Investigative reporter Scott MacFarlane — fresh off leaving CBS News to go independent — joins Tara for his first appearance on The Red Letter. They cover the DOJ's credibility crisis under acting AG Todd Blanche (who said "I love you" to the president on national TV), the Epstein files stonewalling, Pam Bondi dodging her congressional deposition, RFK Jr.'s new podcast and the measles surge, Trump framing the Iran war as a holy war, and a 25-point Democratic swing in Marjorie Taylor Greene's former district that signals real trouble for Republicans heading into the midterms. Scott McFarlane is a veteran investigative journalist who spent 25 years covering the Justice Department and Capitol Hill, most recently at CBS News. He recently launched Scott McFarlane Reports as an independent outlet. 0:00 – Intro: Scott McFarlane goes independent after 25 years in network news 1:44 – Why indie media feels more authentic than legacy TV 2:32 – The DOJ has become the president's personal law firm 3:50 – Todd Blanche says "I love you" to Trump on national television 4:58 – The Epstein files: DOJ credibility crisis and survivor exposure 7:19 – Will a whistleblower ever release the full Epstein files? 10:45 – RFK Jr. launches a podcast — and Scott can only last six seconds of it 12:17 – Measles surging as vaccination rates drop 3% since 2020 14:34 – West Virginia's legislature gridlocked over vaccine requirements 17:15 – MAGA base is upset: Trump over-promised and under-delivered 19:53 – JD Vance and Kushner head to Islamabad — can anyone take this seriously? 20:52 – Invoking God to justify war: "you're begging for trouble" 23:04 – Georgia special election: 25-point Democratic swing in deep MAGA country 25:48 – The future of independent journalism and closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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