Friday’s episode marked the final The Daily Whatever Show of 2025, and we closed things out with very special guest Qasim Rashid, Esq.—writer, human rights attorney, and all-around lovely human to know.
He joined us for our weekly Fucked-up Friday competition, but first we had to joke about the fact that we had two Jews and a Muslim walk into a bar our post-Christmas episode. What could’ve sounded like the opening to a bad joke instead led to an interesting and genuinely informative discussion, with Qasim explaining how Islam’s diverse and relatively recent US origins mean it doesn’t have the same singular cultural traditions that developed around holidays in older, more geographically concentrated religions—like how Jewish people get Chinese food on Christmas.
It was one of those moments where humor gave way to learning, and the tone for the episode was set.
From there, we moved into the stories of the week and our final Fucked-up Friday competition of the year.
Lawrence went first, raising concerns about the “completely out of control” bird flu that could lead to global pandemic in 2026, and how little structural preparedness exists despite everything we’ve already lived through. His point wasn’t alarmist — it was about how quickly institutional memory fades, and how vulnerable we remain when public health is treated as optional.
Qasim framed his story around Trump’s global militarization and war posture, starting with a bombing in Nigeria and widening the lens from there. His point wasn’t just about that single event, but about how U.S. foreign policy, military alliances, and arms sales quietly shape violence far beyond our borders — often without sustained attention from American media or political leaders. What made his point land was the way he connected the dots between rhetoric, policy, and real-world consequences, especially in regions that rarely receive sustained coverage unless American interests are directly involved.
Dana wrapped things up with a story about the return of student loan wage garnishment beginning in early January, at a moment when many people are already financially stretched to the limit and facing skyrocketing health insurance premiums. We talked about how punitive and poorly timed the policy is, and how disconnected it feels from the economic reality most borrowers are living in.
In the end, the audience couldn’t pick a winner: it was a three-way tie.
Let’s try something different and ask all of you reading this story: Who won?
It felt fitting for a week that touched on public health, systemic injustice, and economic pressure all at once, and for a year where we’ve been flooded with fucked-up news. How can we pick one story as the worst when it’s all such an outrage?
We do it together, that’s how.
Today’s talk was a thoughtful, steady way to close out the year: honest about what’s broken, curious about how things could be better, and grounded in the kind of conversations that remind us why we keep showing up to do this show in the first place.
Thank you Cliff Schecter, Jason Odell, Dr. Amber Hull, Caro Henry, Murphy, and so many others for tuning in, today and for all of this year. This community has kept us sane, connected, and hopeful in a year where we’ve desperately needed it.
And with that, The Daily Whatever Show is gonna get a week of much-needed beauty rest, returning to you next year—specifically on Monday, January 5.
Same time, same place.
We’ll be right here with all of you. We love you, mean it!!
