SCOOP: What Does Winning Look Like? The Post 9/11 World, The Current Economy & How We Became The "United" States of America

·51 min·5 clips

40% of Americans were either not born or too young to remember the 9/11 attacks that changed everything.

The episode opens with host Jenna noting the date and transitioning from a personal anecdote about 'Do Not Disturb' settings to the Powerball lottery winners in Texas and Missouri. She uses this to introduce the concept of 'before and after' moments, leading into a discussion of September 11th as a national demarcation point. Jenna cites statistics showing about 40% of the U.S. population was either not born or too young to remember 9/11. She lists lasting repercussions of the attacks, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, TSA, ICE, and Real ID. Jenna reads listener submissions about where they were on 9/11, including a pregnant woman and someone whose sister worked at the World Trade Center. She shares her own experience of watching the attacks from abroad and how it influenced her journalism career. The episode shifts to current news, covering a major drone attack by Russia on Ukraine and a statement from President Trump on Israel-Hamas negotiations. Jenna details an executive order rebranding the Department of Defense to the Department of War, discussing its historical precedent with Henry Knox and potential costs. She then analyzes the August jobs report showing 22,000 jobs created, highlighting discrepancies with other economic data and playing soundbites from Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and NEC Director Kevin Hassett. Senator Mark Warner's critique of the administration's handling of jobs data is also included. Jenna concludes by repeatedly asking 'What does winning look like?' for the U.S. economy, foreign policy, and national health, encouraging listeners to define their own visions. She ends with historical notes on the naming of the United States on September 9, 1776, and the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner on September 13, 1814.

As heard by us

A concise review of presidential warnings, foreign policy uncertainty, and the Department of War rebranding discussion.

Smarter News starts the week by checking the date and setting expectations: the stories ahead may take some emotional work. Its strongest move is to pause over language that could matter beyond the moment, especially the president's warning about consequences for not accepting.

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Why you'd press play

You want to know what a presidential warning means while the consequences are still unresolved.

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