Ted Cruz hosts a podcast for free — a Ted Cruz super PAC gets paid

/ Plus, podcasting finally gets some new M&A.

By Ariel Shapiro, lead reporter of Hot Pod, a newsletter covering podcasting and the audio industry. She previously worked at Forbes, where she covered media and entertainment.

Photo by Nathan Howard / Getty Images

This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more.

I hope you all had a great weekend/eclipse/first moment of NYC sunshine. Today, I’ve got a look at Ted Cruz’s eyebrow-raising arrangement with iHeart and news on two new acquisitions. Let’s get into it.

iHeart doesn’t pay Ted Cruz for hosting Verdict. It pays a Ted Cruz super PAC.

This is certainly one way to raise

→ Continue reading at The Verge