Problematic Women – Details, episodes & analysis

The relationship between Israel and the U.S. is not one of charity, according to national security expert Victoria Coates.    Over the years, the “material assistance” the U.S. has provided Israel has shifted from largely being economic to “become security assistance,” Coates, vice president of the Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation, told the “Problematic Women” podcast. “This is a mutual investment in our safety, and that has borne great dividends. It's not stuff we can talk about on the podcast, but I can just assure the audience that those are real.”    The Oct. 7th terrorist attack on Israel was not only a national security failure on the part of Israel, but also the U.S., according to Coates, who argues that the partnership keeps America’s adversaries in the Middle East at bay.    “There's a reason the Iranians call us the big Satan and the Israelis the little Satan,” Coates said. “And everyone’s going to go after the little Satan first. But if they get the little Satan, guess who's next?”    The relationship between Israel and the U.S. extends beyond the importance of the physical safety and survival of both nations and also includes a culture war - and issue Coates addresses in her new book, “The Battle For The Jewish State: How Israel―And America―Can Win.”   Coates joins “Problematic Women” to explain the history behind America’s friendship with Israel, and how the two nations can work together toward mutual national security and cultural interests, and to discuss President Donald’s Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.    Also on today’s show, we discuss why the Trump administration is dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Plus, we break down our favorite red carpet looks from the Grammys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The policies coming out of Washington, D.C. have the potential to affect Americans who have not even been born yet, whether for good or bad.    The latest National Report Card from the National Assessment of Educational Progress pains an abysmal picture of education across the U.S.   The report card is published every two years and assesses the average reading and math scores for fourth and eighth graders. The report showed significant declines for students when it was published in 2022, but the decline was somewhat expected in the wake of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the assessment completed in 2024 and published Wednesday show little to no improvement for student’s math and reading proficiency.  In 2024, 39% percent of fourth grade students performed at or above the proficient math level that is set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. This is 3% higher compared to 2022, but 2 percentage points lower than in 2019.  Eighth grade math scores are at 28% proficiency, which is about the same as 2022 scores, but eight points lower compared to 2019.  Reading scores showed an even greater decline than math.    In 2024, 31% of fourth grade students performed at or above the proficient level on the reading assessment. This is a 2 percentage point decline compared to 2022 and 4 percentage points lower than 2019, according to the report card.    And 30% of eighth grade students performed at or above the proficient level in 2024, which was not significantly different from 2022, but lower compared to 2019.   But not all the news coming out of the government is negative for our kids right now. Take the confirmation hearing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.   Kennedy, who President Donald Trump has tapped to head the Department of Health and Human Services, testified before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. He argued that the U.S. healthcare and food system needs to do a better job of keeping American’s healthy, and this can begin by taking practical steps to remove processed foods from school lunch programs.    Or take the executive order Trump signed Tuesday to ban the use of federal dollars to fund or support irreversible transgender medical interventions for children.    On this week’s edition of "Problematic Women," Madison Marino Doan, co-author of "Slacking: A Guide to Ivy League Miseducation," joins the show as we breakdown the ways the biggest pieces of news coming out of Washington could affect the next generation for years to come.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Well, I didn't see that coming” has been a somewhat common refrain on Capitol Hill this week as President-elect Donald Trump announces his picks to lead his forthcoming administration. Trump has built his brand on breaking the mold of politics and continues the trend with his Cabinet appointments.  Not every choice has been a surprise. Susie Wiles has long been on Trump’s short list to be his chief of staff, given her years of loyalty to the president and her success in managing Trump’s reelection campaign. Wiles will make history as the first female chief of a president's staff.  And Tom Homan’s experience in Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, coupled with his positive relationship with Trump, made him an obvious choice for “border czar.” But some of Trump’s picks were unexpected, though not necessarily in a bad way. On this week's edition of "Problematic Women," Hannah-Claire Brimelow joins the show to discuss Trump's Cabinet picks and why some are so surprising. We also fact-check some recent abortion claims. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up on today’s Problematic Women – We discuss what China may have been looking for when it sent a spy balloon over America. And Tuesday night was Washington D.C.’s version of the Super Bowl - the State of the Union address. We break down a few of the big moments of the night. Plus, we recently catch up with one of our favorite Problematic Women lawmakers and share that conversation exclusively on the show. And as always, we’ll be crowning our Problematic Woman of the Week! Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up on today’s Problematic Women – There is a strange new statue in New York City. It’s a nod to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But would RBG like the statue? We weigh in. Plus, a pro-life man who was targeted by the FBI and DOJ has been found not guilty of the charges brought against him. And a college in Washington, D.C. has a new vending machine on campus supplying students not with snacks or drinks, but the morning-after pill. We explain the implications. And as always, we’ll be crowning our Problematic Woman of the Week! Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up on today’s Problematic Women – Vice President Kamala Harris appears to have intentionally omitted the right to life in the Declaration of Independence when speaking to pro-abortion advocates. And crime is on the rise. We explain some of the possible reasons why. Plus, we are not the only ones who enjoy quoting Taylor Swift lyrics, lawmakers are doing it too. And as always, we’ll be crowning our Problematic Woman of the Week! Catch The Babylon Bee's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3_nN0ERPL4. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's show, we discuss new research that shows Americans are $7,400 poorer under the Biden administration. And classified documents were found in President Joe Biden’s possession in November, but the public did not find out until two months later. We’ll explain why it matters. Plus, we share how the classic movie “Titanic” is answering one of fans' biggest questions and complaints about the film. And as always, we’ll be crowning our "problematic woman" of the week. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up on today’s Problematic Women – the Biden administration is challenging states with new tactics to expand American’s access to abortion. And the House has passed legislation to protect babies born alive after abortion. We tell you what you need to know. Plus, Biden finally pays a visit to the southern border, although many believe he’s two years too late. And, gas stoves have come under fire from the Biden administration. As always, we’ll be crowning our Problematic Woman of the Week! Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up on today’s Problematic Women – Football during the holiday season was dramatic, exciting, and tragic. We tell you what you need to know. Plus, the FDA has just approved the sale of abortion drugs, an action that highlights the need for Congressional oversight of the Biden administration. Plus, Crocs is backing a kids in drag fashion show. And as always, we’ll be crowning our Problematic Woman of the Week! Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a wild year, to say the least.  In May, someone leaked the the Supreme Court's draft majority opinion in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade's green light to abortion on demand. The leak was completely unprecedented and followed by months of pro-abortion protests outside justices' homes. The date June 24, 2022, when the high court released its decision in Dobbs, is one that Americans will remember for generations to come since an estimated 10,000 lives already have been saved since the overturning of Roe, according to Catholic News Agency.  And while fate of Roe made headlines and protests raged, another debate was underway over biological males going into women’s-only spaces and joining women’s sports teams. The Biden administration was, and still is, seeking to redefine gender and sex by rewriting an important education amendment known as Title IX. The goal: to expand the definition of gender beyond male and female to include gender identity and sexual orientation.  Fall brought a frenzy of excitement over the midterm elections for members of Congress and statewide offices. The “red wave” so many Republicans predicted didn't come to pass, although Republicans did manage to gain control of the House.  And somehow, throughout the year, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift kept making her way into the headlines, her fandom culminating in November when ticket sales for “The Eras Tour” nearly broke Ticketmaster.  We have covered it all this year on the “Problematic Women” podcast, and much more, as we've followed the stories that conservative women care about and are deeply affected by.  On today’s episode of “Problematic Women,” we look back at the most “problematic” events of 2022 and crown our Problematic Woman of the Year.  Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices