What A Day

The United States Supreme Court sided with Republicans in a decision over South Carolina’s disputed congressional map. Last year, a lower court ruled that the map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander because it “exiled” thousands of Black voters from a district that was becoming increasingly competitive to make it safer for the Republican incumbent. On Thursday, The Supreme Court’s conservative majority reversed that decision in a ruling that will likely make it harder for Black voters to bring racial gerrymandering cases in the future. Marc Elias, longtime attorney for the Democratic Party and founder of the voting rights website Democracy Docket, breaks down some other big, ongoing fights over voting rights heading into the election.And in headlines: The Department of Justice announced it’s suing Live Nation over an alleged monopoly of the entertainment industry, Senate Democrats launched an investigation into a meeting last month between oil companies and former president Donald Trump, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a massive hurricane season this year.Show Notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced plans on Wednesday to fast-track a vote on a bill to protect access to birth control and other contraceptives. It comes the day after former President Donald Trump suggested he would be open to new restrictions, only to backtrack hours later. Longtime Capitol Hill reporter Eugene Scott explains the strategy behind Schumer's fast vote.Kenyan President William Ruto arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit. The White House will host him at an official state dinner tonight, making Ruto the first African leader to have state visit since 2008. We’ll look at what that 16-year gap says about broader U.S. relations on the African continent.And in headlines: The New York Times reports a second right-wing flag was flown at a beach house owned by Justice Samuel Alito, the families of 19 victims of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting sued the school district and nearly 100 police officers for the botched response to the attack, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for a snap general election on July 4.Show Notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Former U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Paul Charlton, discusses the indictment of Rudy Giuliani and others for election scheme in Arizona. UN halts food distribution in Gaza, SC Governor signs anti-trans law, and 'Bridgerton' season 3 breaks records.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor on Monday announced plans to seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and Israel — including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — over their actions during the war in Gaza. Farther east in Iran, the country’s supreme leader looked to project stability after President Ebrahim Raisi and another top official died in a helicopter accident Sunday. Vox foreign affairs reporter Ellen Ioanes explains what’s at stake for both countries amid simmering tensions in the Middle East.And in headlines: Prosectors in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial officially rested their case against the former president, voters in Georgia head to the polls to cast ballots in the state’s primary election, and organizers in Nevada say they’ve gathered more than enough signatures to qualify a ballot referendum that would enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution.Correction: This episode previously stated that Rudy Giuliani was set to testify in Trump’s hush money trial. He’s not set to testify — he was arraigned in Arizona Tuesday.Show Notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

President Joe Biden gave the commencement speech at Morehouse College’s graduation ceremony on Sunday. Some students and faculty at the historically black college in Atlanta protested his presence on campus amid the war in Gaza.Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money case may wind down this week in Manhattan. The prosecution could rest its case as soon as today. Longtime federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann says while Trump could still decide to testify, he likely knows it would be ‘suicide.’And in headlines: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in the country's mountainous northwest, Sunday. Iran state media reported there were 'no survivors,' Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says he'll leave the country's government in June if it doesn't come up with a plan for the war in Gaza, and rapper P. Diddy released an apology after CNN published surveillance video from 2016 of him physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Show Notes:Listen to WAD episode with Morehouse Professor Andrew Douglas https://tinyurl.com/mv5mfyx5What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Exploring the factors behind declining birth rates globally, from historical baby booms to modern societal pressures. Discussing ineffective policies like Romania's abortion ban and the impact of intensive parenting on birth rates. Delving into the complex interplay of birth rates, immigration, and societal challenges in affluent nations.

This week, we saw some big wins in the fight to expand access to the ballot box. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court reinstated a second majority Black congressional district in Louisiana. Earlier in the week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority looked poised to overturn a two-year-old decision banning nearly all absentee ballot drop boxes. Still, a new report from the Brennan Center for Justice shows voters in more than half the states will face new restrictions on voting that weren’t there four years ago. Kareem Crayton, senior director of voting rights and representation at the Brennan Center, gives us the lay of the land on ballot access heading into November.And in headlines: House Republicans moved to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt after the White House blocked the release of audio of President Joe Biden’s interviews with a special counsel over his handling of classified documents, the Supreme Court rebuffed a conservative-backed effort to challenge the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and an Indiana judge says tacos and burritos are legally sandwiches.Show Notes:Brennan Center Voting Laws Roundup: May 2024 https://tinyurl.com/3bp8a5b9What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed to two debates on Wednesday. In agreeing to the debates, Biden and Trump are bucking the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which had been organizing debates since the 80s.U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said this week that the Department of Justice will “aggressively” prosecute anyone who threatens election workers ahead of the 2024 election. The announcement comes as a new poll from the Brennan Center for Justice found that more than half of local election officials are scared for their safety. Alexis Johnson, a former VICE News reporter who covers race, politics, and culture, says despite good intentions, Garland and the DOJ will likely struggle to keep that promise, leaving election workers vulnerable.And in headlines: Inflation dipped slightly in April, the number of Americans who died from a drug overdose decreased for the first time in five years, and a high-level Biden appointee resigned in protest of the U.S.’s continued support for Israel and its war in Gaza.Show Notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whatadayNew York Immigration Coalition https://www.nyic.org/get-involved/

Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen testifies in the hush money trial, while MAGA Republicans defend Trump outside the courtroom. Maryland's future Senate race is set with Alsobrooks and Hogan as candidates, while Blinken reaffirms support for Ukraine. Biden announces higher tariffs on Chinese imports, covering electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors, steel, and aluminum.

Dan Pfeiffer from Pod Save America discusses new polls showing Trump ahead in battleground states and Biden's struggle with young voters. They caution on narrow poll snapshots and its limitations. The episode covers Michael Cohen's trial, state primaries, and Louisiana's abortion pill classification.