TFR Ep. 43: Epstein Conspiracies, Ukraine, and the End of the Trump/Putin Situationship
Last week's episode was a doozy, folks. With Marcus Parks, we covered it all - from Epstein to the list to the island to Trump to Putin to Ukraine to good ole reliable JD. How could we not talk about the amazing meme version of JD posted by DJT?
Just take my word for it and go listen if you haven't. If you have, send it to someone who also likes smart funny things. According to @MrSuperPatar it is a...
Not our words and you know we don't read the comments, but that sounds right to us.
What's Seena Watching?
Heads of State! The action comedy that has no relation to Chris Rock’s 2003 comedy Head of State - you’d think it’d be a great sequel! This 2025 film stars John Cena - aka my nemesis “oh Seena like John Cena?” - yes, my ancient Iranian name came after the wrestler who rocked jants.
Heads of State also stars the incredible Big Dris, Idris Elba, as well as Priyanka Chopra flexing both her comedy and action chops. Did you know she is married to Nick Jonas? You think you know somebody! Fun aside, I interviewed her father once on the radio and asked him, “I work a lot, sometimes too much. How can I change my mindset to not feel compelled to work?” And he simply responded “When you are on your deathbed is anyone going to care how much you worked.” Thank you Mr. Chopra… I will continue writing my free newsletter now.
WHY am I talking about this movie? Because if I’m home alone, slamming an ice cream sandwich, then I want my action comedy mixed in with NATO drama. The film takes place as John Cena is a movie star turned President of the US and Idris Elba is the Prime Minister of the UK and Chopra stars as the tip of the spear for UK intelligence. The plot of this movie… is as confusing as our show is sometimes. No one knows who is backstabbing who on the global stage but its clear someone has setup Cena, Elba, and Chopra to all die tragically. SPOILER: THEY ALL SURVIVE AND REMAIN VERY CHISELED AND GOOD LOOKING BY THE END. I get it, if we make a movie about NATO and have scenes in Europe and Asia then that could get it spins in those local markets. But throughout the movie I felt like I didn’t know why someone was trying to kill them? And when they explained the intricacies of the storyline, it was in a condensed walk and talk that I actually had to rewind several times to absorb. Yes, I put my phone down from scrolling, picked up the remote and paid attention - shocking. I guess that’s a win for the movie.
Would I recommend this flick? Only if you are a dad and are buzzing from slamming ice cream when your wife is out of town. Other than that, I’m glad this didn’t get a theatrical release as I may have been conned into going to see it. But I’ll say this - good for Amazon for trying to make geopolitics mainstream. In a strange way this is exactly what we’re trying to do on TFR - what happens in far off places has an impact on how we live here in the US.
Still though - nothing comes close to THE peak action-comedy film with geopolitical undertones…. Hot Shots: Part Deux.
~Seena
Meanwhile, In Ohio: What Is Travis Reading?
, The Columbus Dispatch
On the domestic front, The Trump Administration held back between $5-7 billion in education spending meant to go to K-12 schools nationwide back in June, but thanks to public outcry from school districts in blue and red states alike, those funds have finally been released! The money was being reviewed to see if it went against the administration's new "anti-DEI" standards, but because parents, teachers and school administrators of all political stripes spoke out about how the funding had already been promised to districts ahead of the school year (and they desperately needed it) The Trump Administration's hand was forced –– it's a good reminder that at the end of the day it's OUR money, NOT the billionaires!
~Travis
On This Week's Show...
Seena and Travis are going to dig into the recent elections in Japan, take a look at what's been happening in Cambodia and Thailand, and likely some other things that will happen between now and then. Hit that button to subscribe if you haven't already.
If you have a question or a suggestion for a show, send us an email at Theforeignreportlpn@gmail.com
See you next week!