Latest news with #PodSaveAmerica
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Amazon makes surprising decision to cut losses on recent deal
Are you a "Joe Rogan Experience"guy or more of a "Pod Save America" gal? How about "The Mel Robbins Podcast," Jay Shetty's "On Purpose," "My Favorite Murder," or "Crime Junkie"? No matter what, the odds are pretty good that you subscribe to at least a handful of podcasts. Don't miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet's FREE Daily newsletter The growth of podcasting is kind of nuts. As of 2025, there are over 4.52 million podcasts worldwide, with nearly 487,200 new shows launched in just the past three months, according to Podcastatistics. Most people in the U.S. listen to podcasts via: • YouTube: 33% • Spotify: 26% • Apple: 14% Notice a name missing from that list? Yep, podcasts are one of the few technology-related lists Amazon doesn't dominate. Now, in a surprising move that underscores the evolving nature of the podcast industry, Amazon is dismantling Wondery as a standalone podcast studio, cutting approximately 110 jobs and signaling a major strategic shift. Image source: Shutterstock The Wondery brand isn't going away completely. Still, the division that produced acclaimed narrative series such as "Dr. Death," "American Scandal," and "Business Wars" will be absorbed into Amazon's Audible platform. Meanwhile, Wondery's high-profile, creator-led shows - like "New Heights" with the Kelce brothers, "Mind the Game" with LeBron James, and "Armchair Expert" with Dax Shepard - will now be housed under a new "creator services" division focused on monetization and partnerships. Former Fox International Channels CEO Hernan Lopez founded Wondery in 2016. Lopez saw an opportunity to build what he called the "HBO of podcasting" - a studio focused on high-quality, immersive, narrative storytelling. The company quickly made a name for itself with hits like "Dirty John," "Dr. Death," and "The Shrink Next Door," many of which were later adapted for television. Related: Amazon plans popular service change customers are bound to hate Barely five years later, Amazon acquired Wondery for a reported $300 million. The plan was to bolster Amazon's position in the fast-growing podcast market and compete with Spotify, Apple, and others. Wondery's library of chart-topping shows was seen as a way to: Add exclusive content to Amazon Music and AudibleExpand its ad-supported audio and subscription offeringsGenerate intellectual property that could be developed into TV or film projects, ideally for Amazon Studios Amazon's goal was to be a content-producing powerhouse - not just a distributor. Fast forward to 2025, and the podcast landscape has shifted dramatically. Amazon VP of Audio Steve Boom said in an internal memo per Reuters that creator-led, video-first podcasts "have different audience needs and require distinct discovery, growth and monetization strategies compared to audio-first, narrative series." This shift reflects changing listener and advertiser preferences. While narrative podcasts once dominated the charts, today's top-performing shows tend to be personality-driven, video-enhanced, and easily shareable across platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Despite some headlines calling this a shutdown, Amazon says the Wondery name will continue to exist, particularly for its creator-led content. However, the heart of Wondery, which focused on scripted storytelling, will now live within Audible. CEO Jen Sargent is departing as part of the reorganization. Related: T-Mobile boots customers off yearslong offers without asking The Wondery+ subscription service will remain available, but it's clear that Amazon's podcast strategy is narrowing in on shows that can scale quickly, attract big-name talent, and command premium ad rates. The overall podcast industry is still on the rise, despite Amazon's retreat from narrative. According to Edison Research, over 135 million Americans now listen to podcasts each month - up from 82 million just five years ago. U.S. podcast ad revenue is projected to surpass $4 billion by 2026, per the Interactive Advertising Bureau. But the growth isn't spread evenly. The fastest-growing category is video podcasts, where content from influencers, athletes, and celebrities generates massive engagement. That's where Amazon is now focusing its efforts. Amazon's move is part of a broader trend across the media industry, where platforms prioritize profitability and scale over artistic ambition. With interest rates high and investor patience wearing thin, companies can no longer afford to fund years of losses just to build market share. Buying Wondery was supposed to help Amazon become a dominant player in podcasts, but it didn't work out that way. The acquisition didn't bring dominance - just more complexity. Now, Amazon is streamlining its audio business in hopes of making it more efficient and profitable. If you love high-production storytelling podcasts, this could be bad news. Wondery was one of the few studios consistently investing in scripted, documentary-style audio. With Amazon shifting away from that model, it's unclear who will pick up the slack. On the other hand, fans of celebrity podcasts may see more content, more video integration, and better-quality production as Amazon doubles down on creator services. Related: The alarming reason so many tech companies are raising cash The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Fox News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
