Filtered: Thanksgiving Inflation Shock, AI Fake Singers, GOP Putin Rift & Trump’s Creeping Socialism

This special Thanksgiving-week episode of Filtered with TJ Walker covers five big stories through the lens of data, incentives, and communication, rather than partisan spin.

Topics covered:

1. Thanksgiving Sticker Shock & Inflation Reality Check Why this year’s Thanksgiving grocery bill is the most expensive ever, what’s really driving the spike in turkey and food prices, and how the Trump administration’s “prices are coming down” narrative stacks up against the actual inflation numbers in the U.S. and other advanced economies.
2. AI “Singers” Quietly Taking Over the Charts AI-created “artists” like Solomon Ray, Xania/Xenia Monet, Breaking Rust, and Kane Walker are now topping Christian, country, and R&B charts. We explore what this means for working musicians, why labels love it, and how quickly streaming platforms could be flooded with AI-only music.
3. McConnell vs. Trump: GOP Civil War Over Ukraine & Russia Mitch McConnell publicly warns that Putin is “playing Trump for a fool,” blasts Trump’s peace plan as rewarding Russian aggression, and urges Trump to fire advisers who are “appeasing Putin.” Meanwhile, Marco Rubio admits the team has been working off Russia’s own talking points.
4. Trump’s Quiet March Toward State-Run Capitalism The Trump administration has committed over $10 billion in taxpayer money for ownership stakes or options in companies like Intel, MP Materials, Lithium Americas, Trilogy Metals, Vulcan Elements, Westinghouse, and even a golden share in U.S. Steel. We unpack why this looks less like free-market conservatism and more like creeping state ownership plus cronyism.
5. Ten Longevity Habits from Real Centenarians (No Gym Required) After five years of studying centenarians and long-life cultures, one author’s findings are surprisingly simple: constant light movement, modest whole-food eating, deep social ties, a sense of purpose, accepting aging instead of fighting it, prioritizing sleep, managing stress, cultivating small daily joys, staying optimistic and grateful, and living ordinary lives with extraordinary consistency.

Plus: Trainer Q&A How can trainers make sure key messages are actually remembered and acted upon? TJ explains a simple test every trainer should use at the end of every session.