Words With Wista

EP 191: Patriot Games, Epstein Files, Medical Plot Twists and Ice Spice Said Surprise

This week on Words With Wista, we are truly living in a Real Life Hunger Games timeline. Trump announces Patriot Games for one boy and one girl, floats a $1,776 warrior dividend, and slaps his name on the Kennedy Center while Epstein files, photos, and a very uncomfortable Vanity Fair article shake the internet. Meanwhile, Candace Owens drama resurfaces, the CDC ends routine Hepatitis B vaccines for newborns, sickle cell is cured for the first time in New York, and the state moves to legalize end of life care options for terminally ill patients. We also get into a disturbing ER incident involving HIV positive blood, Wiz Khalifa’s Romania weed sentence, a tragic plane crash claiming former NASCAR champ Greg Biffle and his family, major shakeups at Hot 97 with Funkmaster Flex stepping in, Netflix pulling podcasts off YouTube, Ice Spice causing chaos at a SpongeBob premiere, and why 2026 might actually be the year of the cabbage. It is heavy, messy, hopeful, and unserious all at once just how we like it. IG: itswista IG/SubStack: wordswithwista

EP 190: Affordability Is a “Hoax,” Social Media Surveillance, Global Tragedies, and Celebs Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

In this episode of Words With Wista, we’re unpacking Trump calling the affordability crisis a “hoax” while the data tells a very different story, tourists being asked to submit five years of social media history to visit the U.S., and multiple devastating tragedies from Brown University to Australia’s Bondi Beach that raise serious questions about safety and accountability. We also get into the rising cases of HIV in NYC, Busta Rhymes checking a TikToker, a University of Michigan football scandal that reportedly led to an arrest, and an OnlyFans creator facing major legal trouble overseas. Plus, Jason Derulo rewriting his personal rules post-lawsuit, Beyoncé and friends stepping into Met Gala 2026 leadership, Russell Simmons responding to Kimora Lee Simmons, a jaw-dropping $2.5M NYC restaurant scheme, and the shocking passing of Rob Reiner and his wife. Heavy news, loud celebrities, and the mess in between. IG: itswista IG/SubStack: wordswithwista

EP 189 - Supreme Court Drama, GoFundMe Foolery, and Klarna’s Expensive Delusion

In this episode of Words With Wista, we’re unpacking America’s latest circus: the Supreme Court entertaining Trump’s mission to end birthright citizenship, the National Park Service dropping free admission on MLK Day and Juneteenth while adding Trump’s birthday, and Senator Bernie Moreno trying to make dual citizens pick a side like it’s Survivor. We get into Trump vowing to send American companies to Congo and Rwanda to scoop up rare earth assets, Amazon plotting its own postal service, and Klarna rolling out membership tiers that cost more than people’s groceries while Americans juggle $1.23 trillion in credit card debt. Major record labels want pricier streaming, Cinnabon fired an employee after a discriminatory incident caught on camera but supporters still donated over $50K to her, and a TikToker checked a commenter for his prejudiced remark by reminding him his Grindr account exists, that he’s married, and that she will be telling his wife. The Kennedy Center Honors also sparked conversation after Trump presented awards to Sylvester Stallone, KISS, Michael Crawford, George Strait, and especially Gloria Gaynor, with many calling out the irony of the “I Will Survive” icon receiving honors while being a known supporter of the president. Plus, the Streamer Awards imploded under FanFan’s jokes, the World Cup draw turned into a weird PR stunt for Trump, and Haiti lands a dream-but-terrifying group with Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland. A buffet of nonsense. IG: itswista Podcast IG: wordswithwista Substack: wordswithwista

EP 188 - Southwest Charges Double, Immigration Freeze, & Kandi’s Tea

In this episode of Words With Wista, we’re diving into America’s latest plot twists: Trump flirting with Australia’s retirement system while freezing immigration from 19 countries, billionaires donating to Trump Accounts for kids, Halle Berry snatching Gavin Newsom’s presidential dreams after his menopause bill veto, and Sen. Cory Booker rebranding as a married man just in time for 2028. We’ll also cover AT&T dropping DEI, Southwest telling plus-size travelers to “double up,” Modelo and Corona caught in the immigration crackdown, Gen Z and millennials BNPL-ing their way through life, Prada buying Versace like it’s a Zara sale, NYC raising subway fares to $3, and two wild true-crime cases. And of course—Milano Di Rouge calling out copycats, Travis Kelce accidentally retweeting a twerk video, and Kandi Burruss discovering Todd was talking to other women behind her back. A hot mess from start to finish. IG: itswista Podcast IG: wordswithwista Substack: wordswithwista

EP 187 - Holiday Hot Mess Recap: Scams, Fake Jobs, and Digital Blackface

SNAP benefits are back but a whole lot of folks are about to hit that 80-hour work requirement wall, a child’s birthday party in Stockton turned tragic, and Kash Patel is allegedly earning the “Make-a-Wish Director” nickname with his luxury travel habits. A major winter storm tried to send everyone right back inside after Thanksgiving while consumers still spent a record $11.8 billion on Black Friday like the recession rumors don’t apply to them. Meanwhile, 30% of job listings are reportedly fake, one man committed the wildest “Mrs. Doubtfire” pension scam, and Twitter’s new feature is exposing digital blackface across the platform. Lupita Nyong’o reveals Hollywood only offered her more slave roles after her Oscar win, Blueface says Drake skipped their collab due to “competition,” Topicals is asking for support after focusing too hard on under-eye patches, Summer Walker shuts down side-chick rumors, Garrick from Seeking Sister Wife gets arrested a week after welcoming a new baby, and I share my full thoughts on Joe Dwet Files’ shows and the state of Kompa music. Personal IG: itswista Podcast IG: wordswithwista Substack: wordswithwista