The Cut Sheet Opens With Howard Stern’s Reduced Schedule

the Cut Sheet opens with Howard Stern’s one-day schedule and the staffing costs behind major radio and television programs. Kaitlan Collins appears with Jon Stewart to answer Trump’s remarks at the correspondents’ dinner, and we debate her reaction, Trump’s humor and the appeal of his unscripted style. Polling then shows broad doubt about the Iran war while Republicans still hold an edge on the issue. We connect those numbers to Trump’s blunt communication, Democratic reliance on abortion messaging, presidential approval and the usual midterm penalty for the party in power. Pennsylvania’s 7th District takes center stage as Ryan Mackenzie faces Bob Brooks. We discuss Josh Shapiro and Hakeem Jeffries appearing in the Lehigh Valley, the district’s national importance and the money and door-knocking effort needed to win it. The conversation then shifts to a petition from September 11 families seeking to keep Mamdani away from the 25th-anniversary ceremony and his pledge to attend. We share our memories of September 11, consider why younger voters feel more distance from the attacks and debate how affordability can outweigh concerns about a candidate’s record. Old footage leads us through Trump’s claims about Ground Zero and an interview recorded soon after the attacks. The hour closes with tanmaxxing, sunscreen habits, a 16-year-old Santa Cruz lifeguard saving a child in giant waves and Dr. Craig Wax recounting the charity bike ride and his stop to aid an injured cyclist.