Latest news with #C-SPAN
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Jake Tapper ripped on C-SPAN while plugging book on Biden's decline: ‘I really don't like you'
CNN anchor Jake Tapper faced sharp criticism from a caller on C-SPAN Tuesday over his new book about former President Joe Biden's cognitive decline, with the woman accusing him of unfair coverage and bias toward the current president, Donald Trump. Tapper appeared on Tuesday's edition of 'Washington Journal' to discuss 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' the bestselling book he co-wrote with Axios reporter Alex Thompson. During the C-SPAN call-in show, Tapper was confronted by Sarah, a caller from Virginia who voiced frustration over what she saw as one-sided reporting. 4 A C-SPAN caller bluntly told CNN anchor Jake Tapper 'I don't really like you' while he was plugging his book about former President Biden's decline on Tuesday. C-SPAN 'I watch you on CNN,' she began. 'But right now, I really don't like you. I think you're doing a disservice to Joe and also to the American people.' Sarah questioned why Tapper hasn't applied the same level of scrutiny to Trump's behavior and fitness for office. 'When are you going to examine what is going on with Trump? Joe Biden conducted himself for four years taking care of the United States. He took meetings. He went overseas. He negotiated with other leaders,' she said. 'This president has been pure chaos, which indicates to me that there is something wrong with him. We will never get a straight answer on his medical examinations, what medication he is on, and yet you have gone after Joe Biden with a vengeance that… I'm very disappointed in you.' The caller said she used to enjoy Tapper's show 'The Lead,' but that his recent focus had changed her view. 'And I think right now you ought to start writing another book examining Trump and how erratic [he is] and what he is doing, calling out the National Guard, the Marines, and everybody,' she added. 'When has a president ever done that? It's pure erratic!' Tapper, who has acknowledged that he failed to adequately devote scrutiny to the question of Biden's fitness while he was president despite apparent signs of his decline, responded calmly, defending his coverage and encouraging viewers to tune into his daily CNN broadcast. 4 Tapper appeared on Tuesday's edition of 'Washington Journal' to discuss the book he co-wrote with Alex Thompson of Axios. Joe Biden via REUTERS 'Sarah, as you know from watching my show on CNN, we cover President Trump every day for two hours — every day from 5 to 7 Eastern — and we cover all the things you talk about, in terms of the current president's behavior,' he said. He pointed to past instances where Trump confused public figures, saying, 'We have covered the times that he has confused Nancy Pelosi with Nikki Haley.' 'I think some of the questions about President Trump's behavior have more to do with personality than with cognitive decline,' Tapper added. 'Whatever lessons we've learned from covering President Biden, we would apply to any politician,' he continued. 'So I'm sorry if I'm disappointing you by covering President Biden. But journalists, we are supposed to cover stories that we think the American people have a right to know, that we think will enhance their understanding of how the country is run.' Tapper closed the exchange by reaffirming his belief in the book. 'We are proud of this book,' he said, adding that CNN would continue to cover current events in the days ahead. 4 The book alleges that White House aides worked to conceal the then-president's deteriorating mental and physical condition during his time in office. REUTERS 'Washington Journal' is a live, daily call-in program on C-SPAN that gives viewers the chance to directly engage with elected officials, journalists, policy experts and other public figures about current political and policy issues. It typically airs every morning, seven days a week, and covers a wide range of topics including legislation, national events, and public affairs. The show is known for its unfiltered, interactive format whereby viewers call in and ask questions or share opinions live on-air — often divided by political affiliation. 'Everyone knows that C-SPAN callers are cranky and that's part of the charm of the show,' a media source told The Post. Unlike many news programs, 'Washington Journal' maintains a nonpartisan approach, providing a neutral platform for discussion and civic engagement. 4 The book, 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' has become a bestseller. AFP via Getty Images The book alleges that White House aides worked to conceal the then-president's deteriorating mental and physical condition during his time in office. Since its release, Tapper has made headlines by calling the alleged cover-up 'worse than Watergate' and describing Hunter Biden as acting like the 'chief of staff of the family.' He has also stated that 'conservative media was right' to raise concerns about Biden's age. House Republicans have already cited the book to justify an expanded investigation into what they claim is a cover-up of Biden's health. A representative for Tapper declined to comment when reached by The Post.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ticker: C-SPAN, NewsNation, and Newsmax Share Military Parade Coverage
