

What A Day
Crooked Media
If you’re looking for hype, fake outrage, and groupthink, kindly keep moving. Our mission at What a Day is simple: to be your guide to what truly matters each morning (and the fun stuff you might have missed) in just 20 minutes. Host Jane Coaston brings you in-depth reporting and substantive analysis on the big stories shaping today and the creeping trends shaping tomorrow—and when she doesn’t know the answers, she asks someone even smarter to fill us all in. Radical, right? New episodes at 5:00 a.m. EST, Monday–Friday in your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. Being informed was never this easy.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 11, 2021 • 19min
Israel's Attacks On Gaza
Israel carried out air strikes on the Gaza Strip, last night, leading to the deaths of at least 20 people. This was in response to rockets launched by Hamas at Israel, and it marked the most destructive moment stemming from the ongoing conflict in Jerusalem. We discuss the circumstances that produced these violent clashes, as well as the international response.President Biden announced yesterday that he will not put an end to the 300 dollar weekly bonus payments that are currently going to unemployed people, despite Republican calls to do so after a disappointing jobs report last week. Biden did say that workers who turn down jobs comparable to the ones they lost due to the pandemic should be cut off from unemployment benefits.And in headlines: the FDA authorizes a vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds, state AG's oppose Instagram for Kids, and China practices COVID safety on the top of Mount Everest.Show Notes:Al Jazeera: "Twenty Palestinians killed in Israeli air raids on Gaza" – https://bit.ly/3f6XS68For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 10, 2021 • 20min
Waive Of Vaccination with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
With more and more Americans becoming fully vaccinated against COVID-19, officials have signaled a willingness to revise mask wearing rules again for those who have gotten their shots. Globally, the Biden administration has finally gotten behind the idea of waiving patents on vaccines so that generic versions of the drugs can be produced abroad, especially in places that are experiencing extreme surges in coronavirus cases. To answer the most pressing questions we have about this new phase of the pandemic, we spoke with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist, physician, and former health commissioner of Detroit.And in headlines: Israel's Supreme Court delays a decision regarding planned evictions of Palestinian families, a piece of a rocket from China lands in the ocean by the Maldives, and the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby may have been doping.For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 6, 2021 • 17min
The Union Makes U.S. Strong with Sara Nelson
Tomorrow, the National Labor Relations Board is set to hold a hearing into the failed unionization vote of workers at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, with the union that sought to represent the workers alleging foul-play. We spoke with Sara Nelson, head of the Association of Flight Attendants, about the hearing, and the state of the labor movement in the U.S. more generally. Nelson has been a lead figure in supporting Amazon workers and unions across the country.And in headlines: the Biden administration will support waiving patent protections of the COVID-19 vaccines, a judge strikes down the CDC's moratorium on evictions, and a farmer does landscaper's diplomacy on the Franco-Belgian border.Show Notes:Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politicsFor a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 5, 2021 • 20min
Who's Afraid Of Critical Race Theory
After delivering on his promise of 200 million shots in 100 days, President Biden has set a new vaccine target: that 70 percent of the adult population get at least one shot by July 4. The Biden administration also plans to change the way doses are portioned out to states by allowing states to request or reject doses from a central stockpile according to their need. Republican state lawmakers are pushing bills to ban or severely limit the teaching of critical race theory, which is the idea that we should teach American history from a perspective that considers the experiences of people from different races. A lot of this stems from the “1619 Project" by Nikole Hannah-Jones. We discuss the tactics Republican lawmakers are using to keep texts like the “1619 Project” out of schools and what might be motivating their efforts (Hint: it’s racism). And in headlines: new climate normals from NOAA show a warming country, a metro overpass collapses and kills dozens in Mexico City, and Trump launches his blog.Show Notes:NYT: "U.S. Vaccinations Are Slowing. What’s to Blame?" – https://nyti.ms/3eU8bKHShow some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politicsFor a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 4, 2021 • 15min
Vaccine But Not Herd Immunity
Four mothers who had been separated from their children at the border by the Trump administration will finally be reunited with them this week, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas yesterday. These are the first families to be brought together as a result of a task force President Biden created shortly after taking office, and over the next few weeks, an additional 32 families from across Mexico and Central America are set to be reunited.Public health experts think it's unlikely we'll ever reach herd immunity in the U.S., at least not anytime in the foreseeable future, because of factors like more contagious virus variants and vaccine hesitancy.And in headlines: Biden's EPA to cut hydrofluorocarbons, CVS and Walgreens were responsible for the bulk of discarded vaccines, and Bill and Melinda Gates announce their divorce.Show Notes:Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politicsFor a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 3, 2021 • 17min
Pharm-Accountability In The Opioid Crisis
The COVID crisis in India is getting worse by most metrics, with Saturday marking another daily record of new cases. In the U.S., Oregon is emerging as a hotspot. On the brighter side of things, the U.S. vaccination campaign remains extremely successful with over 103 million adults now fully vaccinated.A landmark lawsuit in the decades-long opioid crisis begins today between two communities in West Virginia and the nation's three largest drug distributors. The trial centers around an explosion in opioid prescriptions between 2006 and 2014, and the communities seek $500 million for recovery efforts and resources for those affected.And in headlines: Israel observed a day of mourning following a deadly stampede, Apple and Epic Games face off in court, and a damning confession letter from a political ally of Matt Gaetz.Show Notes:Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politicsFor a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