'Pod Save America' bro calls for a 'mindset change' for Dems on Israel
"Pod Save America" co-host Tommy Vietor said that the Democratic Party needs to advocate for cutting off "billions a year" military aid to Israel.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vote Save America PAC invests to find Utah Dem candidates to challenge GOP incumbents
SALT LAKE CITY — A national political action committee focused on 'pro-democracy' candidates will invest $20,000 to recruit candidates to run against several Republican state lawmakers in Utah's Legislature. Vote Save America, the political arm of Crooked Media, announced Tuesday it will partner with Utah's Elevate PAC to identify and recruit candidates to run as Democrats against eight GOP representatives and two senators in seats it views as flippable. Crooked Media was founded by several alums of the Obama administration and is the home to the popular podcast 'Pod Save America.' The money will help organizers in Utah identify candidates for office from outside of the typical political establishment who might not otherwise be inspired to run, according to Elevate PAC principal Gabi Finlayson. 'People that end up running for office, especially a lot of the really, really excellent ones, aren't people that ... you know are going to run for office or that don't really see that in their life path,' she told 'A lot of the time, the best candidates come from those places where you have to ask them to run. You have to really push them and say, 'Hey, you're the kind of person that we need right now.' And so that also obviously takes time and staff and support.' Vote Save America has given to campaigns and grassroots organizations in the past and hopes to help shift the balance of power in Salt Lake City in the 2026 midterm elections. 'Utah is uniquely positioned for change,' said Shaniqua McClendon, the head of political strategy at Vote Save America. 'It's the youngest state in the country, one of the fastest-growing and the most college-educated red state. No state in the nation has moved further to the left over the past 20 years than Utah. There's an independent streak here that national politics has ignored for too long.' While Utah remains solidly red, the margins for Republicans have decreased in presidential elections with President Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, though Trump's numbers ticked up in 2024 compared to the previous two cycles. Utah's House Republican PAC defended conservative legislators in a statement to touting the state's quality of life, economic outlook and low unemployment rate. 'What makes Utah great, however, are not the policymakers at Capitol Hill — it's our people. Hardworking, family-oriented, service-minded Utahns who care about their neighbors, communities and our state,' the Utah House Republican Election Committee said. 'The suggestion that Utah's conservative lawmakers are 'vulnerable' or fall out of step with community ideals are unfounded. Make no mistake: These elected officials remain committed to their constituents, undeterred by outside forces and unfazed by political noise.' The next midterm election is still more than a year away in November 2026, but with the deadline to file as a candidate on Jan. 2, 2026, organizers have just a few months left to recruit and train potential candidates. 'We're looking for real, normal people that are kind of outside of the political establishment,' Finlayson said. 'A lot of voters are not necessarily looking for career politicians. ... The structure that we have now hasn't always worked for a lot of people, and so we're looking for teachers, we're looking for nurses, we're looking for small business owners. Just normal, everyday people.' 'We see so many people in the Legislature that are only interested in voting the way that they're told to vote and not looking out for the best interests of their constituents,' she added. 'That's something that we're definitely looking at when we're trying to find candidates, is who do you really work for? Because I think across the board, we've seen that a lot of our representatives have forgotten who it is they work for.' The PAC says it is looking to find candidates to challenge the following incumbents: Reps. Jill Koford, R-Ogden; Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City; Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns; Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville; Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan; Clint Okerlund, R-Sandy; Steve Eliason, R-Sandy; and Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, along with Sens. Dan McCay, R-Riverton; and Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy. Those interested in running or who know someone who would be a good candidate are encouraged to email info@ or visit the PAC's website.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Left-leaning national group is targeting these Utah legislative districts for 2026 election