Top of the Ticker: C-SPAN, NewsNation, and Newsmax will offer live coverage of Saturday's U.S Army's 250th Anniversary Parade and Celebration. The parade-which also takes place on President Donald Trump's birthday-will be held along Constitution Avenue near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. C-SPAN's uninterrupted live coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET, hosted by Pedro Echevarria. NewsNation's coverage will also begin at 6 p.m. led by Leland Vittert and Anna Kooiman, with additional live reporting from Chris Stirewalt, Kellie Meyer, Robert Sherman, and Joe Khalil. Finally, Newsmax's Carl Higbie will host the network's coverage overlooking the parade route and the South Lawn of the White House. Correspondents Mike Carter, Logan Ratick, and Alana Auston will be positioned in key locations along the route. Montana meet-up: The Associated Press is reporting that Vice President J.D. Vance recently met with Fox Corp.'s Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, as well as senior Fox News executives. No details were made available for the brief visit, which took place at the Murdoch family ranch in southwest Montana. Representatives from both sides did not provide any comment regarding the reasons for the encounter. BBC complaints: Veteran BBC News journalists who were recently laid off have filed discriminatory complaints against the news organization. According to Deadline, the journalists allege their employment was terminated because of their ages. The BBC News disclosed to the publication that it does not comment on personnel matters, but said that its layoff process-part of a savings plan announced in October 2024-'thorough and fair.' Podcast news: CNN is rebranding one of its internal departments in recognition of the podcast medium's growing popularity. CNN Audio will become CNN Podcasts, with The Hollywood Reporter noting that the network will expand its roster of shows and formats, focusing on talent that may be underutilized on TV. Also undergoing a rebrand is Fox News anchor Will Cain's digital show, which will be known as Will Cain Country starting June 16. Airing live at nooon on weekdays, Will Cain Country will continue to be available first on and Fox News' YouTube channel and then packaged as a podcast afterwards. Meanwhile, ABC News Audio and 20/20 have announced a new six-episode podcast that examines the tangled life of Hossein Nayeri, the mastermind behind one of the most brutal crimes in California history. Devil in the Desert premieres June 17, and will be hosted by ABC News' chief national correspondent Matt Gutman. Sophomore season: Fox Nation has inked a new deal with acclaimed director Martin Scorsese, which for an eight-episode second season of Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints. The new series will begin in November and run through the Spring of 2026. The first season broke Fox Nation's viewership records as its highest-engaged and most-watched series of all time.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Assault on Good-for-You TV: C-SPAN and PBS Teeter as Trump Attacks
When money flowed more freely in television, public-service programming was seen as a means of giving back. From educational TV and supporting public broadcasting to cable operators providing C-SPAN, spaces existed where ratings weren't the yardstick — instead, this was TV intended to be good for you. On Thursday, Congress took a major step toward undermining all of that, as the House narrowly approved a rescission bill that would claw back $1.1 billion in funding to the Corp. for Public Broadcasting, which helps support PBS stations, in addition to cuts to other programs. The bill passed by the slimmest of margins, 214 to 212, with a few GOP legislators switching their votes to get it through. The funding was part of a larger $9.4 billion allocation that lawmakers had already approved for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Senate still has to weigh in on the matter, and has five weeks to decide. With PBS and NPR besieged by the political right, with C-SPAN's funding via cable and satellite fees strafed by cord cutting, higher-minded alternatives have been hit by hard times. The whole point of PBS and National Public Radio was that they would be unfettered by commercial demands, allowing them to offer programming — from children's programming like Mr. Rogers and 'Sesame Street,' devoid of toy commercials, to lower-key news, documentaries and public affairs — that didn't have to justify its existence on a balance sheet. Ditto for C-SPAN, which cable operators carried for a small licensing fee simply because of the perceived value in allowing subscribers to see what their elected representatives were doing and saying, unfiltered and unedited. Public broadcasting has found itself swept up in the Trump administration's war against the media, with the perception that any unflattering reporting about the president — whether from PBS' 'NewsHour' or 'Frontline' or NPR's 'All Things Considered' — reveals 'invidious' bias and a liberal agenda, to use FCC chairman Brendan Carr's favorite word. Conservatives have long argued that public broadcasting represents an unnecessary expense given the abundance of choices available to most consumers. But in its latest incarnation, 'Defund PBS' overtly translates into being less about fiscal responsibility than leveraging the government's underwriting role to