Would You Like Lies With That? Trump's McDonald's Affordability Pitch
The GOP has an affordability problem. Plus: The prince gets the red carpet. A MAGA rift opens wide. And Dr. Lauren Streicher answers your questions on the FDA's estrogen news.
For daily news updates and analysis, be sure to follow us on Instagram.
When the FDA announced they’re removing the black box warning from estrogen, you asked: Can we trust the FDA? Why did they do this? For whom is estrogen appropriate and is it really safe?
If there’s anyone who can make menopause sound exciting, it’s Dr. Lauren Streicher, an OBGYN and menopause specialist at Northwestern who writes the Substack Menopause: The Inside Info and just launched an audio series called “Come Again: Sexuality and Orgasm.” (Yes, really.)
Dr. Streicher was in the room when the FDA made the announcement, a decision for which she’s been fighting for decades. She says it’s good news and long overdue.
In this conversation she explains the difference between local vaginal estrogens and systemic estrogens; we also talk about progesterone, testosterone, and who should take each and when.
But she’s concerned about how the administration made this ruling. She was invited to join the expert panel, but dropped off when she learned it wouldn’t follow the traditional scientific process. “No, thank you,” she said. She worries the administration bypassed rigorous scientific review to claim a win on women’s health — and that this could set a dangerous precedent for future decisions on mifepristone and other reproductive health medications.
Watch the first portion below; the full interview is available to subscribers at the end of this newsletter.
Also today: Trump tries a value menu message and takes a U-turn on Epstein. Washington targets a ghost cartel. Seven years later, MBS is back. And is MAGA world eating its own? MTG finds herself on the outs, Carlson doubles down, Trump follows.
Interview Preview
Here Are Your Headlines
Breaking: The UN Security Council on Monday passed a US-drafted resolution on the future of Gaza. It authorizes several parts of Trump’s 20-point plan for the region, including a transitional “Board of Peace” (chaired by Trump) and temporary International Stabilization Force.
Loud and Clear: Trump is speaking tonight at a summit hosted by McDonald’s (yes you read that right), where he’ll try to convince owners, operators, and the rest of us that he is making good on his campaign promises to “end inflation,” “bring down the prices of all goods,” and “make America affordable again.” With inflation now higher than when he took office and some goods more expensive than ever, that’s a tough sell.
Tightened Belts: A recent poll found that 71% of people are spending more on groceries compared to last year, and 59% blame Trump. Grocery prices have risen across the board since he took office, with some items like coffee and beef skyrocketing. Electricity and gasoline prices are also up.
Rolling Back: Responding to these concerns, Trump on Friday removed tariffs on hundreds of food products.
Don’t Believe Your Lyin’ Eyes: Broadly, the administration’s strategy for combating rising prices seems to be… blame others and pretend it’s not happening. Trump has repeatedly claimed grocery prices are down and that his “costs are lower than the Democrats on everything.… STOP LYING!!!”
Giving Thanks: Trump touted the fact Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal package is 25% cheaper than last year. True. This year Walmart says it can feed 10 for $40. Last year it was eight people for $55. But this year’s meal also has six fewer items and a higher proportion of Walmart-brand (as opposed to name brand) options than last year.
Where’s the Beef? Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this weekend tried to pin the blame for rising beef prices on… undocumented immigrants. He said that they’re bringing diseased cattle over the border. (You’d think with all the money border patrol has received, it could locate and stop herds of diseased cattle.)
Paying For Life: Trump proposed a surprising policy to bring down the costs of homes. Average rents are up and the cost of buying a home skyrocketed by almost $100,000 in the last five years. Trump’s solution? 50-year mortgages. One company estimated this would save homebuyers $119 a month — but would double the total interest. A Treasury Department official said Thursday it’s “not an optimal approach.”
Checks and Balances: Trump also said he’d send $2,000 checks to many Americans, paid for by tariffs. But this might require new legislation, and almost any version would cost more than tariffs have raised — money the administration has already promised to spend on bringing down the record-high national debt. Oh, and the Supreme Court could reverse Trump’s tariff policy, requiring him to pay the money back. So basically, the check’s in the mail.
Political Pain: Here’s your reminder that Democrats used affordability to win elections across the country this month.
U-Turn: Trump on Monday claimed he would sign a bill forcing the DOJ to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein, should Congress pass it. “I’m all for it,” he said. This stunning reversal, after months of fierce resistance, is likely damage control. Roughly 100 Republican lawmakers were already expected to break with the White House and vote for the release of the files, despite intense pressure from Trump and his allies to keep them in line. The vote could happen as soon as Tuesday.
Funny Business: Trump also said he’d sign the bill if it gets to his desk. What he didn’t say is that he may have a workaround. Trump recently ordered the DOJ to open a new Epstein investigation, focused only on activities involving Democrats. Legal experts and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — warned the DOJ could refuse to release more files, claiming they’re part of an active investigation.
Step Further: The Trump administration on Sunday announced it would designate the Venezuelan “Cartel de los Soles” as a foreign terrorist organization, led by President Nicolás Maduro. Trump suggested the designation will allow the US military to target certain infrastructure and freeze Maduro’s assets. But some experts question whether the cartel really exists — or if the term the administration is using simply describes the broad criminal infiltration of Venezuela’s authoritarian government. Today, Trump also said he “may be having some discussions with Maduro.” Stay tuned.
War On Drugs, Live Fire: Trump on Monday said he would “be proud” to strike “cocaine factories where they make cocaine” in Colombia; he said he would be “OK” with sending troops into Mexico to target drug cartels.
Not At War? The US sent its most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, to the Caribbean. There are now more than a dozen US ships and 15,000 troops in the region. On Sunday, the US military destroyed yet another small boat, this time in the eastern Pacific, which it claimed (as usual, without evidence) was trafficking drugs. The strike killed three, bringing the death toll to at least 83.
With Friends Like These: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to arrive in the US on Tuesday. This is his first visit to the US in seven years, since Saudi agents brutally murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The prince is returning to pomp and some very big gifts. Trump says he agreed to sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia, which will make it the first Arab country to own them. He also said they’ll discuss security cooperation to establish peace in Gaza, and, possibly, normalization of relations with Israel.
Mission Accomplished: Hundreds of National Guard troops are set to leave Portland and Chicago. They arrived over a month ago but never actually carried out any operations, thanks to legal challenges. Hundreds of troops will remain in both cities. We have no idea what they’ll be doing.
Chaos Down South: Immigration agents descended on Charlotte this weekend, arresting at least 81 and bringing “a thriving city to a standstill,” in the words of city councilmember-elect JD Mazuera Arias. Gov. Josh Stein on Sunday described “masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars … racially profiling and picking up random people.”
Back to Normal: The FAA today lifted flight restrictions on 40 busy airports. According to aviation data company Cirium, most of those airports were ignoring the restrictions anyway; on Sunday, not a single one met the 3% reduction ordered by the FAA. And yet, some in the News Not Noise community have told us their flights today were still delayed.
Try Again: A federal judge on Monday took the unusual step of ordering government prosecutors to hand over grand jury materials related to the case against James Comey by the end of the day. The judge said this was necessary because of “profound investigative missteps,” including by acting US Attorney Lindsey Halligan — a former personal lawyer to Trump whom he nominated for the position despite her having no prosecutorial experience.
News or Noise
The following content, which includes information on the growing rifts in MAGA world, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprising apology, and the rest of my interview with Dr. Lauren Streicher, is for paid subscribers. Thank you for your support! You make our work possible.
 | A guest post by
|