SmartHER News

Latest Episodes:

SmartHER On: The Cornell Lawsuit, The Midterms, and A Loophole In U.S. Law (And Beyond) Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Jenna hosts the SmartHER Podcast with political commentator, podcast host Mary Katharine Ham and war correspondent, writer Holly McKay to discuss a smarter take on this week's major news stories AND share SmartHER Tips! They examine a disturbing Cornell University incident from October 2024 now highlighted by a recent civil lawsuit alleging an overlooked, under-investigated assault. A new twist to the story raises more questions and Jenna shares some insight on the challenges reporting on stories like this one. Hollie adds to our reporting on a surrogacy custody case the Supreme Court declined to hear and shares broader concerns about largely unregulated U.S. commercial surrogacy, including vetting gaps and birthright citizenship questions. Mary Katharine offers a midterm "cheat sheet" on competitive House and Senate seats, turnout, and money. They close with product tips: Naked Sundays SPF, Trader Joe's skincare, and Merit makeup. Our SmartHER Recommendation: Hollie's SmartHER Rec: Naked Sundays Jenna's SmartHER Rec: Merit Makeup (Fall Kit) 00:00 Welcome to SmartHER Podcast 00:41 Cornell Case Overview 02:41 Conflicting Accounts Explained 03:53 How Lawsuits Shape Narratives 07:15 Journalism and Due Process 12:05 What to Watch Next 14:29 Parenting Lessons from Tragedy 16:08 Surrogacy Case Headlines 17:14 Commercial Surrogacy Risks 22:04 Regulation and Political Crosscurrents 25:17 Midterms Cheat Sheet Tease 25:48 What a Wave Year Means 27:23 House Battlefield Math 29:04 Senate Map and Trump Seats 30:18 Key Question for 2024 32:14 Money and Party Funding 33:57 Yard Signs and Enthusiasm 35:46 SmartHER Tips Skincare Picks 36:21 Sunscreen Over Makeup 38:11 Budget Skincare at Trader Joes 39:43 Merit Makeup Fall Reset 41:12 Wrap Up and Farewell

A Baseball Field In Grand Teton National Park? Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

How to become an Insider.

Baseball in a national park? Here's the story that's floating that idea.

Plus, a word of warning for this news cycle and the Supreme Court decides to NOT take a closer look at a surrogacy case that spans three different states. Curious your thoughts on this!

SmartHER Roundtable: Austin ICE Shooting, 9/11 Trial Delays & Parents' School Dilemmas Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

What don't we know about the ICE-involved shooting in Austin? Why is the 9/11 case still awaiting trial? And what happens when a parent's beliefs about education collide with her child's experience?

Jenna welcomes journalist and war correspondent Holly McKay and political commentator Mary Katharine Ham for a new SmartHER Roundtable: three women, three stories, and something SmartHER to take into your week.

On the table:

Austin's ICE shooting: What's known, what remains unanswered, and how to follow developing news when competing accounts emerge.
The 9/11 prosecution: Holly shares her firsthand experience reporting from Guantanamo Bay and discusses why the case has yet to reach trial.
Parents and public schools: Mary Katharine shares her take on Nikole Hannah-Jones' personal New York Times Magazine essay about her daughter's education, sparking a conversation about school choice, accountability, and parental involvement.

Plus, motherhood, a thought-provoking book, a favorite sweater, and a home organization idea: the little things helping us live SmartHER.

Enjoy this SmartHER Roundtable? Share it with a friend and tell us: What helped YOU live SmartHER this week? Email hello@smarthernews.com.

Show Notes:

Nikole Hannah-Jones: In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own? (New York Times Gift Link)

Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick by Maya Dusenbery

Perelel Collagen+ Defense

Zara Basic Knit Sweater

Arch Magnetic Wall Decal

SmartHER News may earn a small commission from purchases made through our links. Thank you for supporting a free press!

Are We Safer Now? 25 Years After 9/11: Al-Qaeda, AI, and Drone Threats Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Twenty-five years after 9/11, how safe are we—and what threats are national security officials watching now?

Jenna breaks down testimony from two congressional hearings examining the evolving terrorism landscape, including Al-Qaeda's presence in Afghanistan, reports of new training sites, and concerns about how extremist groups could use artificial intelligence, drones and other emerging technologies.

She also explains who now leads Al-Qaeda, why officials are focused on drone threats at major public events, and what lawmakers' questions—and the answers they didn't receive—reveal about America's current security challenges. Plus, one practical takeaway: Is your family prepared if an emergency makes travel or communication difficult?

00:00 Are We Safer Now

03:44 Afghanistan and Al Qaeda

05:45 UN Report and New Terrorist Training Camps

10:36 Who Leads Al Qaeda Now

12:48 Drones as the New Risk

16:03 Big Events and Mass Panic

18:42 What to Watch Next

19:55 Family Emergency Planning

21:06 Thanks and Final Sign Off

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Primary Source: A 9/11 Survivor Shares Her Story Publicly for the First Time in 25 Years Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

On September 11, 2001, Linda started her morning like many others. As a 23-year-old equity research associate on Wall Street, she headed to work on the 89th floor of the World Trade Center's South Tower for the boutique investment firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW). What unfolded in the early hours of that workday would change Linda's life forever and alter the course of American history. Twenty-five years later, Linda shares her sweeping firsthand account with SmartHER News about what happened inside the building as al-Qaeda terrorists intentionally crashed a passenger plane into the South Tower, instantly severing her elevator's cables. Linda describes what followed: a miraculous development, near-death escapes, the heroes who helped her, and the coworkers she wants the world to remember: Dean Eberling, Russell Keene, Sean Lugano, and Greg Trost. She reflects on rebuilding her life, how that day changed her priorities, and why she chose to share her story now. As we commemorate 250 years since the founding of our nation, we honor 25 years since the deadliest terrorist attack in American history. Linda's primary-source account forever ensures that America, and the world, will never forget. 0:00 How This Interview Came Together 6:36 A Morning That Changed Everything 9:33 Inside the World Trade Center Culture 12:03 The First Signs of Trouble 15:44 Trapped in the Elevator Shaft 23:24 Escaping the Collapsing Towers 31:04 Rebuilding and Remembering Executive Producer/Reporter: Jenna Lee, Journalist and Founder of SmartHER News Associate Producer / Researcher: Stephanie Wagner Associate Producer / Researcher: Courtney Stein Lesskis Audio Engineer: Kaleb Muñoz Field Producer/Production Manager: Buddy Quaid Hair & Makeup: Leah Trogan Black Editor: Joel Knoop Motion Graphics: Michael Wilfong Audio Post: Jason Kuehn

Personal News: Why Have Things Seemed Different At SmartHERNews? Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

My father passed away last week. I know many of you got to "meet" my dad through our broadcasts during the various Super Bowl news cycles that we've covered ~ and I'm sorry to have to share this development with you as I know many of you enjoyed our time together as well.

These are three things I've learned from the last 8-months that I felt an urgency to share with you and your family, in the immediate aftermath of such a chaotic few months. I'll see you soon. Thank you for the love and support, Jenna

New Study Links Teen Cannabis Use to Higher Risk of Serious Mental Health Disorders | SmartHER With Dr. Lynn Silver Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Jenna interviews Dr. Lynn Silver, a pediatrician and co-author of a new large California study examining how adolescent cannabis use relates to later mental health outcomes.

Using Kaiser Permanente screening data from 463,000 teens ages 13–17 and following them up to seven years (or until age 25), the study compared youth who reported past-year cannabis use with those who did not, excluding those with prior diagnoses.

Teens who reported cannabis use were about twice as likely to later be diagnosed with psychosis/schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, about one-third more likely to develop depression, and about one-quarter more likely to develop anxiety.

The discussion also covers barriers to cannabis research, rising THC potency and new products, how genetics and environmental triggers may interact, and why decriminalization differs from for-profit legalization and youth marketing.

00:00 Why Cannabis Risks Matter

00:41 Meet Dr Lynn Silver

03:00 Why Research Lagged

03:34 THC Potency Revolution

05:58 Inside the Kaiser Study

08:40 What the Study Found

11:20 Correlation vs Causation

14:35 How Cannabis May Trigger Illness

18:37 Real World Psychosis Stories

20:30 Decriminalize vs Legalize

24:02 Forms of Use and Family Rules

25:58 Closing Thanks and Takeaways

Read the study here.

