CNN One Thing

The Trump administration’s effort to build a national citizen database is running into roadblocks in court and alarming some election officials on both sides of the aisle. But what is this data for? And how could it be used? We hear from one election official about why he’s pushing back, and look at how election integrity concerns are playing out in other parts of the country. For more: Trump is trying to build a massive voter database. Election officials are afraid of what he’ll do with it --- Guests: David Yates, Jefferson County (KY) Clerk & Tierney Sneed, CNN Reporter Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Carlos Osorio/Reuters/File Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The firing of the US Army chief of staff and two other generals is just the latest personnel shakeup under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But why do this during wartime? We examine whether disagreements between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll are behind the move, and how Hegseth’s ongoing fixation on so-called “culture wars” and loyalty could impact service members. For more: Trump and Hegseth on Iran war: ‘God is good’ --- Guest: Haley Britzky, CNN National Security Reporter Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amid a stalled Surgeon General nomination, a federal court ruling striking down vaccine overhauls (at least for now), and anger from ‘Make America Healthy Again’ activists, some are wondering whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has lost his grip on the movement that helped propel President Donald Trump back to the White House. We hear from one activist outraged by an executive order about weedkiller who says some voters “will not be coming back.” Plus, what’s going on with all the whole milk hype videos? For more: How RFK Jr.’s MAHA agenda keeps hitting roadblocks --- Guests: Kelly Ryerson, ‘Glyphosate Girl’ & Sarah Owermohle, CNN Health Policy Reporter Host/Producer: David Rind Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A crew of four astronauts are preparing for a historic mission that will take them around the far side of the moon and back, the furthest human space travel in more than 50 years. Like any space mission, the run-up has been filled with delays and safety concerns, but experts say this mission is a key part of an ambitious plan from the Trump administration to establish a lunar colony and eventually visit Mars. But is any of this feasible? And can Americans still be inspired like they were during the Space Race of the 1960s? For more: Why haven’t humans been back to the moon in over 50 years? --- Guest: Pam Melroy, former astronaut & NASA Deputy Administrator Host/Producer: David Rind Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Sam Lott/NASA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A California jury found Meta and YouTube liable on all counts in a case that accused the tech giants of intentionally addicting a young woman and injuring her mental health. Experts say the landmark decision could open the door to a flood of other litigation that could reshape how these companies operate. But will anything actually change? We also hear from one of the hundreds of other plaintiffs suing social media companies who are hoping this verdict bodes well for them. Note: this episode contains discussions of eating disorders. For more: Listen to CNN’s “Terms of Service” podcast --- Guest: Caroline Koziol & Clare Duffy, CNN Tech Reporter Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The war with Iran has sent shockwaves through the global oil markets and jacked up gas prices in the US. But it has also caused a surge in fertilizer prices, which is straining US farmers who were already dealing with the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. We hear from one Iowa soybean and corn farmer who says his industry is suffering from the Trump administration’s self-inflicted wounds. For more: Fertilizer prices bring more pain for American farmers amid war in Iran --- Guest: Joshua Manske, Iowa soybean and corn farmer Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Gordan Ebanks Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Prediction markets are opening new doors to bet on pretty much anything - even outcomes during war. But things can get pretty heated when money is on the line, and now at least one state is stepping in to accuse a major prediction market of running an illegal gambling operation. WIRED’s Kate Knibbs talks about the “casino-ification” of everything and what this could mean for the future of politics and betting. For more: Iran-related bets on prediction sites scrutinized over ‘death markets’ and possible insider trades --- Guests: Jesus Martinez & Kate Knibbs, WIRED Senior Writer Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not been shy about how his Christian faith has shaped him. However, some activists fear his views could be encroaching on the secular military in unprecedented ways and influencing how commanders are framing the war in Iran. We explore a controversial pastor connected to Hegseth who is leading a growing movement rooted in Christian nationalism and the idea that women should be “submissive” to their husbands. For more: Inside one pastor’s crusade for Christian domination in the age of Trump --- Guests: Pamela Brown, CNN Anchor/Chief Investigative Correspondent Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Shoshana Dubnow Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last year, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency took a chainsaw to the federal government, slashing jobs and cutting programs in the name of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. While it did not reduce spending, current and former government officials tell CNN that some of the cuts are hampering government readiness amid the Iran war. Now, the government is looking to ramp up hiring again – but only with workers who align with the Trump administration’s priorities. We hear from a former federal worker about how last year’s cuts impacted her, and from an expert who says he's concerned about adding more political appointees to the mix. For more: ‘A shell of our former self’: How Trump and Musk’s