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Some CNN staffers skeptical of network’s ‘experiment’ giving Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper a podcast makeover
Loyal CNN viewers and critics alike were taken by surprise last week at the “experimenting” some of its on-air talent dabbled in.
Anderson Cooper began anchoring his primetime show Wednesday from the newsroom instead of his studio, positioning himself at a table normally used as CNN data guru Harry Enten’s work station, Fox News Digital learned.
Cooper has appeared without a jacket and with rolled-up sleeves while speaking into a large desk microphone. And during a panel discussion, he and his guests discussed the Strait of Hormuz with a physical map on the table, a departure from the interactive map Cooper had used earlier in the week.
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On Friday, Jake Tapper anchored the first hour of “The Lead” from his office similarly accompanied with a large microphone on his desk.
“So, you’re probably wondering what’s going on, why we’re in my office for the first hour of ‘The Lead’ today. So, it’s an experiment,” a tieless Tapper told viewers. “This is my actual desk where I do my actual work, not the desk in the studio. And we thought we would bring you into the space where we and my team do our actual journalism and plan the show every day.”
Tapper showcased his office decor filled with memorabilia from losing presidential campaigns while guests of his sat on the couch adjacent to his desk.
While Tapper’s experiment lasted only the first hour of Friday’s show, Cooper’s is ongoing — carrying over into this week.
For some, the image of the large microphones invoked the members of the late CNN icon Larry King or revered broadcaster Edward R. Murrow. But for others, the aesthetic changes were made to have the CNN anchors look more like podcast hosts.
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However, their colleagues say the so-called experiment “didn’t work.”
“Look, I’m all for experimentation. The network has been static for far too long. I applaud the experimentation,” one CNN insider told Fox News Digital. “The question is whether this is the experiment you want to be running? But the good news is that if doesn’t work, you can try something else.”
Regarding CNN’s effort to podcastify their shows, they say talents like Cooper and Tapper don’t fit the mold.
“You need looser personalities, not just looser sets,” the network staffer said.
A second CNN staffer says the changes that were made on Cooper and Tapper’s shows were an attempt by CNN at “being something we aren’t.”
“Podcasts are a place people go not because of the look, but because of the product,” they said. “Joe Rogan, as the obvious example, is all opinion. He’s smart and all those great things, but ultimately he’s not trying to be a journalist.”
“There’s room for that on primetime, on cable, including CNN,” they continued. “But Jake, what he is, is not what podcasts are. Anderson? He has a very successful podcast. But Anderson — the news anchor — that’s a different thing. There is room for many things. TV isn’t podcast, even though podcast has video.”
Not everyone soured on Cooper and Tapper’s on-air experiment. A third CNN staffer told Fox News Digital they “liked” what the anchors have done. Former CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza applauded his ex-employer for trying out different formats.
“Would you rather them keep doing the same old, same old that isn’t working?” Cillizza asked on X.
However, defenders were outnumbered by critics who mocked Cooper and Tapper. Liberal journalist Taylor Lorenz reacted, “This is so funny what the hell are they doing,” while The Bulwark’s Tim Miller joked, “Looking forward to @JohnBerman from the bathroom stall.”
CNN did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
CNN’s podcast-tinged tweaks come with network on the brink of new ownership, as Paramount’s $111 billion offer to take over Warner Bros. Discovery moves forward. And as a result, Paramount owner David Ellison would oversee two struggling news organizations: CNN and CBS News.
There has been speculation whether Ellison would appoint Bari Weiss, his hand-picked editor in chief of CBS News, to also take over CNN. While broadcast news was something Weiss had no prior experience in, she certainly knows a thing or two about podcasts.
Weiss entered the podcast world in 2021 as host of “Honestly,” and her digital publication The Free Press, which Ellison acquired for $150 million, produces several other podcasts. But CNN staffers are dreading the prospect of Weiss becoming their new boss.
Likely adding to the anxiety of CNN’s newsroom is the support Ellison has received from the Trump administration. Earlier this month, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth scolded the network for what he called an “unserious” report suggesting the administration underestimated the effect its war with Iran would have on the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
Ellison vowed CNN will maintain editorial independence if the Paramount takeover happens.
The crystal-clear blue waters of the Bahamas, a paradise for tourists, are also home to sharks — and a new study suggests these sharks are being exposed to drugs.
Researchers in Brazil and Chile analyzed 85 sharks for the presence of caffeine, cocaine and painkillers.
The study titled, “Drugs in Paradise,” was published by scientists in Brazil and Chile in the journal Environmental Pollution.
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Of the 85 sharks analyzed, containments of emerging concern (CECs) — such as caffeine, cocaine, and painkillers — were detected in 28 sharks off the coast of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of caffeine and acetaminophen detected in any shark species worldwide, and the first report of diclofenac and cocaine in sharks from The Bahamas, an environment commonly described as pristine,” the study noted.
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Scientists analyzed serum samples of tiger sharks, blacktip sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, Atlantic nurse sharks and lemon sharks.
“Pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs are increasingly recognized as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in marine environments, particularly in areas undergoing rapid urbanization and tourism-driven development,” the study’s abstract noted.
In 2025, 12.5 million people visited the Bahamas, according to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.
The researchers concluded the sharks with CECs showed altered triglycerides, urea and lactate levels.
