Topic: Adele

NBC's "Pop Start" segment featured Adele discussing her new album after a six-year hiatus, which prompted an emotional reaction from the network's commentators. The network also promoted Peter Jackson's upcoming Beatles documentary, "Get Back," which is scheduled to premiere on Disney Plus. Critics noted the irony of NBC promoting content for a competing streaming service.

The 45th Cesar Awards in France faced a walkout by actress Adele Haenel after Roman Polanski won Best Director. Polanski, a convicted rapist who fled the U.S. in 1977, remains a polarizing figure in the film industry. The entire board of the French Academy resigned in protest, signaling a major shift in the country's cultural response to the Me Too movement.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia ordered a cabinet reshuffle that consolidated power for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Notably, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was demoted to a minister of state role. The move comes as MBS continues his "Vision 2030" project and commits to rebuilding Syria, despite ongoing international scrutiny over the Khashoggi murder.

Media outlets criticized the Grammys for a lack of female winners despite Adele's sweep the previous year. Critics also complained about Bruno Mars winning over Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar, arguing that "happy" pop songs should not beat albums with dark, political, or anti-Trump messages.

John Vogel from the Bronx donates to become an executive producer. He requests jingles related to James Comey and the FBI. The hosts play a parody of Adele's "Hello" and a "Call Me" song (parodying Blondie) focused on the former FBI director's lack of credibility.

A producer suggests renaming "No Agenda Social" to "Brain Book" due to the high intelligence of its users. Another listener describes her conversion to Catholicism and how the number 33—the age Jesus began preaching—reminded her of the show's recurring themes.

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards production by Ken Ehrlich is criticized for being self-absorbed, though technically well-executed. Adele's acceptance speech, where she claimed Beyoncé deserved the Album of the Year award, is characterized as an expression of white guilt and privilege.

The hosts critique the fashion and career trajectories of CNN anchors Erin Burnett and Soledad O'Brien. They discuss O'Brien's departure from her morning anchor role and speculate on the "fat is in" trend in media, referencing the success of singer Adele. They suggest that news anchors should adopt different aesthetics to improve ratings under Jeff Zucker's leadership.

The FBI arrested 18-year-old Adel Daoud in Chicago for attempting to use a "weapon of mass destruction" in a plot concocted by federal agents. The CBC reports that the FBI provided the fake bomb and dreamed up the plot after finding Daoud talking about jihad online. The hosts discuss the trend of the FBI creating "operational terrorists" out of impressionable individuals to bypass the bureaucracy of real investigative work.