We Feed Billionaires' Egos While Children Starve in Our Schools
03/24/25 • 7 min
The inaugural episode of "From the Recliner Podcast" confronts an unconscionable reality in modern America: children are going hungry in the world's wealthiest nation. Host Tyler delivers a raw, passionate examination of how, despite our immense national resources, we've allowed hunger to return to our classrooms at alarming rates.
With righteous anger and a father's perspective, Tyler breaks down recent reporting showing how teachers across the country are witnessing students arrive at school hungry again—a stark contrast to the pandemic era when expanded SNAP benefits and universal free school meals successfully reduced child hunger nationwide. These temporary solutions proved effective, yet were dismantled, leaving vulnerable children to suffer the consequences.
The podcast takes listeners through heart-wrenching examples of educators becoming the last line of defense—keeping crackers in desk drawers, discretely slipping food into backpacks, and watching as hungry students struggle to concentrate through hunger-induced headaches. But this isn't just a story about suffering; it's a call to recognize that feeding children isn't partisan politics—it's basic human decency and sound economic policy.
States like California, Maine, and Minnesota have already implemented universal school meal programs with remarkable results: improved attendance, better academic performance, and children who can finally focus on learning rather than their empty stomachs. Tyler challenges listeners to reject the false choice between fiscal responsibility and feeding hungry kids, emphasizing that "charity is not a substitute for policy." Call your representatives, support local food security initiatives, and most importantly, refuse to look away from this solvable crisis. As Tyler puts it: "Don't get numb, don't get quiet, and don't get used to this. Get angry, get organized, and stay in the fight."
Follow Tyler on Bluesky at @tylerwoodward.com 🦋
The inaugural episode of "From the Recliner Podcast" confronts an unconscionable reality in modern America: children are going hungry in the world's wealthiest nation. Host Tyler delivers a raw, passionate examination of how, despite our immense national resources, we've allowed hunger to return to our classrooms at alarming rates.
With righteous anger and a father's perspective, Tyler breaks down recent reporting showing how teachers across the country are witnessing students arrive at school hungry again—a stark contrast to the pandemic era when expanded SNAP benefits and universal free school meals successfully reduced child hunger nationwide. These temporary solutions proved effective, yet were dismantled, leaving vulnerable children to suffer the consequences.
The podcast takes listeners through heart-wrenching examples of educators becoming the last line of defense—keeping crackers in desk drawers, discretely slipping food into backpacks, and watching as hungry students struggle to concentrate through hunger-induced headaches. But this isn't just a story about suffering; it's a call to recognize that feeding children isn't partisan politics—it's basic human decency and sound economic policy.
States like California, Maine, and Minnesota have already implemented universal school meal programs with remarkable results: improved attendance, better academic performance, and children who can finally focus on learning rather than their empty stomachs. Tyler challenges listeners to reject the false choice between fiscal responsibility and feeding hungry kids, emphasizing that "charity is not a substitute for policy." Call your representatives, support local food security initiatives, and most importantly, refuse to look away from this solvable crisis. As Tyler puts it: "Don't get numb, don't get quiet, and don't get used to this. Get angry, get organized, and stay in the fight."
Follow Tyler on Bluesky at @tylerwoodward.com 🦋
Previous Episode
From the Recliner Trailer
You’ve had enough. You’re tired of the same old political circus, the back-and-forth between left and right, the empty promises, the hollow words. You want real change. You want to be heard. I’m Tyler Woodward, and this is...
From The Recliner.
I’m not here for the elites or the talking heads. I’m here for the people who don’t have a voice anymore. For the ones stuck in the grind, working full-time jobs and still barely scraping by. For those who see a broken system and don’t want to hear another politician talk about “culture wars.”
We’re not left, we’re not right—we’re the ones left behind. The middle class is disappearing, and we’re getting fed up. It’s time to stop pretending things are okay, because they’re not.
From the people who can’t afford to pay their bills, to those who work two or three jobs just to make ends meet—this podcast is for YOU. For the ones who just want to survive, to make a decent life, and stop being ignored by the people we elect. You deserve more than a broken system.
So tune in every week for the truth, the hard-hitting facts, and the conversation that needs to be heard. No sides, no BS—just real talk for the real people.
From The Recliner. Your voice, your issues, your truth.
Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow Tyler on Bluesky at @tylerwoodward.com 🦋
Next Episode
Putin's Gift: How Trump Dismantled Voice of America
Democracy dies not with a bang, but with the quiet dismantling of institutions most Americans never think about. Voice of America—created during World War II to counter fascist propaganda and broadcast truth into authoritarian regimes—is being systematically gutted while few are paying attention.
The Trump administration's appointees have launched what can only be described as a hostile takeover of one of America's last independent federal broadcasters. Journalists are being replaced with loyalists. Programming is being scrubbed. Independent voices are being silenced. This isn't about efficiency or reform—it's about control and the transformation of a truth-telling institution into a propaganda arm for a single leader's narrative.
What makes this particularly alarming is the global context. While America voluntarily silences its own international voice, Russia continues expanding RT (Russia Today) and China aggressively pushes state propaganda throughout developing regions. The playbook is recognizable to anyone who's studied authoritarian systems: discredit independent journalism, replace professionals with loyalists, control the narrative, and eventually transform an independent institution into a mouthpiece. The pattern mirrors steps seen in Russia under Putin—attack journalists, destroy independent media, flood the public square with lies, and ensure only one voice dominates.
The relative silence surrounding this development should concern everyone who values democracy. While federal broadcasting may be compromised, we still have our voices through independent media, podcasts, and conversations. Talk about what's happening to Voice of America with friends and family. Post articles, call representatives, and refuse to normalize this authoritarian behavior through silence or resignation. The battle for America's voice isn't just about one institution—it's about preserving the democratic principles that make independent institutions possible in the first place.
Follow Tyler on Bluesky at @tylerwoodward.com 🦋
Fully Modulated - We Feed Billionaires' Egos While Children Starve in Our Schools
Transcript
It .
Speaker 1It is from the Recliner Podcast . My name's Tyler . Welcome to the show .
Speaker 1I'm a progressive dad , a voter , a human being sitting here with a heavy heart
Speaker 1and a whole lot of damn anger today .
Speaker 1If you like this episode you’ll love
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