People who rely on SNAP are getting a small cost-of-living adjustment, but there are changes to eligibility which could make it more challenging for SNAP recipients. In turn, local food banks are feeling the pressure of increased demand.
Then, what happens when giant media companies combine? What will it mean for your cable bill? Your news services? Your entertainment choices? We’ll talk about the Paramount-Warner deal and the effects on multiple industries.
Afterward, the botched execution in Tennessee is raising concerns about executions in Florida, and it’s “Banned Book Week.”
Trying to keep pace
(00:00) Grocery prices have climbed more than 30% since 2019, putting added pressure on families already struggling to make ends meet. We look at what changes to SNAP benefits, including expanded work requirements and administrative costs, could mean for local food banks.
GUEST:
- Christine Long, Metropolitan Ministries
Florida’s execution pace
(11:51) The state is on track to carry out 20 death warrants this year, surpassing last year’s record. That comes as Tennessee pauses executions following a failed lethal injection that left a condemned inmate hospitalized. What is going on in Tennessee? Could it affect the conversation in Florida?
GUEST:
- Robin Maher, Death Penalty Information Center executive director
Media giants under one roof
(20:44) Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is complete, bringing CBS News, CNN, HBO, streaming services and major entertainment properties under the same corporate umbrella. What will this mean for viewers, employees and the news business? Also, what’s new with the banning of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House?
GUESTS:
- Tom Jones, Poynter Institute senior media writer
- Eric Deggans, NPR Critic-At-Large
Texas takes first place
(35:45) Florida no longer leads the nation in government book removals, but hundreds of titles were pulled from the state’s public schools over the past year. A rep from PEN America, the watchdog that produces the “banned book” list, talks about the content targeted, why rural communities may feel the impact more and the future of Florida’s restrictions.
GUEST:
- Kasey Maheen, director of PEN America Freedom to Read program
