The Chuck ToddCast
Full Episode - Bari Weiss Burns The Credibility Of CBS News + The Media Meltdown: AI, Billionaires, and the Collapse of Trust
24 Dec 2025
Chapter 1: What is discussed at the start of this section?
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Chapter 2: How does CBS News's handling of the 60 Minutes episode reflect on media credibility?
Quince is something that in the Todd household, we already go to. Why do we go to Quince? Because it's a place you go where you can get some really nice clothes without the really expensive prices. And one of the things I've been going through as I've transitioned from being Mr. Coat and Tie Guy to wanting a little more casual, but to look nice doing it. is I've become Mr. Quarter Zip Guy.
Well, guess what? Guess who's got amazing amounts of quarter zips? It is Quince.
Chapter 3: What are the implications of Bari Weiss's leadership at CBS News?
I have gotten quite a few already from there. The stuff's really nice. They have Mongolian cashmere sweaters for $50. I just know, hey, cashmere, that's pretty good. You don't normally get that for 50 bucks or less. Italian wool coats that look and feel like designer. The stuff... I'll be honest, right? You look at it online, you think, okay, is this really as nice as it looks?
Well, when I got it, I was like, oh, this is real quality. So yeah, I'm going to end up making sure I take it to my dry cleaner so I don't screw it up when I clean it. But I've been quite impressed. And hey, it's holiday season. It is impossible to shop for For us middle-aged men, I know this. Well, tell your kids, tell your spouses, tell your partners, try Quince.
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Chapter 4: How does the discussion of Trump’s political capital relate to media trust?
Use that code. Well, hello there, and happy Christmas Eve. That's when this episode is dropping. I am recording on Tuesday. Festivus! Right. So it's grievance day, actually, when I'm actually recording this. But you'll be hearing it for the informal start of the Christmas holiday season with with Christmas Eve. So I appreciate it. I'm Chuck Todd. Another episode of the Chuck Todd cast.
If I hadn't said that, get that away. I appreciate it. It's been. I have had a blast these last eight months. We got started, I believe, on April 2nd was our first episode. And this has been just such a joy. So I appreciate it. And, you know, I've scratched itches that I've always wanted to scratch in a semi-public forum. including all of the various sports updates that I enjoy doing.
So let me give you a rundown of this episode. A little bit of reaction of some headlines of the last 48 hours. I want to get to a little bit on Epstein, a little bit on the CBS Mets with 60 Minutes. But a sort of larger view of sort of taking a step back and what has changed in our politics and what actually hasn't changed in the last year. And I want to go through that a little bit.
My interview is with somebody who I just really enjoy talking with, Mike Peska. He is the gist list, former Slate. Many of you are probably listeners. He is somebody that I really have appreciated how he's tried to attack news of the day, current events. He has really tried to attack these stories from the outside looking in, from a more detached way. And we dig into the future of journalism.
We dig into what's going on at CBS, though our conversation happened before this specific incident with 60 Minutes, just to let you know. And then we spend a lot of time on what is this sort of uncomfortable moment we're in, in the gamification of everything, right? Particularly sports and the prediction markets and where this is headed. So In general, I think it's a great conversation.
By the way, if you don't subscribe to the Just List, you should. It's a lot of fun. Even the free version is a lot of fun. He's really good at sort of finding those stories that... that you're not going to get in the headline newsletters that you subscribe to from a news site, right? It's that next story that you're like back in the old days for us old guys here.
It was when you actually read a full newspaper and you're like, oh, I never would have sought that headline out, but I'm glad I read the story. That is what I think Mike's true gift is when it comes to informing people. informing folks on that. I will do some questions. We will have more mailbag. You guys have just a lot of fun and smart questions.
And then I'm going to do a little twist on my little sports page here a little bit, which is frankly trying to help you have the conversation during the holidays with the person that you don't want to talk about current events with, but you figure I got to be a little smarter about sports so you can have fun little storylines where you can just ask a question and let other people talk.
