Topic: Merced

Donations of $200 or more earn "Executive Producer" credits, which are recognized on IMDB. Sir Tommy Hawk, a 19-year-old "Zoomer," contributed $500 to become the Secretary General of the Heartland. Dame Patricia from Merced, California, donated $333.33 and promoted her son Brian Lewis's painting business in Atascadero, offering a "No Agenda discount" to listeners.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the cancellation of the full San Francisco to Los Angeles high-speed rail line, opting instead for a limited link between Merced and Bakersfield. The multi-billion dollar Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco, intended as the rail's hub, is now described as a "fiasco" and a potential homeless shelter. Speculation suggests the plug was pulled to avoid a corruption scandal involving land sales to the rail authority.

The FBI concluded that Faisal Mohammed, the student who carried out a stabbing rampage at UC Merced in November, was inspired by ISIS propaganda found online. Mohammed stabbed four people before being killed by campus police. The hosts discuss how the use of knives in terror attacks is becoming more common among "self-radicalized" individuals and note that the story received relatively little mainstream media attention.

The New York Times reports on the potential split of the Euro, with rumors of a "Nuro" currency for northern European states. The Arab League has suspended Syria due to government brutality, which the hosts interpret as a sign that international pressure is shifting. A separate story highlights students in Merced, California, living in "McMansions" due to the local housing market collapse.

First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to give a commencement speech at UC Merced, drawing a massive crowd to the rural California campus. Her previous public appearances at schools during the G20 summit in London are also noted.