Members of the House of Representatives work at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The national group Vote Save America — an online voter guide operated by the left-of-center political media company Crooked Media — is partnering with a Utah political action committee to recruit progressive candidates and target certain 'swing' legislative districts currently controlled by Republicans. Vote Save America is partnering with Elevate PAC (which is affiliated with Elevate Campaign strategies, a Utah-based political consulting firm) to 'actively recruit candidates' for the Utah Legislature ahead of the 2026 elections, according to a news release issued Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Backed by an initial $20,000 investment from Vote Save America, Elevate PAC is already recruiting candidates in key swing districts who are ready to bring new energy and leadership to the state Legislature,' the announcement said. The 'targeted' legislative districts include eight seats in the House and two in the Senate, both of which have been dominated by Republicans for decades. All but one district include areas concentrated in Salt Lake County, Utah's most populated county. They include: House District 10, currently held by Rep. Jill Koford, R-Ogden House District 26, currently held by Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City House District 27, currently held by Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns House District 36, currently held by Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville House District 39, currently held by Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan House District 42, currently held by Rep. Clinton Okerlund, R-Sandy House District 43, currently held by Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy House District 44, currently held by Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan Senate District 18, currently held by Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton Senate District 19, currently held by Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper Vote Save America is the political advocacy arm of Crooked Media, a media company founded by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor, who were all aides to former President Barack Obama, according to Influence Watch. The company hosts podcasts including Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It, and encourages listeners to support progressive policies and vote for Democratic candidates. The national group is 'betting on Utah's shifting political landscape,' Tuesday's news release said. 'Long considered safely Republican, Utah is showing signs of becoming competitive in the coming years.' Utah during the 2024 presidential election remained solidly red. About 59.4% voted for President Donald Trump and 37.8% voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to election results. Utah's 2024 election is certified, capping off a 'status quo' year for Republican dominance Democrats have a stronghold in Utah's capital of Salt Lake City and some areas including in Salt Lake County, but they have struggled to gain traction in other parts of the state. 'Utah is uniquely positioned for change,' Shaniqua McClendon, vice president of politics for Crooked Media, said in a prepared statement. 'It's the youngest state in the country, one of the fastest-growing, and the most college-educated red state. No state in the nation has moved further to the left over the past 20 years than Utah. There's an independent streak here that national politics has ignored for too long.' Gabi Finlayson, principal at Elevate PAC, said the partnership with Vote Save America 'gives us the resources and reach to go find the people who've been shut out or ignored — people with real stakes in their communities, not just the usual insiders.' 'This initial $20,000 is going directly toward identifying and vetting potential candidates,' Finlayson said. 'We're grateful to have a national partner that sees Utah the way we do: a real opportunity to build something different, right now. If you've never run for office before, if you've felt written off or overlooked, this is your chance.' Utah Republican Party Chairman Rob Axson did not immediately return a request for comment about the group's targeting of legislative seats currently controlled by Republicans. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The Hill
26-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, but the left will never admit it
