

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

Jul 20, 2023 • 18min
Bringing SCOTUS Up To Code
The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on a bill today that would impose a code of ethics on the Supreme Court. While Democrats say the move is necessary in light of recent reports about Justice Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito's relationship with GOP mega donors, the legislation is unlikely to become law due to strong opposition from Republicans.Private health insurance companies have denied millions of requests for care from Medicaid recipients with little to no oversight, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Its inspector general found high rates of denials for lower-income patients, but many states don't review – or even collect – data on such refusals.And in headlines: Stanford University’s president will resign following an investigation into his past research, Phoenix, Arizona logged its 20th consecutive day of temperatures over 110 degrees, and the ACLU asked a federal judge to transfer juvenile prisoners out of Louisiana's notorious Angola prison amid brutal summer heat.Show Notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 19, 2023 • 19min
Indictments Come In Threes
Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he received another "target letter" from the Justice Department, this time, saying he could face a federal indictment over his bid to overturn the results of the 2020 election. While the exact charges were not immediately clear, it indicates that Trump could soon face his third criminal indictment this year.Alabama Republicans on Monday proposed a redrawn Congressional map that ignores a Supreme Court mandate to create a second majority-Black district. Lawmakers have until Friday to adopt a new map that doesn’t dilute the power of Black voters.And in headlines: Michigan’s attorney general announced charges for 16 alleged “fake electors” for Donald Trump, SAG-AFTRA said internet influencers need to think twice before they hype-up any upcoming movies or shows, and the FDA approved a new antibody to protect newborn babies from RSV.Show Notes:SAG-AFTRA: FAQs for Influencers – https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/influencer-faqsWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 18, 2023 • 20min
Crimea River
On Monday, explosives damaged a key bridge connecting the Russian mainland and Crimean Peninsula. Russia blamed Ukrainian forces for the deadly attack on the Kerch Bridge, and Russia soon after said it would halt its participation in the Black Sea grain deal.Donald Trump’s legal team is heading back to court today for a pre-trial hearing in the former president’s classified documents case. The hearing could shine a light on how Judge Aileen Cannon plans to handle the case, and whether the trial will begin before or after the 2024 election.And in headlines: an Iowa judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the state’s new six-week abortion ban, House Democrats unveiled a new resolution to censure Republican George Santos, and more employers in the U.S. are ditching marijuana drug tests for new hires.Show Notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 17, 2023 • 18min
Flamin' Hot Climate
More than 100 million people across the United States were under excessive heat warnings and advisories over the weekend, and more than 55 million people are expected to experience high temperatures reaching or exceeding 100 degrees this week. And another, separate heat wave is expected to broil southern Europe in the coming days.On Saturday, the crowd of 2024 presidential candidates were required to file campaign finance reports with federal regulators. Former President Donald Trump, who leads the Republican field in polling, reported $22.5 million in cash on hand at the end of June. His main rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, brought in about $20 million in the second quarter, but has already burned through nearly half of it.And in headlines: Iowa has become the 15th state to ban most abortions after six-weeks, Texas is being sued over its ban on TikTok, and Elon Musk confirmed that Twitter's ad revenue has dropped by nearly 50%.Show Notes:HEAT.gov: National Integrated Heat Health Information System – https://www.heat.gov/What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 14, 2023 • 18min
Opill Goes OTC
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States. The landmark move could help make contraception more accessible across the country at a time when access to birth control and abortion is being restricted.The Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. In a 20-page demand letter sent to the company this week, the FTC said it was investigating if OpenAI “engaged in unfair or deceptive practices” that could harm consumers, including reputational harm.And in headlines: Hollywood actors are officially on strike, Fox News is facing a new defamation lawsuit from a Trump supporter who attended the January 6th riots, and a group of families and doctors are suing Texas over the state’s new law banning gender-affirming care for minors.Show notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram –https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 13, 2023 • 27min
Two Strikes, We're Out
160,000 Hollywood actors are poised to strike Thursday, joining WGA members on the picket lines in what could be the first double strike in more than 60 years. This all comes as this year’s coveted Emmy nominations were announced Wednesday morning, further cementing 2023 as a fraught year for the entertainment industry that is already without 11,000 of its writers.A major heat wave has settled in across the South and Southwestern United States, with temperatures in the triple digits from California to Texas to Florida. Climate scientists have said record temperatures and heat waves will keep happening as this planet continues to get warmer.And in headlines: Reproductive rights groups are suing Iowa after the state passed a six-week abortion ban, the Justice Department said that Trump can be held liable for comments he made about E. Jean Carroll while acting as president, and the United Auto Workers union said its members are prepared to strike if automakers don’t meet their demands for a new labor agreement.Show notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram –https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 12, 2023 • 21min
Swedening The Deal
Leaders of the 31 NATO nations gathered in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday for the first day of the annual summit to discuss potentially admitting Ukraine and Sweden into the alliance. NATO leaders said they will invite Ukraine to join their alliance when “conditions are met,” and Turkey cleared the way for Sweden to join NATO.SAG-AFTRA members could be joining Hollywood writers on the picket lines as soon as Thursday if they fail to reach an agreement with AMPTP by Wednesday at midnight. If a deal is not reached, it would mark the first time both actors and writers are striking in 63 years.And in headlines: Donald Trump’s lawyers requested an indefinite delay in his classified documents case, workers at Sega’s North American branch voted to unionize, and Britney Spears’ tell-all memoir is coming to a bookstore near you this fall.Show notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 11, 2023 • 21min
A Breath Of Fresh Mondaire
Former U.S. Congressman Mondaire Jones is once again running for Congress in New York’s 17th district, a seat he previously held and lost after redistricting changed his reelection plans. We’re joined by the former congressman to talk about his comeback bid, his connection to New York’s Hudson Valley, and more.And in headlines: intense rain and flooding across the globe has left dozens of people missing or dead, the New York Times has announced plans to shut down its sports desk, and trans people in Kansas can no longer change the sex listed on their driver's license.Show notes:Mondaire For Congress - https://mondaireforcongress.com/What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 10, 2023 • 19min
Clarence The Big Red Flag
A New York Times report published Sunday revealed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s involvement in the exclusive Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. According to the The Times, Justice Thomas’s three decade membership granted him access to benefits – many unreported – from wealthy members and friends.Last Friday, the Dutch government collapsed after the parties in its ruling coalition failed to agree on migration policy. A general election will be held this fall, and in the meantime, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his government will continue operating in a caretaker capacity.And in headlines: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale civil war, Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth can take effect immediately, and Tracy Chapman has made music history.Show notes:New York Times: Where Clarence Thomas Entered an Elite Circle and Opened a Door to the Court - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/09/us/clarence-thomas-horatio-alger-association.htmlWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Jul 7, 2023 • 22min
Common Threads
On Thursday, a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Lviv killed at least six people and injured at least 36 more. Plus, the Biden administration is expected to announce plans to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine.Meta officially launched Threads on Wednesday, a new app and Twitter rival that gained millions of users overnight. Lawyers for Twitter have already threatened legal action against Meta, accusing the company of engaging in “systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets.”And in headlines: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is visiting China until July 9th to meet with top Chinese officials, OceanGate has suspended all operations, and the FDA gave full approval to an Alzheimer’s drug that is shown to slow the progression of the disease.Show notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday