Show Notes for Thursday, May 14, 2026

Thursday, May 14, 2026

What We're Talking About

The news we couldn't ignore if we tried

Trump Meeting With Xi In China Today

Newser— President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their first in-person meeting in years following a grand welcome ceremony in Beijing featuring military honors and elaborate pageantry, with discussions centered on trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and the Iran conflict. During the more than two-hour summit, both leaders exchanged public praise despite ongoing tensions, as Xi cautioned that mishandling Taiwan could result in serious conflict while Trump described Xi as “a great leader” and expressed optimism about the talks. Trump aimed to strengthen trade relations and secure China’s cooperation on Iran and global economic concerns, while Xi pressed the U.S. over arms sales to Taiwan and sought easing of trade and technology restrictions. The visit also highlighted the growing role of technology and business diplomacy, as Trump was accompanied by prominent American executives including Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

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Carnival Cruise Passenger Dead After Going Overboard

TMZ— A passenger died after reportedly going overboard from the Carnival Liberty near the Bahamas on Tuesday while the ship was traveling outside Nassau. Crew members quickly responded by throwing a life ring and launching a search-and-rescue operation, but the man soon disappeared from view. His body was later recovered, though authorities have not released his identity or explained the circumstances surrounding the incident. Carnival Cruise Line has only confirmed that the event occurred and has not provided additional public details.

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Teens Helped Bring Malls Back to Life. Now They're Getting Banned

Wall Street Journal— Shopping malls across the U.S. are increasingly restricting unaccompanied teenagers in response to fights, flash mobs, shoplifting, and social media-driven “mall takeovers,” despite Gen Z recently helping revive mall culture through renewed interest in in-person shopping and socializing. According to reports, many malls now require visitors under 18 to be accompanied by an adult, particularly on weekends and school breaks, with some locations even checking IDs after incidents involving robberies, large disruptive crowds, and violence, including a recent case at a Bronx mall that led to 18 teen arrests. Mall operators say the policies have reduced theft and made shopping environments feel safer and calmer, though many teenagers argue the rules unfairly target all young people because of the actions of a few.

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Ask Uncle Bobby

Bad advice for good people.

As heard on the B-Team Morning Show

Each weekday, some poor soul writes in for help. Uncle Bobby gives them the worst advice we can legally put on the air.

May 15 · Today's Letter

Dear Uncle Bobby,

I keep getting excited about new hobbies and then quitting after a short time. It makes me feel like I cannot commit to anything, and I worry people think I am unreliable. How do I stick with a hobby long enough to get good at it?

Terrified Of Seeming Unreliable
Serial Starter Supreme

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Today's Holidays

Celebrate the weird stuff. We do.

Holiday #1 of 4

Underground America Day

<p data-id="c502c2bf-8577-4180-8d76-835c580d0dbd" id="c502c2bf-8577-4180-8d76-835c580d0dbd">Underground America Day is that special little holiday where we celebrate the nation beneath the nation: basements, service tunnels, subway platforms, storm drains, and every fluorescent-lit corridor where dignity goes to get mugged. It’s a tribute to the folks and systems doing the real work out of sight—keeping the lights on, the water moving, and your precious little conveniences from collapsing like a cheap lawn chair. Everybody acts like it’s “absurd,” sure, but that’s because we’re a country that only respects infrastructure after it fails loudly on a three-day weekend. So put on something reflective, tip your cap to the unseen grind, and try not to think too hard about how close you are to living down there full-time.</p>

Hear this bit on the show