Welcome to Axis ProRodda, a podcast that takes just 10 minutes to get you smarter on the collision of tech, business, and politics.

I'm Dan Pramak. On today's show, another crazy day for marijuana stocks and the highly unusual way that Fox and Comcast plan to settle their European takeover battle. But first,

Taxes. When Republicans passed their massive tax cut plan late last year, they thought it was a

sure-fire political winner. The sort of thing that would ensure they keep the Senate and probably

the House too, and maybe even bump up President Trump's approval ratings by a couple points.

After all, who doesn't like keeping a bit more of their take home?

Plus, there were all those stories about companies cutting $1,000 bonus checks because of the

tax cuts, and businesses promised to use some of the savings to increase wages and hire more people.

Yeah, sure, there were folks concerned about long-term issues like

ballooning deficits, but that's really a beltway conversation. For mom and pop America,

this was supposed to be electoral catnip. But we're now less than seven weeks out from the

midterm elections, and Republicans are feeling whiplash. The tax cuts in short aren't popular.

The real clear polling average for them is just 39% approve and 42% disapprove.

We don't know for sure why that is, but it probably has something to do with how wage

growth hasn't risen anywhere nearly as fast as corporate profits or stock prices have risen,

with lots of the savings being used for things like share buybacks

that only benefit a relatively select few. Just to repeat, most Americans wish tax cuts didn't

happen, even though they are the signature Republican legislative accomplishment since Trump

took office. And, as you'd imagine, Democrats have taken notice and are using this in their campaigns.

In 15 seconds, we'll go deeper on tax cuts and other things, D.C.

with Axios executive editor Mike Allen.

But first, this.

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