There is seemingly no worthwhile accomplishment or good deed authored by President Trump that the left will give him credit for achieving. That in and of itself speaks to the bottomless pits of partisanship and rhetorical poison some have eagerly embraced in the 'Age of Trump.' Unfortunately for the Democratic Party as a whole, such anger-fueled denial has a spillover effect that hurts the party's electoral chances. In speaking with former high-level Democrats, I am told that one of the main reasons Trump sailed to victory last November was because almost the entirety of the Democratic and far-left echo chamber mortgaged its energy and treasure seeking to demonize Trump rather than addressing the solvable real-world problems plaguing their constituents and fellow Americans. But at what cost is this coming to the Democratic Party or, more importantly, Americans looking to it for desperately needed help? Don't take my word for it. Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban recently laid into Democrats for having no policy or strategy beyond 'Trump sucks.' 'We picked the wrong pressure points,' said Cuban on 'Pod Save America.' 'It's just 'Trump sucks.' That's the underlying thought of everything the Democrats do. 'Trump sucks.' Trump says the sky is blue. 'Trump sucks.' That's not the way to win! It's just not! Because it's not about Trump — it's about the people of the United States of America — and what's good for them! And how do you get them to a place where they're in a better position, and it's less stressful for them.' Cuban — who a growing number of Democrats believe might make a credible presidential candidate in 2028 — is correct. When will it be peak 'theater of the absurd' for that echo chamber? When do working-class and disenfranchised Americans once again matter to it? When does national security once again matter to it? When does the performance art — aimed at literally just a few thousand entrenched elites living in bubbles — stop? If you only got yours information from that echo chamber, you would believe that Trump never accomplished anything; never built anything; was never successful; never made a correct decision; and never had a worthwhile instinct. Ever. And that was before he became president. Since Trump became president, inhabitants of that echo chamber have seemingly been in a constant state of rage. One of the issues that has most made them apoplectic is Trump being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Over the last three decades or longer, the Nobel Prize Committee has become for many the poster child for a 'woke,' in-the-tank for the left organization. Especially when it comes to the Peace Prize. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with that, if the committee members admit that they have morphed into a propaganda arm for the far left and its causes. But they won't. Instead, they — like the Pulitzer Prize Committee — proclaim their nonpartisanship while actively discriminating against conservatives or those they perceive to be on the right. In 2015, one of its members, Geir Lundestad — possibly suffering a pang of guilt — had the good grace to admit to a mistake. That mistake being the laughable and sycophantic decision to award President Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for literally doing nothing. Obama had been in office for less than nine months when he got the award. Liberal New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof called it 'premature.' Obama himself felt so self-conscious about getting the award that he gave serious thought to skipping the ceremony. Years later, while giving that 2015 interview, Lundestad said, 'Even many of Obama's supporters believed that the prize was a mistake. In that sense, the committee didn't achieve what it had hoped for.' Well, the committee did achieve what it set out to do, which was to fawn over a far-left president by giving him an award he never earned. It just didn't anticipate the immense blowback and ridicule. Again, it seems that, for the left, Trump should never be given any credit for anything. No matter how patently obvious that he deserves it. Even about keeping the peace and saving lives. For years prior to him becoming president — when many powerful Democrats courted his friendship and money — Trump spoke out against the war in Iraq and the needless waste of lives, something he continued to do as president. Just as he has done about the war in Ukraine. Did those calls against war and to save hundreds of thousands of lives ever register with the Nobel Committee? What about in 2020 when Trump created the Abraham Accords, an agreement that normalized relations between Israel and Arab countries? Again, in 2009, the committee awarded Obama the award for 'his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.' Except, that is not what he did — and yet, he still got the award. Trump established the Abraham Accords — and was ignored by the committee. In 1998, the committee awarded the Peace Prize to John Hume and David Trimble for 'their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland.' Okay, let's compare. Just recently, Trump was instrumental in preventing all-out war between India and Pakistan. Two nuclear-armed nations. Is that more valuable to the world than finding a 'peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland?' Apparently not to the committee. In 2019, the committee awarded the Peace Prize to Abiy Ahmed 'for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea.' Again, earlier this year, Trump brokered a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. While much of the mainstream media sought to bury the accomplishment, surely the committee knew of it. Mark Cuban was correct to call out the Democrats for only having one failed campaign policy. Trump is correct to call out the Nobel Prize Committee for its obvious and shameful bias. Brokering peace and saving lives should always be recognized — no matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican.
