Aug 18, 2026 · 60 min
Tariff refunds, border walls and screens expose policy tradeoffs
8/18/26: Tariff Refunds Boost Corporations, MAGA Sheriffs Revolt On Border Wall, Screens Ruining Education
The episode connects corporate windfalls, environmental conflict and classroom technology to broader questions about who benefits from public policy.
- 1Tariff refunds may reward corporations without bringing consumer prices down.
- 2Big Bend border-wall construction faces environmental damage and local political opposition.
- 3Jared Cooney Horvath argues schools should demand evidence before expanding classroom technology.
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Horvath distinguishes classroom technology from broader screen use and recommends keeping learning activities analog until digital tools prove their value.
The brief
Krystal and Saagar argue tariff refunds could enrich companies that passed higher costs to consumers, while prices remain unchanged after the tariffs disappear.
They extend the argument to proposed home-sale tax changes and weakened beneficial-ownership rules, saying both could favor affluent owners and enable fraud.
Isaac Saul reports that border-wall construction around Big Bend has drawn environmental and political opposition, including resistance from Texas officials and local residents.
Jared Cooney Horvath argues that screen-based learning can weaken attention, memory and comprehension, while acknowledging that technology’s effects are difficult to isolate statistically.
His practical proposal is deliberately low-tech: audit classroom tools, print learning materials and require evidence that educational technology improves outcomes before expanding it.
Featuring
Jared Cooney Horvath
Ike Saul
The Digital Delusion
Donald John Trump
United StatesBooks & mentions
Listen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.