Ukraine Under Fire, Hollywood's Culture War, and Royal Drama

This episode of The Morning Rundown opens with deadly overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv, which left at least six people dead and exposed ongoing gaps in Ukraine's air defenses. The hosts examine what years of Western funding have actually accomplished and whether a clearer strategy is needed going forward.

From there, the conversation shifts to lighter territory, including Christopher Nolan's record-breaking opening for 'Odyssey,' unexpected praise from Ben Shapiro, and a deeper look at Hollywood's political comedy landscape. The episode wraps with celebrity news, including a tense Harry and Meghan reunion with King Charles, Sami Sheen's response to online criticism, and quick updates on Jeana Keough, Matty Healy, and Khloé Kardashian.

• Russian strikes on Kyiv kill at least six and highlight gaps in Ukraine's air defense systems
• Debate over the effectiveness and future of Western funding for Ukraine
• Nolan's 'Odyssey' posts a $264.1 million opening, surpassing 'Oppenheimer'
• Discussion of Hollywood's political comedy and John Leguizamo's latest role
• Celebrity roundup: Harry and Meghan, Sami Sheen, and more

Tune in for a rundown that balances hard-hitting global news with entertainment and celebrity updates.

Transcript

0:13

[Maya] Morning everybody.[Maya] Welcome back to the Morning Rundown.[David] Good to be here.[David] Coffee's kicking in.[David] Finally.[Maya] We're starting heavy today.[Maya] Russian strikes hit Kyiv overnight,[Maya] and the AP says at least six people died.[David] Yeah, and it's exposing real gaps in Ukraine's air defenses,[David] makes you wonder how long the funding conversation keeps going without a real plan.[Maya] We'll dig into that.[David] Then, total mood shift,[David] Nolan's Oppenheimer just had a record-breaking opening weekend.[Maya] And get this,[Maya] even Ben Shapiro is calling it a masterpiece.[David] Wait, really?[Maya] I know, right?[Maya] We'll get into why later.[David] Plus some royal family tension and Charlie Sheen's daughter firing back online about her OnlyFans money.[Maya] Lots on deck.[Maya] David,[Maya] walk us into Kyiv first.[David] Yeah,[David] let's go.[Maya] So six people dead in Kyiv this weekend.[Maya] Missiles, drones, bombs,[Maya] the whole package, according to the AP.[David] And it's not just Kyiv.[David] Other cities got hit too.[David] Dozens wounded.[Maya] Yeah,[Maya] it started early Sunday and just...[Maya] Didn't stop for hours.[Speaker 3] Here's what got me reading that piece,

[Speaker 3] though: 1:19

[Speaker 3] the AP ties this surge in missiles directly to Ukraine hitting Russian oil facilities.[Maya] So it's retaliation.[Speaker 3] Sort of a tit for tat,[Speaker 3] yeah.[Speaker 3] But the real story underneath is Ukraine straight up doesn't have enough Patriot systems to stop what's coming in.[Maya] Wait—after what—three years of this?[Speaker 3] Right.[Maya] We're still talking about gaps in air defense?[Speaker 3] Still—and Trump's apparently said he's open to licensing Ukraine to produce Patriots themselves.[Maya] Okay,[Maya] but that's a maybe,[Maya] that's not a plan.[Speaker 3] Exactly—no details on it, just a statement.[Speaker 3] And,[Speaker 3] look,[Speaker 3] I'm not trying to be cold about this,