silence otherwise-independent media voices by labeling them progressive propaganda. On the left, the response was unambiguous. The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) condemned the House vote as 'a radical right-wing ideology that aims to destroy a non-partisan public service despite all evidence of its wide benefits.' The group quickly turned its attention to pleading with the Senate, which holds a GOP majority but has exhibited a bit more restraint than the House in prosecuting the MAGA agenda. The CEO of PBS, Paula Kerger, remained silent in the wake of Thursday's vote, but she has been lobbying intensively to save PBS, warning that Trump's push to defund public broadcasters would spell the end for a number of local stations, and the service they provide to their communities. In a recent interview with Katie Couric, Kerger contemplated the end of public funding for the network, which only relies on the government for a portion of its funds. 'I think we'll figure out a way, through digital, to make sure there is some PBS content,' she said. 'But there won't be anyone in the community creating local content. There won't be a place for people to come together.' Kerger was referring to the fact that the campaign against PBS and NPR disproportionally harms smaller and more rural communities that voted for Trump (even if many listeners and viewers didn't), which lack the same menu of local-media options as major markets. In a sense, Sesame Workshop — the entity behind 'Sesame Street' — has provided an unlikely poster child for the financial pressures on public TV, having undergone layoffs before losing its streaming deal with Warner Bros. Discovery's Max. Netflix has since stepped into the breach, joining with PBS Kids in providing access Elmo and his pals. As for C-SPAN, its challenges stem primarily from evolving technology, which has dramatically undercut the financial model upon which the network was founded in 1979. With viewers shifting to streaming and dropping cable and satellite subscriptions, the number of homes receiving C-SPAN has sharply dropped to a little over 50 million, meaning the nonprofit enterprise — which costs operators just $7.25 a month, a fraction of what they pay for channels like Fox News and CNN — is running at a significant deficit. One proposed solution would be for entities with streaming subscribers, like YouTube or Hulu's live-TV package, to carry C-SPAN. Indeed, YouTube's 8 to 10 million subscribers alone would provide enough income to offset most of the shortfall in its roughly $60 million annual operating expenses. Thus far, however, those companies have balked, prompting a rare bipartisan push in the Senate on C-SPAN's behalf, with Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Amy Klobuchar among those joining in a resolution calling upon streaming services to carry the network. 'For tens of millions of Americans who have cut the cord and get their content from streaming services, they should not be cut off from the civic content made available by C-SPAN,' the senators stated. It's a welcome development for C-SPAN CEO Sam Feist, who joined the network a little over a year ago from CNN. Feist noted that 'cord cutting' doesn't accurately characterize what's transpired — since old cable subscribers have generally moved to new delivery systems — meaning the case for carrying the network remains as simple as the public-service ideal that inspired its launch. 'We're the only network that provides what we provide, which is this unfiltered view of American government,' Feist told TheWrap, adding in regard to the streamers, 'It is good for the country for their customers to have access to our product.' The campaign regarding C-SPAN carriage has seemingly gained some momentum over the last year, with former Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler and the Washington Post's Karen Tumulty among those joining the aforementioned senators in taking up the cause. Wheeler called YouTube's decision not to carry C-SPAN 'baffling and anti-democratic,' writing in The Hill that the company is depriving viewers of 'an unfiltered window into the goings-on in Congress, the White House and other parts of the government.' As Sen. Ron Wyden told Tumulty, carrying the network would only cost YouTube about $6 million a year — 'crumbs,' he suggested, for a streamer that rakes in billions in ad revenue. YouTube has stated that its subscribers 'have not shown sufficient interest in adding C-SPAN to the YouTube TV lineup to justify the increased cost' to their monthly bills, although as Wyden noted, that would amount to a relative pittance of 87 cents a year per household. The two situations aren't completely analogous, especially with the fate of PBS and NPR having become embroiled in politics, as opposed to corporate stubbornness. More fundamentally, though, both situations speak to the question of civic responsibility, and whether the government and private interests acknowledge such obligations. Because even if C-SPAN and PBS reach smaller audiences in a fragmented world, certain things are worth keeping around not because everybody watches them, but rather for what they offer, symbolically as well as tangibly, thanks to the staid sobriety they provide by being available to the people that do. The post The Assault on Good-for-You TV: C-SPAN and PBS Teeter as Trump Attacks appeared first on TheWrap.
