Topic: Empowerment

The administration highlighted specific foreign aid expenditures as examples of government waste, including $8 million for LGBTQI+ promotion in Lesotho and $60 million for indigenous empowerment in Central America. A claim regarding millions spent on making mice transgender was discussed, noting that fact-checkers have disputed the specific framing of the research grants.

The Broadway production of *To Kill a Mockingbird* added a ghostly appearance of Tom Robinson to address "white savior complex" criticisms. In *The Book of Mormon*, a Ugandan woman now "scares off a warlord" instead of white missionaries to give her more "agency." The hosts mock the use of the word "agency" as a buzzword for empowerment over "Whitey."

The "MAKERS 2020" conference is criticized for "hijacking" the term "maker," which is typically associated with 3D printing and DIY technology. The event is described as a feminist empowerment summit featuring figures like John Legend, focusing on social change rather than technical creation.

Mika Brzezinski announces she is pulling her three-book deal from Weinstein Books, claiming the mogul used her "Know Your Value" series as cover for his predatory behavior. The hosts analyze the financial implications of returning book advances and the potential for Brzezinski to use the scandal to enhance her future publications.

British Prime Minister Theresa May praised the launch of the Women Entrepreneurs Financing Initiative at the G20 summit. The program, developed in collaboration with Ivanka Trump and the World Bank, aims to provide financial support to female business owners in developing economies.

Actress Gal Gadot discussed her role as Wonder Woman, emphasizing the character's values of truth, justice, and compassion. While the film is marketed as a story of female empowerment and origin, trailers suggest a highly violent "bloodfest" that contrasts with the "sweet" messages described by the cast and media.

The Wendy Williams Show is analyzed as a modern evolution of Winchell's gossip model, characterized by an intimate connection between the host and the audience. The discussion posits that modern politicians have become celebrities, allowing the public to feel a sense of control over them through the consumption of personal trivia and scandals.

Bill Clinton receives a $200,000 fee to speak at an advertising conference in the Netherlands. The hosts play clips of Clinton discussing "explanation as empowerment" and contrast his rhetoric with his historical denial of the Monica Lewinsky affair. They criticize the audience for applauding a "pathological liar."