What A Day

On today’s show, we are diving into the tough week our commander in chief just had. From MMA fights no one seems very excited about… to the potential end of warrantless surveillance because of an unpopular Trump hire, our dear president has been taking some big losses. Oh, and not to mention, the war with Iran is still going on. But Trump doesn’t seem to care about any of it! So to talk more about Donald Trump’s apparent case of senioritis, we called up Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark Podcast.And in headlines: Elon Musk becomes the world’s first trillionaire, a poll finds Trump is losing favor with Independents, and a federal judge agrees to extend a court-ordered block on Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund.Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The World Cup is the biggest annual sporting event in the world. And the first game is tomorrow. This year’s competition is being hosted by three countries for the first time: the US, Canada, and Mexico. Already, fans of Argentina, Cote d’Ivoire, and other countries have flooded social media with their journeys to watch their favorite teams play. But with the World Cup, as with most things, comes… a lot of politics. We spoke with Bill Connelly to find out how politics is impacting the event. He’s a staff writer for ESPN covering soccer and college football.And in headlines, Trump continues to threaten Iran, inflation hits its highest in three years, and Democrats “nominate the guy with the nazi tattoo” in the Maine Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.Show Notes: Check out Bill's work – https://tinyurl.com/mvt45rea Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Maine voters will head to the polls tomorrow to decide who will take on five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins. And somehow, Graham Platner still has a sizable lead in the Democratic primary. You probably know a few things about the presumptive Democratic nominee for Maine’s Senate seat. He served in the Marine Corps and now runs an oyster farm. And you’ve probably heard a lot of other things about Platner over the last few weeks – like about a Nazi tattoo, or his allegedly abusive behavior towards past romantic partners. None of the new information is good. But will it matter to Maine voters? And more importantly, should it? To find out, we spoke with Jon Lovett. He’s co-host of Crooked Media’s Pod Save America.And in headlines, President Donald Trump abruptly ends his interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Iran and Israel trade fire for the first time since the U.S. agreed to a ceasefire with Tehran, and Chinese President Xi Jinping visits North Korea for the first time in seven years.Show Notes: Check out Pod Save America – www.youtube.com/@podsaveamerica Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

CBS News, under the leadership of Bari Weiss, continues to devolve into chaos. On Tuesday, CBS News fired longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley. It came a day after Pelley reportedly said Weiss was "murdering the show" and accused its new producer of having "slender qualifications" for the job. Here to talk about it all is Jeremy Barr, media reporter for The Guardian US.And in headlines, the House for the first time Wednesday approves a war powers resolution that would halt the US military action against Iran, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testifies on Capitol Hill, and just how rich is Elon Musk? Tune in to find out.Show Notes: Check out Jeremy's work – theguardian.com/profile/jeremy-barr Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

California politics is experiencing a rare moment on the national stage as wacky candidates and local scandals have become a microcosm for the country as a whole, as well as a potential preview of what November’s midterms have in store. We talk to KQED’s Marisa Lagos about what the hell is going on with California politics right now.And in headlines, primary season kicks off nationwide, Trump's Iran War negotiations hit another setback, an appeals court rules Trump's ban on transgender troops illegal, the White House temporarily pauses its slush fund for Trump's political allies, and several states extend bar and restaurant hours for the World Cup.Show Notes: Check out Marisa's work – www.kqed.org/author/mlagos Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

President Donald Trump's immigration policies haven't been getting much attention lately. But don't be fooled — the immigration detention industrial complex hasn't slowed down. One infamous facility in Florida, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," is reportedly closing. Katie Blankenship is an attorney representing immigrants across the country – including some who have been detained at "Alligator Alcatraz". Jane talked about what she's hearing from her clients and what you need to know about the immigrant experience in America right now.And in headlines, former First Lady Jill Biden admits she thought President Joe Biden was having a stroke during that debate, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent thinks it's totally normal to put Trump's face on a 250-dollar bill, and Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene vacation in Costa Rica with their partners.Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

