CNN One Thing

CNN Podcasts

Starting August 2, 2026 all new episodes can be found over in the ⁠CNN 5 Things feed.⁠ Search "CNN 5 Things" wherever you get your podcasts.

You’ve been overwhelmed with headlines all week – what's worth a closer look? One Thing takes you beyond the headlines and helps make sense of what everyone is talking about. Host David Rind talks to experts, reporters on the front lines and the real people impacted by the news about what they've learned – and why it matters.

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369 episodes
Updated Sunday

Episodes369

Newest first

Apr 6, 2025 · 25 min
The Hidden Costs of Trump’s National Parks Cuts
As DOGE-led cuts continue to rock the federal government, we hear from National Parks employees about what’s at stake for visitors and wildlife, as well as the threat to the preservation of the history behind public lands. Guests: Andria Townsend & Helen Dhue Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 2, 2025 · 22 min
This Group Has a ‘Deportation List.’ Is the Government Reading It?
As federal agents detain a growing number of international college students, some are wondering: where are they getting these names? We hear about pro-Israel groups working to reveal details about student activists and how it could chill free speech. Guests: Gloria Pazmino, CNN Correspondent Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 30, 2025 · 20 min
Why Musk Is Pouring Millions into Wisconsin
Elon Musk and other outside groups have poured millions of dollars into advertising and organizing ahead of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election on Tuesday. We hear about why the outcome could tell us something about the national political mood early into the second Trump administration. Guest: Arlette Saenz, CNN Correspondent Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 26, 2025 · 24 min
Trump’s DEI Data Purge
As datasets and web pages across the federal government disappear to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders, a coalition of concerned citizens is rushing to preserve information and access. We talk to one of the researchers behind the Data Rescue Project about how they're doing that work and how federal data purges could impact trust in government. Guest: Lynda Kellam Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 23, 2025 · 24 min
Tesla in Trouble
Since Inauguration Day, Tesla has seen its stock price drop amid declining consumer interest and occasionally violent protests pushing back against CEO Elon Musk. We hear from drivers who have (and haven’t) ditched their cars and explore why it’s not just DOGE giving the company reason to worry. Guest: Allison Morrow, CNN Business Senior Writer Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 19, 2025 · 22 min
If a Judge Says It, Do You Have to Do It?
The Trump White House is denying it defied a judge’s order to halt deportation flights by using a wartime power to speed up removals. A former federal prosecutor tells us why the administration’s rhetoric may be brasher than its legal arguments. Guest: Elie Honig, CNN Senior Legal Analyst Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 16, 2025 · 24 min
Can You Be Deported for What You Say?
A Trump administration effort to deport prominent Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has sparked fear on college campuses across the country that other international students could be targeted for their views. A year after student protests unsettled the nation, we look at the new administration’s moves on college campuses and hear from someone worried even US citizens could soon be caught up in the crackdown. Guests: Belinda Davis, Rutgers University Professor of History Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 12, 2025 · 24 min
Why Government Cuts Are About to Ramp Up
Ahead of a March 13 deadline for federal agencies to submit reductions in force plans, one agency in particular has drawn the attention of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency: The Social Security Administration. We explore why advocates fear crucial outdated technology is ripe for outages which could put vulnerable Americans at risk. Guest: Tami Luhby, CNN Senior Writer Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 9, 2025 · 22 min
Will ‘Don’t Give Up’ Cut It for Democrats?
Democrats continue to struggle with being an effective opposition party in a Washington under full Republican control. Ahead of a looming government shutdown, we hear from one lawmaker who thinks they’re “getting there.” Will voters buy it? Guest: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 5, 2025 · 22 min
In MAGA Country, Musk Has Free Rein (For Now)
As President Donald Trump reshapes international relations and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency continues to gut the federal workforce, CNN wanted to know how his most diehard supporters feel about Trump 2.0. We found some are willing to tolerate potential financial hardship – but for how long? Guests: Elle Reeve, CNN Correspondent Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 2, 2025 · 23 min
Measles was Considered Eliminated. But It’s Spreading in Texas.
As a measles outbreak continues to grow in West Texas, questions are mounting over the quality of federal response, as Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplays the outbreak’s severity. We ask a Houston doctor if he’s expecting a major livestock show to bring more measles cases to his city. Meanwhile, experts fear disrupted meetings about vaccines could threaten timelines and transparency from health officials around other key shots. Guests: Meg Tirrell, CNN Medical Correspondent & Dr. Wesley Long, Director of Microbiology at Houston Methodist Hospital Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 26, 2025 · 22 min
Boycotts, DEI, and Trump 2.0 Resistance
Some progressive groups are calling for an ‘economic blackout’ on Friday, urging Americans not to purchase anything from major retailers in protest of corporate greed and Trump administration actions. But what could it accomplish? We examine why similar calls to boycott companies retreating from DEI policies could have unintended consequences. Guest: Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Business Reporter Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 23, 2025 · 24 min
‘This Shouldn’t Be Their Reality’: Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
As the Trump administration works to carry out its mass deportation operation, undocumented immigrants without criminal records fear being caught up in potential raids at schools, churches, or other places in their communities. In this episode, we hear from people doing what they can to fight back. Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 19, 2025 · 20 min
What Elon Musk Sees in Germany’s Far-Right
As US and Russian officials meet about the war in Ukraine - without Ukraine - European leaders are feeling similarly sidelined. Meanwhile, Germany’s controversial far-right party could make major gains in elections on Sunday – and Elon Musk is cheering them on. Guest: Sebastian Shukla, CNN Producer Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 16, 2025 · 24 min
Bird Flu Isn’t Trump’s Fault. But It’s His Problem.
If you’ve been to the grocery store recently, you know egg prices are through the roof (if you can even find any). We explore how a growing avian flu outbreak is frustrating farmers and hindering President Donald Trump’s plans to lower prices. Guests: Doug Corwin, President of Crescent Farms & Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Business and Politics Correspondent Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 12, 2025 · 21 min
When Trump and Musk Meet Checks and Balances
As many of President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive actions get challenged in court, some on the right are suggesting his presidential power could exceed certain legal rulings. We examine the implications of ignoring court orders and what could put us on a path towards a constitutional crisis. Guest: Paula Reid, CNN Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 9, 2025 · 25 min
The Real-Life Impact of DOGE’s Cuts
Many aid programs around the world have been paralyzed in the wake of the Trump administration’s 90-day pause on foreign aid. We hear how an Elon Musk-led effort to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is already having ramifications at home and abroad. Guests: Teddy Ruge & Brian Aliganyira Have a tip or question about the new Trump administration? Call us at 202-240-2895. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 5, 2025 · 20 min
Musk and Trump Take a Wrecking Ball to DC
Some federal employees are on edge as Elon Musk continues his work on behalf of President Donald Trump to overhaul the federal government in unprecedented ways. We examine just how sweeping his actions are and why resistance to them is growing. Guest: Zachary Wolf, CNN Politics Senior Writer Sign up for the CNN What Matters newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 2, 2025 · 22 min
More Planes, Fewer Air Traffic Controllers: Recipe for Disaster?
In the days since the deadly midair collision outside Washington DC, questions are being asked about what could have contributed to the tragedy. We hear from an expert who says the push for more flights isn’t making jobs easier for a workforce already stretched thin. Guest: David Soucie, CNN Safety Analyst/Author, ‘Safer Skies’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 29, 2025 · 19 min
Trump’s ‘America First’ Agenda Meets China’s AI Advancement
Wall Steet, Washington, and Silicon Valley are scrambling after a little-known Chinese startup claimed its artificial intelligence model can operate like ChatGPT at just a fraction of the cost. We examine why the breakthrough could reverberate beyond the tech sector as President Donald Trump looks to counter China's influence. Guest: Matt Egan, CNN Reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices