off the record (the podcast)

About off the record (the podcast)

This is your home base for all three shows under Redefining the Record— Off the Record: the original, weekly commentary The Record: daily news without the spin Voices 4 Change: bimonthly conversations with 2026 candidates redefiningtherecord.substack.com (https://redefiningtherecord.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Marlena

Category

news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Jun 2025

Latest episode

20 Oct 2025

Latest episodes

114 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2025

   The Record🗞️ - Monday, October 20th

   Good morning. It’s Monday, October 20th, and this is The Record🗞️.Today’s show is about digital dependence, authoritarian theatrics, and the shifting lines of global power.From Trump mocking millions of protesters with Ai imagery, to an internet outage that took down half the web, to Zelenskyy navigating pressure from both Washington and Moscow—it’s a reminder: power isn’t always taken by force. sometimes, it’s coded, clicked, or quietly conceded.let’s get into it. 📰 headline rundown 🗞️ 1: Trump mocks “No Kings” protests with Ai memes What’s happening:President Trump shared Ai-generated memes depicting himself as a crowned ruler after millions joined “No Kings” demonstrations across the U.S. and abroad.What to know:The posts fueled accusations of authoritarianism as critics point to Trump’s pattern of power abuse—from politicized pardons to unilateral military strikes.My take:When a leader mocks dissent instead of listening to it, he’s telling you exactly who he thinks he is. And it’s not a president. 🗞️ 2: Amazon outage exposes global fragility What’s happening:A massive Amazon Web Services outage temporarily knocked out major websites—Roblox, Fortnite, Reddit, Signal, and even media outlets—before being restored early Monday.What to know:It was a global digital blackout that underscored just how dependent the world has become on a single company’s cloud.My take:When one outage can silence half the internet, that’s not efficiency—it’s monopoly in disguise. 🗞️ 3: Zelenskyy calls for missile aid, open to Trump-Putin summitWhat’s happening:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested 25 more U.S. Patriot batteries and said he’s willing to attend a Trump-Putin summit in Hungary.What to know:Reports suggest Trump privately urged Zelenskyy to accept Russian terms—potentially ceding parts of Donbas to end the war.My take:“Peace talks” mean nothing if they start with surrender. Ukraine’s survival shouldn’t be a negotiation tactic. 🧠 gut check The through line here is control—who has it, who’s losing it, and who’s pretending they don’t want it.The systems we rely on—political, digital, global—are fragile because they were built for profit, not people.And when everything feels like it’s breaking, that’s not chaos.That’s the moment before change.Substack | Podcast | Daily News📲 IG: @marlenabeautydotcom (https://instagram.com/marlenabeautydotcom) | @redefiningtherecord (https://instagram.com/redefiningtherecord)✍️ Substack: Redefining the Record Fueling independent media that refuses to look away.✨ Tip Jar ✨Venmo: marlenageller (https://venmo.com/marlenageller) | Buy Me a Coffee (https://buymeacoffee.com/redefiningtherecord)🎙 Hosted by Marlena📍 Recorded in California—with one dog, zero filters, and no coffee (yet) ⛓️💥 Untangling broken systems, social media, and tech stacks.→ Now taking a few social media + strategy clients. Get full access to Redefining the Record at redefiningtherecord.substack.com/subscribe (https://redefiningtherecord.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   19 Oct 2025

   🎙️ The Record🗞️ - Sunday Oct 19

   🎙️ The Record🗞️ — How We Got Hereotr good morning, it’s October 19th, welcome back to the record🗞️. i’m marlena. today’s episode is about how we got to the point where millions of people had to take the streets just to remind america — we don’t do kings. this didn’t start overnight. it’s been years in the making — every moment we normalized cruelty, excused corruption, or laughed at the collapse of empathy. from mocking a disabled reporter to bragging about assault, from “very fine people on both sides” to “maybe inject bleach” — the line kept moving, and we kept adapting. we talk about what happens when humiliation becomes performance, when truth becomes optional, and when power stops fearing consequence. there’s the part nobody wants to touch — the parties, the flights, the photos. epstein. the network of power that let it all slide. because when money talks, morality whispers. somewhere along the way, democracy became a brand, and corruption became “strategy.” we forgot what accountability feels like. but this week — the people remembered.no kings day wasn’t about politics. it was about boundaries. about saying no to monarchy, no to blind loyalty, no to leaders who confuse control with love. listen in. it’s not just history — it’s a reckoning. 🎧 Gut Check That’s how we got here — not by accident, but by tolerance.By calling indecency “strength.” By mistaking cruelty for power.And now the people have to remind the system who’s in charge. 🎧 Sign-Off This is Marlena.You’re listening to The Record🗞️.And if nothing else — remember this:We don’t do kings. Not here. Not now. Not ever.Substack | Podcast | Daily News📲 IG: @marlenabeautydotcom (https://instagram.com/marlenabeautydotcom) | @redefiningtherecord (https://instagram.com/redefiningtherecord)✍️ Substack: Redefining the Record Fueling independent media that refuses to look away.✨ Tip Jar ✨Venmo: marlenageller (https://venmo.com/marlenageller) | Buy Me a Coffee (https://buymeacoffee.com/redefiningtherecord)🎙 Hosted by Marlena📍 Recorded in California—with one dog, zero filters, and no coffee (yet) ⛓️💥 Untangling broken systems, social media, and tech stacks.→ Now taking a few social media + strategy clients. Get full access to Redefining the Record at redefiningtherecord.substack.com/subscribe (https://redefiningtherecord.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   18 Oct 2025

   Saturday, October 18th - The Record🗞️

   Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. It’s Saturday, October 18th, my name is Marlena and this is The Record🗞️.Today’s show is about resistance — at home and abroad.Millions are taking to the streets for “No Kings Day.” Trump’s using the military to flex power. A convicted congressman walks free. And Zelenskyy leaves Washington without the answers he hoped for.Democracy is hanging by threads that used to be laws.Let’s get into it. 📰 headline rundown 🗞️ 1: No Kings Day protests sweep the U.S. and abroad What’s happening:Millions of Americans are expected to join “No Kings” protests across all 50 states today, with events in over 2,700 locations denouncing President Trump’s authoritarianism and militarization of U.S. cities.What to know:Organizers say protest participation doubled this week after Republican lawmakers attacked the movement. Demonstrations have already begun overseas — hundreds gathered outside the U.S. embassy in London, with more expected in Ireland later today.My take:When the people unite faster than politicians can divide them, that’s real democracy — not the kind written into constitutions, but the kind fought for in the streets. 🗞️ 2: Marines to fire live artillery over Interstate 5What’s happening:The U.S. Marines plan to fire 155mm artillery shells over Interstate 5 at Camp Pendleton on Saturday to mark the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary.What to know:Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move as a dangerous “show of force,” while federal officials — including Vice President JD Vance — defended it as routine training. The New York Times confirmed my exclusive report from earlier this week but, of course, didn’t credit the source.My take:When live artillery becomes a PR stunt, we’re not celebrating the military — we’re normalizing militarization. 🗞️ 3: Trump commutes George Santos’ sentence What’s happening:President Trump has commuted former Rep. George Santos’ seven-year prison sentence, ordering his immediate release after citing alleged mistreatment.What to know:Allies like Marjorie Taylor Greene praised the move. Lawmakers and victims — including several former donors — called it “an insult to justice.” Santos had been convicted of fraud and theft.My take:This isn’t mercy — it’s messaging. Trump is rewarding loyalty and rewriting what criminality looks like in his America. 🗞️ 4: Zelenskyy leaves Washington without missile deal What’s happening:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Trump neither approved nor rejected Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles during their White House meeting.What to know:Trump’s team says talks will continue as the U.S. president prepares another meeting with Putin, even as Russian strikes escalate against Ukraine’s power grid.My take:“Undecided” in diplomacy often means “already decided.” Ukraine’s survival is being negotiated between two men who both see power as performance. 🧠 gut check Every act of protest today — every body in the street — is a refusal to be ruled.Power only works when we believe we don’t have any.That belief is breaking.Substack | Podcast | Daily News📲 IG: @marlenabeautydotcom (https://instagram.com/marlenabeautydotcom) | @redefiningtherecord (https://instagram.com/redefiningtherecord)✍️ Substack: Redefining the Record Fueling independent media that refuses to look away.✨ Tip Jar ✨Venmo: marlenageller (https://venmo.com/marlenageller) | Buy Me a Coffee (https://buymeacoffee.com/redefiningtherecord)🎙 Hosted by Marlena📍 Recorded in California—with one dog, zero filters, and no coffee (yet) ⛓️💥 Untangling broken systems, social media, and tech stacks.→ Now taking a few social media + strategy clients. Get full access to Redefining the Record at redefiningtherecord.substack.com/subscribe (https://redefiningtherecord.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Contact off the record (the podcast)

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.