[Speaker 3] but somebody's gotta ask: 1:56

[Speaker 3] how many billions have gone into this war and we're still watching apartment buildings get leveled because the defense grid has holes in it?[Maya] I mean,[Maya] come on,[Maya] that's the part that gets lost—six people isn't a statistic.[Maya] But six families waking up today without somebody.[Speaker 3] No, you're right,[Speaker 3] totally right.[Speaker 3] I'm not minimizing that.[Maya] I know,[Maya] I know.[Maya] I just,[Maya] every time I read one of these I picture some mom checking on her kids in a hallway because the building's shaking.[Speaker 3] Yeah.[Maya] And then you've got the funding conversation happening in a totally different room,[Maya] thousands of miles away on a totally different clock.[Speaker 3] Right.[Speaker 3] That's the disconnect.[Speaker 3] Congress writes checks,[Speaker 3] the Pentagon ships hardware.[Speaker 3] And meanwhile,[Speaker 3] the actual system on the ground still can't cover the sky.[Speaker 3] At some point somebody in Washington has to say,[Speaker 3] here's the actual plan,[Speaker 3] here's the timeline,[Speaker 3] here's when this ends,[Speaker 3] not just here's the next tranche.[Maya] Do we think Trump's Patriot idea actually gets Ukraine building their own by next year,[Maya] or is that a headline that quietly disappears in two weeks?[Speaker 3] I'd bet on the second one, honestly.[Speaker 3] But I'll believe it when there's actual manufacturing timeline attached.[Speaker 3] Attached.[Maya] Fair.[Maya] So, bleak morning,[Maya] I know.[Maya] Let's find something lighter,[Maya] because my brain needs it, honestly.[Speaker 3] Same.[Speaker 3] What have you got?[Maya] Okay,[Maya] so Nolan's The Odyssey,[Maya] you see the number?[Speaker 3] I saw it beat Oppenheimer's opening,[Speaker 3] right?[Maya] Beat it and then some.[Maya] The AP and The Guardian both have it at 264.1 million worldwide.[Maya] Domestic alone was 124.5 million.[Speaker 3] For a three thousand year old poem in this market?[Maya] I know! The Guardian called it his best opening since The Dark Knight Rises,[Maya] adjusted for inflation.[Speaker 3] That's wild,[Speaker 3] right?[Speaker 3] A three thousand year old poem outperforming superhero stuff.