8 snips
Apr 30, 2021 • 17min
The Fall Of Menthol
The podcast discusses the COVID-19 crisis in India, including the alarming number of deaths and international aid. They also talk about banning menthol in cigarettes, Lady Gaga's dog theft, and disaster girl selling her meme as an NFT for $500,000.

Apr 29, 2021 • 22min
100 Days Of Biden
President Biden gave his first address to Congress last night, themed largely around moving America out of the most difficult stage of the pandemic and approaching a new normal. Part of that has to do with The American Families Plan, a $1.8 trillion program that would pay for two free years of community college, universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds, and more. We go over the main takeaways.Biden timed his speech to come right as he approaches his 100th day in office on Friday, too. To discuss that broader context and what we can learn from Biden's first 100 days, we spoke with Crooked Media's editor-in-chief and host of the podcast Rubicon, Brian Beutler.And in headlines: Mario Gonzalez died after being pinned by police in California, charges for the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery, and the Senate restores Obama-era regulations on methane leaks.Show Notes:Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politicsFor a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 28, 2021 • 20min
CDC What Happens Next
The CDC issued new guidance yesterday that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks outdoors unless they’re gathering in a large crowd, and they can safely enjoy many indoor activities with masks. Of course, the key phrase here is “fully vaccinated." Until you’re pumping COVID antibodies, the CDC continues to recommend masking up in any situation where you’re around other unvaccinated people.Apple released its latest iOS on Monday, introducing a new tool called App Tracking Transparency that makes apps ask permission before sharing your browsing history with advertisers. This is more than a random act of kindness from Tim Cook, though. We discuss the benefits it might pass on to Apple's ad business.And in headlines: autopsy results show that Andrew Brown Jr. was shot in the back of the head by police in North Carolina, Epicurious won't tell you how to cook meat, and a Russian guy is the reluctant star of a Chinese reality show singing contest.Show Notes:CDC: "Choosing Safer Activities" – https://bit.ly/3gEJ01kShow some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politicsFor a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 27, 2021 • 19min
Make It Make Census
The results of the 2020 Census were released yesterday, and they showed that over the past decade, the U.S. population grew by the slowest pace since the 1930s. The results will change how the 435 seats in Congress are allocated, with a handful of states set to gain or lose a seat. We discuss.The Supreme Court will be taking up a case that deals with the rights that people have to carry guns outside their homes for self-defense. They'll also take on a case affecting free speech that began when a teen wrote "F School" in a Snapchat message.And in headlines: the DOJ will investigate the Louisville police department, the Biden administration will give AstraZeneca shots to other countries, and California Governor Gavin Newsom to face a recall election.Show Notes:The Brennan Center: "The Redistricting Landscape, 2021–22" – https://bit.ly/3aHoqcPShow some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politicsFor a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