Yomiuri Shimbun
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Top RFK Jr. Aide Attacks US Health System While Running Company That Promotes Wellness Alternatives
C-SPAN via AP In this image from video provided by C-SPAN, Calley Means, a key adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks during a news conference where the HHS and FDA announced plans to ban petroleum-based food dyes, in Washington, on April 22, 2025. WASHINGTON (AP) — Calley Means has built a following within the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement by railing against the failings of the U.S. health system, often pinning the blame on one issue: corruption. Means, a top aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was hired as a White House adviser in March. He has used that perch to attack the nation's leading physician groups, federal agencies and government scientists, claiming they only protect their own interests in the nation's $4.9 trillion-a-year industry. In recent interviews, speeches and podcasts he has called the American Medical Association 'a pharma lobbying group,' labeled the Food and Drug Administration 'a sock puppet of industry,' and said federal health scientists have 'overseen a record of utter failure.' Means, however, has his own financial stake in the sprawling health system. He's the co-founder of an online platform, Truemed, that offers dietary supplements, herbal remedies and other wellness products. Some of the vendors featured on Truemed's website are supporters of Kennedy's MAHA movement, which downplays the benefits of prescription drugs, vaccines and other rigorously tested medical products. Kennedy has pledged to run the Department of Health and Human Services with 'radical transparency,' but Means has never had to publicly disclose his own financial details or where exactly they intersect with the policies he's advancing. 'It reeks of hypocrisy,' said Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, a health researcher at Yale University. 'In effect, he is representing another industry that is touting nonregulated products and using his platform within the government to financially benefit himself.' In a written statement, Means said his government work has not dealt with matters affecting Truemed and has focused on issues like reforming nutrition programs and pressuring companies to phase out food dyes. 'Pursuing these large-scale MAHA goals to make America healthy has been the sole focus in my government work,' Means said. Truemed helps users take tax-free money out of their health savings accounts, or HSAs, to spend on things that wouldn't normally qualify as medical expenses, such as exercise equipment, meal delivery services and homeopathic remedies — mixtures of plants and minerals based on a centuries-old theory of medicine that's not supported by modern science. The business model caught the attention of the IRS last year, which issued an alert: 'Beware of companies misrepresenting nutrition, wellness and general health expenses as medical care.' Truemed co-founder and CEO, Justin Mares, said in a statement the company is 'in full alignment' with IRS guidelines. 'Truemed enables patients to work with providers to use medical funds for root cause interventions like exercise and vitamin D to reverse disease under current law,' Mares said. The full extent of Means' potential conflicts — including his personal investments— are unclear because of his status as a special government employee. Unlike presidential appointees and other senior officials, special government employees are temporary staffers who do not have to leave companies or sell investments that could be impacted by their work. Also, their financial disclosure forms are shielded from public release. 'It's a big problem,' says Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush now at the University of Minnesota. Painter and other experts have raised alarms over a whirlwind of Trump administration actions to dismantle the government's public integrity guardrails. Still, part-time government employees are subject to the same law that bars all federal staffers from working on issues that could directly benefit their finances. When such cases arise, they must recuse themselves or risk criminal penalties. Means regularly opines on matters before HHS, including rethinking the use of drugs for depression, weight loss, diabetes and other conditions. Recently he's been promoting a new government report that calls for scaling back prescription medications in favor of exercise, dietary changes and other alternatives. 