The Chimes Weekly

Our host, Jae Koo, takes us through top headlines from the week: heavy storms sweep Southern California; Marjorie Taylor Greene announces her resignation from Congress; President Trump signs a bill ordering the release of the Epstein files; 25 schoolgirls are kidnapped in Northwestern Nigeria; the Trump administration unveils a new 28-point Ukraine peace plan; and more.


For more details about this week’s headlines: Helicopter crash, reporters turned in their press passes, broadcast networks against policy, Trump meets with Zelensky at White House, Torrey Distinguished lecture, holy-spirit-academic-symposium, Our Town, 33rd Annual PRISM Concert,  Family Weekend 2025, Male Ensembles Philippines (MEn). Find more stories at The Chimes’ website. Find the transcript of this episode here.

Creators and Guests

JK
Producer
Jaehee Koo
Producer
Reagan Glidewell
Producer of The Chimes Weekly podcast

What is The Chimes Weekly?

Bite-sized podcast episodes with your top news stories from The Chimes and Biola.

By Biola University students, for Biola University students. Previously known as Chimes Rundown and KBR Daily News Updates by KBR The Torch.

From The Torch Podcast Network, This is The Chimes Weekly.

I’m Jae Koo, here to start off your week with major headlines and what’s coming up.

It’s Monday, November 24th.

The downpours continued last week as rain storms surged through sunny Southern California. According to Fox 11, flash flood warnings were enacted for areas throughout Los Angeles County such as San Fernando Valley. Areas in the valley such as Calabases, Agoura Hills, Camarillo and surrounding towns received wind advisories in addition to flood warnings. Experts also warned of high winds on the Ventura County and Malibu coast.

Areas in the Inland Empire including Big Bear received winter storm warnings as snowfall is expected for areas 6,500 feet and above. After weeks of warm Southern California weather, winter weather is finally settling in.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican and prominent MAGA figure, announced her resignation from the House of Representatives effective January 5, 2026, amid a dramatic fallout with President Donald Trump, most recently over her vote to force the release of the Epstein files. According to the Guardian The congresswoman cited the legislative branch being "sidelined" and a failure to advance conservative priorities, while Trump called the resignation "great news for the country," highlighting the complete collapse of what was once one of his strongest alliances.

In a significant reversal, President Donald Trump signed a bill on Wednesday that mandates the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision follows months of political pressure, including from members of his own party, and comes after Trump initially resisted calls for transparency. According to PBS, The bill requires the Justice Department to release all documents concerning Epstein's case, including information about his 2019 death in federal custody, within 30 days. While some redactions will be made to protect victims and ongoing investigations, the legislation stipulates that the Department of Justice cannot withhold information due to political sensitivity or reputational harm.

Violence in Nigeria continues. Last Monday, 25 schoolgirls from a dormitory in Northwestern Nigeria were kidnapped by a group of gunmen. Since then, only one of the schoolgirls managed to escape and find safety on Tuesday.

No group has claimed responsibility for the action. Authorities have stated that the gunmen are most likely armed herders fighting against farming communities in Nigeria. Analysts and locals commented that bandit gangs are also common in the area.

Government security forces and vigilante volunteer hunters have intensified efforts to recover the remaining 24 missing schoolgirls.

Last Thursday, the Trump Administration announced a new 28-point peace plan to end the Russo-Ukraine War. The plan includes calls for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia and other ideas that Ukrainian and European leaders have formerly rejected. In exchange, Russia would have to promise not to attack Ukraine or other European countries, and codify that promise into legislation.

Bagels have taken over Orange County! Some OC bakeries have taken their own twist on the traditional bagel. Instead of copying the traditional East Coast-style, such bakeries are revamping bagels by adding California’s most notable ingredients.

According to the LAist, a bagel shop called Boil & Bake in Costa Mesa created a bagel called the “O.G.”. This bagel contains Guatemalan-style longaniza sausage with cilantro aji crema and Native Cure smoked salmon with pickled onions. Deli Seoul, also in Costa Mesa, includes ingredients such as Seoul steak, spicy pork, sweet-glazed Spam and marinated organic tofu.

So, to all of those bagel connoisseurs out there, Orange County is the place to be.

That’s all for last week’s headlines. Now, let’s dive into what’s happening this week at Biola.

This week there are only three chapel opportunities, those being morning chapel today from 9:30AM to 10:20AM, Mosaic Monday chapels hosted by athletics from 7 to 8PM, and Talbot chapel tomorrow morning from 9:30AM to 10:20AM. For more information on speakers and topic of the chapels please be sure to check our show notes.

On Wednesday December 3 at 12:30PM, the conservatory music will host the music at noon: Bluegrass Ensemble at the Lansing Recital Hall in Crowell music building. The Biola Bluegrass assemble delivers a lively mix of traditional tunes, original songs, and Americana favorites featuring fast paced picking, rich harmonies, and heartfelt storytelling. This event is free for all.

Fans of The Wingfeather Saga will have a special opportunity next month. On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts will host a free screening of Season 3, Episode 5, along with the premiere of Episode 6. The event will run from 7 to 9 p.m. PST at the Ethel Lee Auditorium and is open to the public.
A live Q&A will follow the screening, featuring showrunner J. Chris Wall, producer Brock Starnes, and writers Kenny Ryan and Jacob Roman. Organizers say the event offers fans a rare chance to see the newest chapter on the big screen and hear directly from the creators.

Biola University invites the community to celebrate A Very Biola Christmas on Friday, December 5, 2025, a free on-campus event hosted by Undergraduate Admissions. Activities begin at 2:30 p.m. with check-in, followed by campus tours, dinner in The Caf, the All-Hall Holiday Tour at 5:30 p.m., and the Christmas Tree Lighting at 7 p.m. Visitors can explore decorated dorms, enjoy festive campus traditions, and participate in the annual lighting ceremony.
Running alongside the event is Biola’s 42nd Christmas Tree Lighting and Christmas Market, hosted by Alumni Engagement from 4 to 8 p.m. on Metzger Lawn. The Christmas Market opens at 4 p.m., leading into a worshipful program at 7 p.m. featuring music, Scripture reading, a message from President Barry Corey, ASL interpretation, and Biola’s traditional Southern California “snow.” Parking is free, and the program will also be livestreamed.
For more information please check out our show notes.

Biola University invites the community to the Biola Christmas Concert: God With Us on Saturday, December 6, 2025, with performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.
Hosted by the Conservatory of Music, the concert celebrates the birth of Jesus through a rich blend of Christmas music reflecting hope and wonder.
Tickets are required and available through the theatre box office: $25 general public, $20
faculty/staff, military, and seniors, and $15 for students, children, and groups of 10 or more.
For more information please check out our show notes.

And that’s all for this week.

Thanks for listening! As always, if you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review and share it with a friend or a roommate.

To read stories from The Chimes, see our show notes, or head over to our website at ChimesNewspaper.com.

The Chimes Weekly is a production of The Chimes Media Group and The Torch Podcast Network.

This episode was produced by Jae Koo with headlines written by Reagan Glidewell, Matthew Garcia and Jason Lee. This episode was engineered by Reagan Glidewell. Our theme music is from Warner Chappell Productions. Thomas Rakhola is our Editor-in-chief and Reagan Glidewell is our managing editor.

I’m Jae Koo, and we’ll see you all next week.