Lead researcher and Federal University of Paraná biologist Natascha Wosnick told Science News currents could have transported drug traces from sewage or other sources — but divers are the more likely source.
“It’s mostly because people are going there, peeing in the water and dumping their sewage in the water,” said Wosnick.
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She also said, “The [sharks] bite things to investigate and end up exposed.”
Past studies have focused primarily on the effects of drugs on invertebrates and bony fish, “but sharks — important players in ocean ecosystems — have been largely left out,” said Smithsonian magazine.
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The new data also showed that the sharks with contaminated blood “had changes in some biological markers, which can point to how tissues are functioning. Though the researchers don’t know if the alterations are detrimental, the team says they could lead to behavioral changes,” the same source noted.
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Patriots star appears to show support for ex-Bulls player after rant against NBA’s Pride Month celebration
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson appeared to come out in support of former Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey, who was released following his rant against the NBA’s Pride Month.
Ivey posted his rant on social media on Monday. He said it was “unrighteousness” that the league would celebrate Pride Month. Henderson responded to news of his release with a Bible passage.
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“’Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven,’ Matthew 5:10,” the second-year NFL player wrote on X.
Ivey has been posting similar videos with rants in recent weeks, as the 24-year-old has noted in the past he deals with depression.
“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey said in his latest video. “They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim in the streets. Unrighteousness. So, how is it that one can’t speak righteousness? Who are they to say that this man is crazy?”
Ivey said in a separate video that Catholicism was a false religion.
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Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said the organization has employees from “all different walks of life” and Ivey’s comments didn’t reflect the values of the franchise.
“Everybody comes with their own personal experiences, but one is we’ve got to all be professional,” Donovan said prior to Chicago’s game at San Antonio. “I think there’s got to be a high level of respect for one another, and we’ve got to help each other and then be accountable to those standards.”
Ivey has spoken out this season about dealing with depression. He recently started posting lengthy videos about his thoughts on religion on social media.
“I don’t want to get into what he put out there, but certainly, I hope for him he’s okay,” Donovan said. “I’ve had conversations with Jaden and he’s always been about rehabbing his knee and trying to get on the court and wanting to play. But I think organizationally, there are certain standards we want to have as an organization and try to live up to those each and every day.”
Fox News’ Scott Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
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Outrage grows as ICE detainer ignored in connection to killing of 24-year-old mother and more top headlines
1. Outrage grows as ICE detainer ignored in connection to killing of 24-year-old mother
2. President Trump shares video showing massive military strike in Iran at night
3. Teen mob storms neighborhood mall as viral ‘takeover’ erupts in total chaos
ARTISTIC CONTROVERSY — Mayor calls Ukrainian refugee tribute mural ‘divisive’ after train stabbing death. Continue reading …
DOUBLE ENFORCEMENT — ICE busts MS-13 gang member and child predators while helping TSA out. Continue reading …
COLD PURSUIT — Nancy Grace slams sheriff’s handling of Guthrie case. Continue reading …
HIKING HORROR — Woman dies after plunging from 60-foot cliff at popular national park. Continue reading …
CELEBRITY FLYOVER — Army probes Apache helicopters hovering over Kid Rock’s pool in Nashville. Continue reading …
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MILITARY SHAKEUP — Pentagon cites ‘meritocracy’ as reported officer promotion removals draw Dem criticism. Continue reading …
NATO RIFT — Key US ally blocks airspace to military flights over Iran, escalating Trump standoff. Continue reading …
VACATION’S OVER — White House calls for Senate to return from recess to pass DHS funding. Continue reading …
FISCAL FIGHT — House Speaker Mike Johnson’s allies unleash $10M campaign to spotlight Trump tax cuts. Continue reading …
NARRATIVE CONTROL — Detransitioner Chloe Cole accuses media of ‘trying to suppress’ coverage of transgender shooters. Continue reading …
PAPER SHREDDED — Trump admin official shreds NY Times over multiple corrections to report on Silicon Valley initiative. Continue reading …
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS — Dem strategists say ‘it has to be a White guy’ for 2028 presidential race: report. Continue reading …
FAMILY FEUD — ‘The View’ hosts blast conservative influencer who urged women to have more kids. Continue reading …
HUGH HEWITT — Morning Glory: President Trump is on the cusp of a historic achievement. Continue reading …
RILEY GAINES — Olympics finally picks biology over ideology to save women’s sports. Continue reading …
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TAG TEAMING — Amazon and Delta partner to launch faster, cheaper in-flight Wi-Fi to flyers. Continue reading …
NOBLE NO MORE — Sarah Ferguson’s ‘fall from grace’ deepens as York strips title under Epstein-linked scrutiny. Continue reading …
AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on steakhouse standards and March Madness. Take the quiz here …
MARINE MENACE — Study finds cocaine, caffeine and painkillers in systems of Bahamas reef sharks. Continue reading …
FEARLESS PROTECTOR — House cat goes up against two uninvited guests. See video …
STEPHEN A. SMITH — Newsom prioritizes trolling Trump over governing. See video …
NATE FRIEDMAN — There is real, serious money behind the ‘No Kings’ protests. See video …
Tune in to hear how early speculation is shaping the field for the next presidential race and which party may hold the advantage. Check it out …
What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…
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