'If we rely less on our medical system, less on drugs, it necessitates the spiritual, cultural conversation about what we're doing to our children's bodies,' Means said in a recent podcast appearance. Experts note that government ethics rules are intended to both prevent financial conflict violations, but also the appearance of such conflicts that might undermine public trust in government. 'If I were running the ethics office over at HHS, I sure as heck wouldn't want anybody going around giving interviews and speeches about government matters that could have an effect on their own financial interests,' Painter said. A rising star in the MAHA movement Means' rapid rise reflects the seeming contradictions within the MAHA movement itself, which urges followers to distrust both big corporations and the government agencies which regulate them. Means rails against big pharma and food conglomerates, two industries that he says he spent years working for as a consultant in Washington. Means has no medical training. A graduate of Harvard Business School, he previously ran a bridal gown startup with his wife. On Wednesday, he's scheduled to be the keynote speaker at FDA's annual science forum, according to a copy of the program shared with The Associated Press. He traces his passion for health care reform to the death of his mother from pancreatic cancer in 2021. Shortly thereafter, Means and his sister, Dr. Casey Means, took psychedelics together and had 'a mind-blowing, life-changing experience,' which led them to co-author a wellness book, launch separate health startups and begin appearing on podcasts. Casey Means was recently nominated to be surgeon general and has faced scrutiny over her qualifications, including an unfinished medical residency. Asked about her nomination, President Donald Trump said: 'Bobby thought she was fantastic,' adding that he did not know her. Meanwhile, her brother has stepped up his rhetoric for the MAHA agenda, recently declaring that Kennedy has 'a spiritual mandate to reform our broken system.' While promoting the administration's accomplishments, Means does not shy away from plugging his own brand or those of his business partners. When asked to offer health advice to listeners of a sports podcast, Outkick The Show, in April, Means said: 'Read our book, 'Good Energy.'' He also recommended blood tests sold by Function Health, which provides subscription-based testing for $500 annually. The company was cofounded by Dr. Mark Hyman, a friend of Kennedy and an investor in Truemed, which also offers Hyman's supplements through its platform. Casey Means is also an investor in Hyman's company. 'If you're sick, most likely you have some kind of nutrient deficiency, some kind of biomarker that you can actually then target with your diet and your supplements,' Calley Means said. Like dietary supplements, the marketing claims on laboratory tests sold by Hyman are not approved by the FDA. The agency has warned for years about the accuracy of such tests and tried to start regulating them under President Joe Biden. Experts say MAHA entrepreneurs like Hyman are following a playbook common to the wellness industry: Identify a health concern, market a test to diagnose it and then sell supplements or other remedies to treat it. 'It ends up favoring these products and services that rest on flimsy grounds, at the expense of products that have actually survived a rigorous FDA approval process,' said Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official who is now president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Many of the items sold via Truemed, including sweat tents, cold plunge tanks and light therapy lamps, wouldn't typically qualify as medical expenses under rules for HSAs, tax-free accounts created by Congress to manage medical costs. The IRS generally states that HSA purchases must help diagnose, cure, treat, mitigate or prevent disease. Truemed allows users to request a 'letter of medical necessity' from a doctor, stating that the product in question could have medical value for them. Like other telehealth services, there's usually no real-time communication with the patient. The physician reviews a 'simple survey solution,' filled out by the Truemed user, according to the company's website. Industry representatives say customers should be careful. 'You need to be prepared to defend your spending habits under audit,' said Kevin McKechnie, head of the American Bankers Association's HSA council. 'Companies are popping up suggesting they can help you manage that process and maybe they can — so the debate continues.' Americans have an estimated $147 billion in HSA accounts, a potential windfall for companies like Truemed that collects fees for transactions made using their platforms. Means sees an even bigger opportunity — routing federal funds out of government programs and into more HSAs. 