The Beat with Ari Melber Congress Grills Top Epstein Lawyer
Mar 19, 2026
Congressional testimony over Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer and newly unredacted files raises questions about missing evidence and possible recordings. Legal calls surface to void NDAs and force disclosure for victims. A music culture segment explores Bad Bunny's chart dominance, streaming's global impact, and how the streaming economy reshapes winners and losers.
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War Driven Energy Shock Raises U.S. Cost Of Living
- The Trump administration's Iran strategy has destabilized global energy markets, spiking crude and threatening higher gas prices for U.S. households.
- Jared Bernstein links damaged energy infrastructure and prior tariff-driven affordability problems to fast-rising pump prices and broader inflationary pressure.
Missing Expertise Makes Decisionmaking Erratic
- Interagency coherence and retained expertise matter: Larry Pfeiffer says the administration shows short-term planning and a hollowed-out diplomatic and intelligence apparatus.
- He warns that gutted expertise and poor coalition management explain contradictory messaging and risky decisions about troop deployments.
Rockets And Feathers Mean Pain For Consumers
- Gas prices rise quickly and fall slowly — 'rockets and feathers' — meaning short-term relief is unlikely even after conflict ends.
- Bernstein predicts gas above $4 per gallon and says typical refunds could be eaten by higher fuel costs.