But if it's a way to sort of, you know, how to change a conversation, how to look more fluent in a sports conversation that maybe you don't want to remember, we're going to be we're going to have some tremendous. I mean, there's nothing I love more than these next two weeks, because on a random Tuesday afternoon, you flip on ESPN and there's a bowl game.
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Chapter 5: What are the implications of sports gambling on journalism and public life?
It's terrible.
So where I come down is just because there is junk food doesn't mean there shouldn't be culinary schools. Just because there is pornography doesn't mean we shouldn't teach art or figure drawing in school or even – new drawing on the college level. So I definitely think that this is where the world is today. There's always been panics about technology. I don't know if this is a panic.
There are legitimate concerns, right? The corruption of the innocent was congressional hearings about comic books. I do think that
Video games or Tipper Gore in the music industry. I'm old enough to remember when Twisted Sister was something that our parents thought was warping the minds of people like myself.
Sure. Dee Snider testifying on Capitol Hill in his Twisted Sister regalia.
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Chapter 6: How does AI influence the future of journalism?
Did not wear a suit. Yeah, we did. I also remember Blackie Lawless from a group called Wasp. And I can't even quote on a podcast what his big songs were. But yeah. Yes. So this is a perennial. These are the tools that we use.
Chapter 7: What are the challenges of prediction markets in the current landscape?
I think a flat out ban would not serve our children well, especially as we compete against China and Singapore. But, you know, we saw another version of this where the answer is never just take off the guardrails and trust in technology with the legalization of sports gambling. It has been a disaster.
You went to the place I wanted to go because I want to go to prediction markets here and what CNN and Kalshi are doing, which I think, I say this, I love gambling, Mike. I love football gambling. I have also my own biases about what you should be allowed to gamble on and what you're not allowed to gamble on. For instance, I don't gamble on player props. You know why?
Because I don't feel like it's an honest market. Because at the end of the day, you're relying on one person versus a team sport. Like, I don't like to bet on individual sports. I don't bet on tennis.
Chapter 8: How do historical events shape our understanding of modern politics?
I don't bet on golf. Because, again, one person, you know, it is known that tennis players just take an appearance fee and bail. Right. That is just sort of how it works. And it's like it's like betting on the NBA. What players are sitting out? You know, that's no you know, I enjoy betting on a team sport when I know there's maximum effort. And I know that it's really going to be about.
somewhat of a game of chance, but also a game of strategy. But you're right. Keep going.
It's interesting. The facts are pouring you out. I mean, look at the NBA gambling scandal. Look at the baseball gambling scandal. Why is this offered? Why are you allowed to bet on the first pitch? Yeah. And Emmanuel Class A can throw the ball directly into the dirt and think he's going to get away from with something.
And think about this, right? These guys, some of them, let's say you come from a community that didn't have a lot of money. You don't have enough to throw money around to them, but you want to throw them a bone. All right. You know, I see how these individual players rationalize it. I'm just trying to help on my pals. I want to help them make a couple of bucks.
This is something I can do for them. No harm, no foul. I really think that's the rationalization.
Yeah. The idea was that the gigantic salaries paid to these players would protect or indemnify them from ever being tempted. However, at the same time, people were making these arguments and believing it. They weren't just self-motivated. Yeah. We also know about the gigantic rates of bankruptcy among professional athletes. They don't always take care of their money so well.
So you have guys like Jonte Porter in the NBA who apparently owed a lot of money to a lot of people. And so all he has to do is- claim an injury, take himself out of a game.
And then everyone who bet the unders, which for the audience, I'm sure, you know, it's if you think he's going to get less than four rebounds or less than three assists or whatever the statistic is, if you fake an injury, you're definitely going to get less than that. He has been thrown out of basketball. Terry Rozier is another one who's on the hook.
There's the separate gambling scandal with this is so fascinating. The mafia and, and, uh, some coaches and cards that can be read with essentially x-ray vision. But yeah, the prop bets. Now, I think that the form of let's just get rid of these silly little prop bets that we're not making that much money on, that is... that's the de minimis that they have to do.
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