'The point of our company is to steer medical dollars into flexible spending,' Means told fitness celebrity Jillian Michaels, on her podcast last year. 'I want to get that $4.5 trillion of Medicare, Medicaid, everything into a flexible account.' Who benefits most from HSAs? Means' pitch for expanding HSAs echoes two decades of Republican talking points on the accounts, which were created in 2003 to encourage Americans in high-deductible plans to be judicious with their health dollars. But HSAs have not brought down spending, economists say. They are disproportionately used by the wealthiest Americans, who have more income to fund them and a bigger incentive to lower their tax rate. Americans who earn more than $1 million annually are the group most likely to make regular HSA contributions, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. More than half Americans with HSAs have balances less than $500. Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would further expand HSA purchases, making gym memberships and other fitness expenses eligible for tax-free spending. That provision alone is expected to cost the government $10 billion in revenue. 'These are really just tax breaks in the guise of health policy that overwhelmingly benefit people with high incomes,' said Gideon Lukens, a former White House budget official during the Obama and Trump administrations, now with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Expanding HSA eligibility was listed as a goal for a coalition of MAHA entrepreneurs and Truemed partners, founded by Means, which lobbied Congress last year, according to the group's website. Means said in a statement that the group focused only on broad topics like 'health care incentives and patient choice — but did not lobby for specific bills.' In total, the HSA expansions in Trump's bill are projected to cost the federal government $180 billion over the next 10 years. As HSAs expand to include more disparate products and services, Lukens says the U.S. government will have fewer dollars to expand medical coverage through programs like Medicaid. 'We have a limited amount of federal resources and the question is whether we want to spend that on health and wellness products that may or may not be helpful for wealthy people,' Lukens said.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ticker: ESPN's New York Shows Are on the Move
Top of the Ticker: ESPN is joining Good Morning America and ABC News' other programming at Disney's 7 Hudson Square HQ in Manhattan. The Disney-owned sports network is moving its New York-based shows from their perch at Seaport Studios, where they've been since 2018. Get Up will be the first show to air out of the new space on June 9, followed by First Take on June 23, alongside ESPN Radio's signature morning show UnSportsmanLike. New Promo: Meanwhile, GMA has debuted a new promo campaign that marks the start of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Titled 'Coming Home,' the promo features co-anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan-as well as the show's extended family-visiting their respective hometowns. The promo could also be viewed as an indirect nod to the show's move from Times Square to its new home at 7 Hudson Square sometime this summer. Pride Celebrations: Speaking of ABC News, the network has announced programming initiatives to celebrate Pride Month. Airing across all dayparts and properties, coverage will feature reporting, interviews, and features highlighting people, stories, and issues important to the LGBTQ+ community. C-Span: C-SPAN debuted a refreshed on-air graphics look across its networks this week. 'Our new look was designed in-house with internal feedback as well as a review of comments from viewers over the years,' executive producer Paul Brown said in a statement provided to TVNewser. 'One of our primary goals was to enhance brand consistency by creating a unified look that eventually will run across all our platforms.' Brown also noted that C-SPAN's last major graphics occurred back in 2018. Increased tech coverage: Bloomberg is launching two new monthly tech programs, broadening its global coverage with region-specific offerings. Bloomberg Tech: Europe, anchored by Tom Mackenzie, debuts on June 13 at 1:30 a.m. ET; and Bloomberg Tech: Asia, co-anchored by Shery Ahn and Annabelle Droulers, premieres on June 27 at 8:30 p.m. ET. These programs complement the existing Bloomberg Tech, which airs at 11 a.m. ET, and recently unveiled a refreshed format with new branding and graphics.
