Steve Hallstrom kicks off a high-octane week navigating the "drinking from a fire hose" news cycle. The show dives headfirst into the fallout of the massive Jeffrey Epstein file dump, exploring what is verifiable evidence and what is simply political weaponry. Steve also breaks down a shocking policy shift from Hillary Clinton on border security, the latest in the horrific Isadora Wengel murder investigation, and the world-record-breaking sale of a rare Pokémon card. Plus, a look at the "baby bump" hitting Minnesota’s new Paid Family Leave program and why Bison women’s basketball is the biggest story in regional sports.
Key Moments
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The Epstein Enigma: Steve addresses the release of 3 million pages of Epstein files. He discusses the challenge of discerning truth from "FBI tips," noting that while figures like Barack Obama and Donald Trump appear thousands of times, the lack of corroborated travel records or witnesses makes these documents more of a "semantics game" than a legal slam dunk.
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Hillary Clinton’s "Common Sense" Moment: In a stunning "best thing I heard all weekend," Steve reacts to Hillary Clinton’s comments in Munich where she admitted that migration has gone "too far" and been "destabilizing." Steve questions where this rhetoric was during the last decade and suggests the left is only now "waking up" because their policies have become politically unprofitable.
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The Isadora Wengel Case: Steve expresses outrage over the $5 million bail set for the man accused of the "heinously gruesome" murder of West Fargo’s Isadora Wengel. He questions the legal sanity of allowing a suspected killer to potentially walk free while the search for Wengel's body continues in regional landfills.
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Operation Metro Surge Drawdown: Tom Homan announces that over 1,000 agents have already left the Twin Cities as the Trump administration winds down its ICE surge. Steve reflects on the "quiet" that has followed the storm of protests and what this means for the future of federal enforcement in Minnesota.
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The $16.4 Million Pikachu: In a bizarre pop-culture crossover, Steve and producer Addison discuss Logan Paul’s record-breaking sale of a 1998 Japanese Pikachu Illustrator card. Steve uses the "yellow electric mouse" to illustrate the raw power of supply and demand in a volatile market.
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Minnesota’s "Baby Bump": Steve examines reports that Minnesota’s new Paid Family Leave program is already nearing a funding crisis. With approvals running 26% above forecast, Steve questions if the state is equipped to handle the "baby bump" of early applications or potential fraud within the system.
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Bitcoin’s Floor: Following a crypto freefall, Steve provides a "Bitcoin 101" update. Despite the volatility, Steve remains a long-term bull, arguing that institutions like Fidelity have made the asset "too big to fail" for the next generation of investors.
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Bison Women’s Basketball Dominance: Steve celebrates the NDSU women’s basketball team, who are now 23-2 on the year after a historic win at UND. He highlights their 21-game winning streak as a premier community success story.