spending cuts are hampering US government readiness amid the Iran war --- Guests: Melissa Patsalides & Max Stier, Partnership for Public Service President and CEO Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Tami Luhby Photo: Allison Robbert/AFP/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The war in Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for transporting roughly 20% of the world’s oil. As a result, ships are stuck and gas prices are climbing in the US. We look at the Trump administration’s possible solutions, and the key psychological benchmark that could push their political problem to a breaking point. For more: The grim choice facing the Trump administration: Economic or naval collapse? --- Guests: Martín Izaguirre Salgado & David Goldman, CNN Business Senior Reporter Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Vanessa Yurkevich Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anger directed at OpenAI is spreading after it struck a deal with the Pentagon to use its AI models in classified systems, just hours after its rival, Anthropic, refused. OpenAI said it had shared Anthropic’s concerns about mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, so why did they sign? And what does this mean for other companies looking to do business with the Trump administration? For more: Some OpenAI staff are fuming about its Pentagon deal --- Guests: Hadas Gold, CNN AI Correspondent & Dean Ball, Senior Fellow at The Foundation for American Innovation Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: WH Pool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Iran continues to retaliate against the US and Israel, civilians in major Gulf countries are caught in the crossfire. Will these nations be forced to respond? And do they have the military firepower needed to keep up? We break down what we can learn from the military operations thus far and look at how an Iranian power vacuum could complicate the endgame. For more: The rationale for striking Iran was already a mess. Trump just made it worse. --- Guests: Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Chief International Security Correspondent & Mark Kimmitt, Brigadier General (Ret.) Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Natasha Maguder, Natalie Wright Photo: Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After months of planning, the US and Israel struck Iran as part of a massive operation aimed at unseating the hardline Iranian regime. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes, according to Israeli sources. Iran has retaliated, hitting US military bases and major population centers across the region. So how long will the conflict last? And is regime change even feasible? We break down what we know as of Saturday afternoon. For more: Trump launches the regime-change effort in Iran that he pledged to avoid --- Guest: Natasha Bertrand, CNN Correspondent Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The killing of Mexican cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes shocked the country and set off cartel violence in the streets, trapping American tourists in the process. However, experts say the operation could say even more about President Donald Trump’s war on drugs than Mexico’s. For more: The death of ‘El Mencho’ exposed the reach of Mexico’s cartel crisis. Will US tourists stay away? --- Guest: Steven Dudley, InSight Crime co-founder Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: @morelifediares via REUTERS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Victims of Jeffrey Epstein say the historic arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, is a step in the right direction. But high-profile figures in the US still have not faced similar consequences, weeks after the Justice Department released more than 3 million documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender. We hear from a group of survivors who say this feels like the beginning of the story, not the end. For more: ‘This is not over.’ Corporate America’s Epstein reckoning gathers steam --- Guest: MJ Lee, CNN Senior National Enterprise Correspondent Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Nicky Robertson Photo: Kent Nishimura/Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A raft of resignations from some of Silicon Valley’s top AI companies came with some dire warnings about user safety and potential impacts on the American workforce. Are these concerns worth paying attention to, or overhyped? We hear from one former safety researcher who says companies are not fully grappling with the implications of advertising within chatbots. For more: AI researchers are sounding the alarm on their way out the door --- Guest: Zoë Hitzig, former OpenAI researcher Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Senior Producer: Faiz Jamil Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Hadas Gold Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need." Those words from ICE attorney Julie Le to a federal judge earlier this month underscores the toll the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis is taking on the Justice Department. But what happens now that the surge is winding down? And will any new prosecutors want to sign up for this work? For more: Trump’s immigration approach is gumming up the courts, frustrating his Justice Department and judges --- Guest: Doug Kelley, former Assistant US Attorney Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Editorial Support: Katelyn Polantz Photo: Steve Karnowski/AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the Winter Olympics in Italy, American athletes are speaking out, Vice President JD Vance was booed, and some locals are protesting against ICE. Some are asking if the US has achieved “villain” status. Experts say moments like these underscore the loss of American standing on the world stage under President Donald Trump. But is this a brand problem, or something deeper? For more: Trump’s growing volatility is putting the world on edge --- Guest: Stephen Collinson, CNN Senior Reporter Host: David Rind Producer: Paola Ortiz Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin Photo: Amber Searls / Imagn Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices