5 • 1.8K Ratings
🗓️ 16 May 2025
⏱️ 26 minutes
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Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, for The Wright Report: Friday Headline Brief—heavy on news, light on analysis—to kick off your weekend with the stories shaping America and the world.
Trump’s Middle East Tour Draws Unlikely Praise – Top Obama and Biden officials, including Ben Rhodes and Rob Malley, applaud Trump’s bold diplomacy in Syria, Gaza, and with Arab partners. Even Democratic Rep. Jim Himes admits Trump “played the Middle East pretty darn well.”
Gaza “Freedom Zone” and a Rift with Apple – Trump floats the idea of the U.S. taking over Gaza. He also blasts Apple CEO Tim Cook for moving production to India, accusing the company of betraying American workers.
China Floods U.S. with Goods While Hoarding Minerals – Despite the tariff truce, China withholds critical rare earth exports while ramping up production of consumer goods—especially for Halloween and Christmas. Xi Jinping mocks America’s dependency on cheap imports and takes shots at Trump in front of Latin diplomats.
Germany Bows to Trump’s NATO Demands – In a surprise move, Germany pledges to meet Trump’s 5% defense spending target, shocking European allies and boosting defense stocks.
GOP Pushes Remittance Tax, Mexico Furious – A new Republican proposal would tax wire transfers to fund a $5T tax package. Mexico’s president and senate condemn the idea as discriminatory and fear it will push money transfers underground.
Supreme Court Grills Trump Admin on Citizenship Case – Justices express skepticism over Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship and the broader issue of universal injunctions.
Medical Breakthroughs: Fentanyl Deaths Decline, GLP-1 Drugs Help Alcoholics and Liver Disease – CDC data shows overdose deaths are down. Semaglutide shows promise in treating alcoholism, liver disease, and may reduce Alzheimer’s risk.
Prostate Cancer Treatments Improve, Exercise Lowers Risk and Aids Recovery – New research supports shorter, safer radiation schedules, while exercise helps reduce complications, dementia risk, and cognitive decline.
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." – John 8:32
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0:00.0 | It's May 16th. I'm Brian Dean Wright, former CIA operations officer, and this is The Wright Reports. |
0:12.4 | A good day to you, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Wright Report, Your Daily News, podcast. |
0:22.6 | It's Friday's headline brief, heavy on news, lighter on analysis, launching us into the weekend with events that, as ever, are shaping America and the world. |
0:32.3 | We begin this morning with news from the Middle East and President Trump. |
0:36.4 | Act shows news reports that the president is heading back home this morning, |
0:40.2 | and he is getting some rave reviews about his trip this week from Democrats, |
0:44.3 | especially senior staff members of Joe Biden and Barack Obama. |
0:47.9 | First, we have a Mr. Ben Rhodes. |
0:49.9 | He's a former national security staffer to President Obama. |
0:53.0 | Here's what he had to say about President Trump meeting with Syria's president, |
0:57.1 | Mr. Al-Shera, quote, |
0:58.8 | it's so clearly the right decision. |
1:01.1 | I don't know why Joe Biden didn't do this. |
1:03.6 | End quote. |
1:04.5 | Mr. Rhodes then added something that most Democrats are very much loathe to admit, |
1:09.0 | quote, one thing about Trump is that he's not tied to this |
1:12.6 | constant fear of some bad faith attacks or stupid blob like, don't do this, blah, blah, blah, |
1:18.9 | no, sometimes you just have to try something different. |
1:22.4 | And President Donald Trump does, end quote. |
1:25.8 | We heard something quite similar from Mr. Rob Malley. He held various |
1:29.3 | senior posts in the past three Democrat administrations. He said he was in awe of President |
1:34.6 | Trump in his breaking of diplomatic protocols in the Middle East and the rules, and that the |
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