The Week: Trump vs the Press, Meta’s AI Win, and the Turning Political Tide

September 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the week leading up to Friday, September 25th, the White House banned CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from press briefings, Meta released an AI agent that shot to the top of the App Store, and the political landscape shifted under the weight of the Iran war and the Canada trade dispute. The episode covers three major developments that each carry significant implications for media, technology, and the midterm elections.

The White House Shuts Out Three News Outlets

President Trump banned CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House, prompting the entire press pool—including Fox—to pull out in solidarity. Scott Galloway called the move an assault on the First Amendment, noting that the White House is not the president's personal property but public space paid for by taxpayers. "It is not your house. You are a short term tenant," he said. The White House Correspondents Association responded by emphasizing that the issue is about the American people's right to receive a full and independent account of government activities, not just journalists' access. Galloway predicted that the majority of the press would rally together, and that without a press pool, briefings would become hollow.

CNN's Sale Clears a Major Hurdle

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What you'll learn

1 (01:43) **Episode Intro & Agenda** - George Hahn welcomes listeners and previews the three main topics: Trump's press ban and CNN's sale, Meta's AI agent topping the app store, and the political implications of Iran and Canada for the midterms.
2 (02:17) **Trump Bans CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House** - Scott and Jess discuss the fallout from President Trump banning three news outlets, with other networks, including Fox, pulling out of the press pool in solidarity.
3 (05:09) **CNN’s Sale to David Ellison Clears Major Hurdle** - Twelve states settled their lawsuit to block the sale of CNN to David Ellison's Paramount, raising concerns about editorial direction given Ellison's family ties to Trump.
4 (07:41) **Meta’s AI Agent “Muse” Tops the App Store** - Meta released an AI agent called Muse, which passed ChatGPT to become the top free app in the U.S., leveraging its vast first-party data from Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
5 (09:15) **Amazon Blocks Meta’s Muse, Signaling a New AI Agent War** - Ed Elson reports that Amazon has blocked Muse from accessing its products, a move that could foreshadow a new chapter of "technological seclusion" for AI agents.
6 (10:46) **Fareed Zakaria on Meta’s AI Win and Industry Implications** - CNN's Fareed Zakaria argues that Muse's success signals "price competition" is coming to AI, challenging the theory of winner-take-all network economics.
7 (15:46) **Midterm Outlook: Democrats Favored as Tide Turns Against Republicans** - With 39 days until the midterms, prediction markets give Democrats a strong chance to win the Senate and House, as Scott and Jess see the political tide turning.

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Show Notes

George Hahn connects the dots across the week's biggest stories: what happened when Trump banned three news outlets from the White House, how Meta's new AI agent leapfrogged ChatGPT to the top of the App Store, and how Iran and Canada might turn the midterms against the GOP. Plus, Scott discusses whether America's safety net has been cut too thin.

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