You know, President Donald Trump's 1.776 billion-dollar MAGA slush fund? The fund is intended for victims of "DOJ weaponization," like the January 6 insurrectionists Trump pardoned. Shockingly, very few people support it. And now former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and a colleague, actual victims of the January 6 insurrection, are suing the Trump administration to put a stop to this fund. Jane speaks with Dunn about the slush fund, his lawsuit, and why it's so important to him to stand up for what actually happened that day.And in headlines: Trump has yet another physical, Republicans' redistricting war takes a hit, and the Trump administration thinks it may be a good idea to have federal employees sign NDAs. Just in case...Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Republicans had a filibuster-proof immigration bill that would allocate $70 billion to immigration enforcement and fully reopen the Department of Homeland Security. But then, Trump got involved. First, he wanted $1 billion for "security" for his beloved beautiful ballroom. Then, the Department of Justice announced that $1.776 billion slush fund for Trump's allies. After Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Senate Republicans to make the case for the slush fund on Thursday, everyone got so mad that Senate Majority Leader John Thune gave up on getting a vote together for the immigration bill and sent everyone home for the holiday. To unpack the reconciliation bill mess, we spoke to Pennsylvania Democratic Representative Brendan Boyle. He's the ranking member of the House Budget Committee.And in headlines, Iran is reportedly reviewing the U.S.'s latest peace proposal, the Trump administration eases restrictions on planet-warming "super pollutants" used in air conditioners and refrigerators, and the Democratic National Committee finally releases its autopsy of the 2024 election.Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The World Health Organization met on Tuesday in Switzerland to discuss a deadly outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. According to the WHO, the outbreak, which has killed more than 130 people and infected more than 500, could last for months. Those numbers could be much, much higher than what they've been able to report. The Ebola outbreak comes in the midst of another deadly health crisis you've probably heard a lot about: hantavirus. It's part of a family of extremely dangerous viruses that are primarily spread by rats and mice. As all this is going on, you're probably wondering who's running the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? And who is currently the Surgeon General of the United States? The answer to both? Currently, no one has been confirmed by the Senate. To find out more about what's happening with America's public health system, we spoke with Apoorva Mandavilli. She's a science and global health reporter at the New York Times.And in headlines, President Donald Trump shows off the White House ballroom construction site, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche sits for a Congressional hearing, and guess who's making a lot of money trading stocks? You're not going to like the answer.Show Notes: Check out Apoorva's work – www.nytimes.com/by/apoorva-mandavilli Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

It's rather obvious Americans have not exactly been … cheerful for the last few years. And it's showing up in the data – the General Social Survey, the Consumer Sentiment Survey from the University of Michigan, the World Happiness Report, and even the Federal Reserve all report that Americans are less happy than they were a decade ago. Whether that's with their jobs, the economy, the state of the world – no matter the metric, Americans are not having it. To find out why we're feeling down, we spoke with Derek Thompson. He's the co-author of the book "Abundance," and he writes a popular Substack called, well, Derek Thompson.And in headlines, President Donald Trump is once again threatening Iran via Truth Social, House Speaker Mike Johnson talks about the administration's priorities, and Taiwan's president stresses the importance of arms purchases from the United States.Show Notes: Check out Derek's piece –https://tinyurl.com/zzsjpf7a Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais last month dismantled a critical portion of the Voting Rights Act. And since then, a slew of states — largely in the South — have moved to redraw voting maps. In doing so, they’re eliminating majority-Black voting districts. There are not many people who have done more to fight for Black voting power and for the rights of Black voters in the South than Stacey Abrams, host of Crooked Media’s Assembly Required. So we talked to her about the racist implications of Louisiana vs. Callais and where we go from here.And in headlines, Senate Republicans once again block legislation that would halt President Donald Trump’s war of choice with Iran, Vice President JD Vance takes more steps in the administration’s anti-fraud initiative, and a Politico analysis finds that the Trump administration has lost in court more than 10,000 times in ICE detention decisions.Show Notes: Check out Stacey's podcast – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The impact of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes has been felt in so many places, from the halls of Congress to the royal families of Britain and Norway. Here in the U.S., it’s taken the work of student journalists to uncover the worrying details about Epstein’s hidden relationship with another important institution: Harvard University. Epstein didn’t go to Harvard (actually, he didn’t graduate from college at all). But back in 2020, Harvard released a report aiming to detail its relationship with Epstein, including the millions of dollars he donated to the university. As journalist Pablo Torre and student journalists at the Harvard Crimson discovered, Harvard was actually keeping a lot of secrets about its relationship with the convicted sex offender. We spoke with Torre about his investigation and what he wants Harvard to do now.And in headlines, President Donald Trump participates in a Maternal Healthcare Event in the Oval Office, the Supreme Court is leaving access to a widely used abortion pill untouched until at least Thursday, and the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner pleads not guilty.Show Notes: Check out Pablo's podcast – https://tinyurl.com/yjn2ndp2 Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday