom after that day. This is the first episode of a two episode series about the riots.