[Maya] And get this: 3:43

[Maya] Variety's got Ben Shapiro calling it a masterpiece despite all the online outrage swirling around it.[Speaker 3] Outrage over what,[Speaker 3] exactly?[Maya] Depends who you ask,[Maya] honestly,[Maya] but it's the same pattern every time.[Maya] Critics decide the narrative before most people even see the thing.[Speaker 3] So the box office kind of overruled the noise.[Maya] Pretty much.[Maya] Numbers don't really care what Twitter's mad about this week.[Maya] Okay, actual numbers on the Odyssey now.[Maya] This is bigger than I expected.[Speaker 3] Hit me.[Maya] Two hundred and sixty four point one million dollars worldwide opening weekend.[Maya] The Associated Press has it beating Nolan's own Oppenheimer debut.[Speaker 3] Impressive, and Guardian staff called it his best opening since The Dark Knight Rises back in 2012.[Maya] For a poem nobody's touched since 10th grade English.[Maya] That's wild,[Maya] right?[Speaker 3] Homer is outgrossing superhero movies now. Never thought I'd say that.[Speaker 3] And say that sends.[Maya] And here's the part everyone's chewing on.[Maya] Ben Shapiro called it a masterpiece.[Speaker 3] Despite the outrage online,[Speaker 3] yeah,[Speaker 3] Variety ran that.[Maya] Outrage over what, exactly?[Speaker 3] Garmey casting gripes, mostly,[Speaker 3] but Shapiro is basically judging the film,[Speaker 3] not the internet tantrum around it.[Maya] I mean,[Maya] that's kind of rare these days.[Speaker 3] Happens maybe once a decade.[Maya] Shifting to performances that actually earned the praise.[Maya] John Leguizamo playing Eumaeus[Speaker 3] The Hollywood Reporter had him saying it was "intense," that he tapped into "difficult,[Speaker 3] painful emotions from the depth of my soul.[Maya] That's not usually a line you get from a swords and sandals movie.[Speaker 3] No—sounds like no one actually let him go there.[Maya] Now,[Maya] shifting gears,[Maya] Larry David's new HBO show is going straight after RFK Jr.[Speaker 3] Shocking.[Maya] Right,[Maya] HuffPost got him mocking the diet.[Maya] I and the quote "moron" who put him in charge.[Speaker 3] David's funny,[Speaker 3] I'll give him that; but notice who never gets the joke![Maya] Meaning—[Speaker 3] I'm not saying David can't make the joke; I'm saying it's not exactly brave in that room.[Maya] Fair though Shapiro liking the Odyssey cuts the other way to day.[Speaker 3] One data point still looks noticeable when you add it up over time.[Maya] Speaking of headlines not quite matching the actual story...[Speaker 3] We've got a good one lined up.[Maya] Wait till you hear about Harry and Meghan's little reunion.[Maya] Shifting gears, quick gossip before we go.[Maya] So Meghan and Harry apparently sat down with King Charles.[Speaker 3] I've saw the headlines.[Speaker 3] Royal reconciliation,[Speaker 3] right?[Maya] That's the framing.[Maya] Cosmopolitan's reporting it was, quote,[Maya] not exactly warm and fuzzy.[Speaker 3] Shocking.[Speaker 3] A secret meeting with the king isn't a group hug.[Maya] Right?[Maya] No details on what was said, just that it happened and it was tense.[Speaker 3] I mean, come on, these two haven't exactly been subtle about their feelings toward.[Speaker 3] and sort the family.[Maya] Totally. But hey,[Maya] at least they're in the same room now.[Speaker 3] Progress,[Speaker 3] I guess.[Speaker 3] Baby steps.[Maya] Oh,[Maya] before I forget,[Maya] Charlie Sheen's daughter is in the news too.[Speaker 3] Wait,[Speaker 3] which one?[Maya] Sami. She's 22 and Page Six says she's firing back at people claiming her dad bought her a fancy beach house.[Speaker 3] And?[Maya] Her actual quote,[Maya] he hasn't given her a quote, a dime.[Maya] She says she's paying for it herself with OnlyFans.[Speaker 3] Wait, really?[Speaker 3] That's a pretty direct clapback.[Maya] Very direct.[Maya] I respect the honesty, honestly.[Maya] She's not hiding it.[Speaker 3] Yeah,[Speaker 3] and look,[Speaker 3] whatever you think of the platform,[Speaker 3] she's not asking her famous dad for a handout.[Speaker 3] That's kind of the opposite of the typical celebrity kid story.[Maya] Fair point.[Maya] Okay,[Maya] quick hits before we're out.[Maya] Deadline's reporting Real Housewives Jeana Keough was diagnosed with tongue cancer.[Maya] She's 70.[Maya] Her daughter confirmed it.[Speaker 3] Rough news,[Speaker 3] sending good thoughts her way.[Maya] Definitely.[Maya] On a happier note, the 1975's Matty Healy married Gabbriette this weekend.[Maya] The Cut says the wedding was at Madonna's old L.A. estate.[Speaker 3] Of course it was Madonna's old house.[Speaker 3] Nothing normal about celebrity weddings anymore.[Maya] Right?[Maya] And last one,[Maya] Khloé Kardashian's been posting tributes to her grandmother MJ,[Maya] who passed.[Maya] Page Six ran some of the throwback photos she shared.[Speaker 3] Sweet way to remember her.[Maya] Yeah, it is. A lot packed into one Sunday.[Maya] Royals, reality stars,[Maya] weddings.[Speaker 3] Busy news cycle for gossip,[Speaker 3] that's for sure.[Maya] All right, that's the rundown for today.[Speaker 3] Yeah, six people in Kyiv gone overnight,[Speaker 3] that's the part that stays with me,[Speaker 3] not the funding debate.[Maya] Totally. And then Nolan's Odyssey pulling off that opening felt like a nice reset after all that.[Speaker 3] Meanwhile,[Speaker 3] Larry David's still roasting RFK Jr. on HBO.[Speaker 3] Hollywood really only swings one direction,[Speaker 3] and I mean, come on.[Maya] We'll keep poking at that one,[Maya] don't worry.[Speaker 3] If you're new here,[Speaker 3] subscribe and leave us a review,[Speaker 3] it actually helps.[Maya] Thanks for spending your morning with us.[Maya] Seriously.[Speaker 3] We'll catch you tomorrow.[Maya] Bye everybody.