Are Socialists Rising in U.S. Politics? Key Midterm Races, What to Watch Next, and Why It Matters Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

With the success Democratic Socialists of America candidates (and those adjacent with progressive platforms) in the early Midterm primary races, is the Democratic Party having a reckoning? And what does Pres. Trump have to do with it?

A quick, but thorough overview so you have what to know and why it matters for the weeks ahead.

00:00 Socialists Storming Gates?

01:23 Why Politics Matters

02:35 Trump Parallel And Pendulum

05:44 Why Socialism Headlines

06:50 Defining Democratic Socialism

08:57 Midterms And NYC Signal

11:06 Michigan Swing State Upset

12:52 Abdul El Sayed Speech Clip

14:22 What The Win Means

18:08 Wisconsin Candidate Preview

19:18 Wrap Up And Viewer Questions

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The Nancy Guthrie Case At 6-Months: Missing Evidence, "Ransom Notes" and Unanswered Questions Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

Become a SmartHER News Insider and listen to this podcast ad-free, get additional context from Jenna and join a private community for thoughtful conversations about the news — away from the noise of social media. Plus, your membership also helps keep SmartHER News independent!

Six months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home, the case remains unsolved.

Jenna speaks with crime expert and former detective Morgan Wright, CEO of the National Center for Open and Unsolved Cases, about what investigators know, what remains unclear and whether early assumptions shaped the investigation.

Morgan explains why he believes the evidence points to a targeted abduction rather than a burglary gone wrong. He also analyzes two communications released as "ransom notes" and questions whether they prove the author was connected to Nancy's disappearance.

The conversation explores:

• Why the suspect's clothing and behavior may suggest planning and experience • What the blood trail and missing camera could indicate • Whether AI could have been used to write the messages • Why Morgan considers them attempted extortion rather than confirmed ransom notes • The limits of video, cellphone and signal analysis • Questions about the crime scene and timing of the FBI's involvement • How a later arrest, plea deal or fractured relationship could lead to a break

The episode also puts Nancy's case in a broader context: On any given day, an estimated 90,000 missing-person cases remain active in the United States.

00:00 The broader missing-persons crisis 00:52 Meet Morgan Wright 01:34 Challenging the case's assumptions 03:36 Why Morgan believes this was targeted 05:10 The released "ransom notes" 07:07 Ransom or attempted extortion? 08:28 Bitcoin, AI and language clues 13:54 The second communication 17:37 Cameras, cellphone data and signals 20:24 Analyzing the sheriff's statements 27:17 Questions raised by Wall Street Journal reporting 29:18 Crime-scene and evidence concerns 34:15 How the case could eventually be solved 35:55 Final thoughts and personal safety

This Man Captured An Amazing Lifeguard Rescue That Reached The White House Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Hear the incredible backstory from Santa Cruz resident and photographer Scott Vander Dussen who found himself at the right place, at the right time, with the right camera. Scott captured the video that made news around the world of 16-year-old Santa Cruz lifeguard, Ryder, rescuing a 10-year-old from a "sneaker wave." Scott provides incredible perspective on the rescue that even got the attention of the White House. Plus ~ learn with us about House Resolution 1188 - proposed legislation that would recognize lifeguards as first responders.

Instagram/SantaCruzNow

00:00 Rescue Goes Viral

00:54 Witnessing the Sneaker Wave

02:37 What Is a Sneaker Wave

04:25 Why He Started Filming

05:56 Three Minutes of Chaos

07:55 Aftermath and Privacy

09:24 Meeting Ryder the Lifeguard

10:16 Training and Humility

12:13 How the Video Blew Up

14:15 White House Reaction

SUPPORT OUR MISSION:

Love nonpartisan news? Want a bigger serving of the serious headlines? Here's how you can become a SCOOP insider: https://www.scoop.smarthernews.com/get-the-inside-scoop/

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Website: https://smarthernews.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/smarthernews

16:59 Push for Lifeguard Recognition

20:01 Final Thanks and Update