

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

Apr 25, 2023 • 24min
All Tuckered Out
In a series of high-profile cable news firings Monday morning, Fox News announced that the network agreed to part ways with top host Tucker Carlson — and just minutes later, news broke that CNN terminated longtime anchor Don Lemon after 17 years with the network. President Biden is expected to announce his 2024 bid for re-election as soon as today. Multiple outlets reported that he tapped White House Senior Adviser Julia Chavez Rodriguez as his campaign manager, signaling that he’s already gearing up to make his case for a second term. And in headlines: North Dakota’s Republican governor signed legislation banning abortions after six weeks, demonstrators gathered at Montana’s Capitol to protest the censure of Rep. Zooey Zephyr, and more celebrities came out to say they did not sign up for Twitter Blue.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

Apr 24, 2023 • 15min
Until Debt Do Us Part
The Supreme Court issued a decision preserving access to the abortion drug mifepristone, meaning access to the medication will likely remain unchanged at least into next year.House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unveiled his plan to raise the debt ceiling last week. The proposal has a long list of demands that take aim at the Biden administration’s agenda — including cutting climate change investments, blocking student loan forgiveness, and adding work requirements for Medicaid and food stamp recipients.And in headlines: The U.S. military evacuated American embassy staff from Sudan’s capital of Khartoum, three thousand migrants began a mass protest procession in Mexico calling for an end to migrant detention centers, and German government officials reached a deal with one of the country’s largest trade unions.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

Apr 21, 2023 • 24min
Why Buzzfeed News Left Us
The Pentagon is moving American troops to Sudan to prepare for a possible evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in the region. This comes amid a dayslong series of clashes between two warring military factions that has led to hundreds of deaths and injuries.Buzzfeed is shutting down its entire news division after elevating reporting that rivaled many more established, legacy media outlets for over a decade. The company will also cut another 120 people across its teams, laying off about 15% of its workforce.And in headlines: A fifth suspect was arrested and charged with murder in connection to the fatal 16th birthday party shooting in Alabama, House Republicans passed a bill that would bar trans women and girls from competing in female sports, and Elon Musk’s Twitter officially discontinued the legacy verification program.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

Apr 20, 2023 • 21min
Full Supreme Court Press
In the latest in the fight against mifepristone, the Supreme Court has delayed its ruling on the abortion pill until Friday at midnight — extending the continued use of mifepristone for a couple more days.In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court sided with Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed in his years-long effort to get post-conviction DNA evidence to try and prove his innocence.And in headlines: the mother of Tyre Nichols sued the city of Memphis and its police department over the death of her son, the Florida Board of Education voted to expand the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, and a Twilight TV series is in the works.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

Apr 19, 2023 • 24min
The Defamation Trial That Never Was
The defamation trial brought by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News was called off after both parties agreed to settle for $787.5 million at the last minute. Crooked news contributor Max Fisher joins us to break down what happened and what comes next.And in headlines: The white homeowner who shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl turned himself in to Missouri authorities, a Russian judge ruled that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich must remain in pretrial detention, and Nebraska lawmakers passed the first bill in their 90-day legislative session. 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

Apr 18, 2023 • 22min
Ceiling Our Fate
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed a one-year debt ceiling increase on Monday, calling the idea a “responsible, sensible” solution — but it’s unclear if he has the support of his own party to pass the divisive measure.A new report from The Washington Post revealed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas claimed income for two decades from a now-defunct real estate firm. This is the latest in a series of recent reports that call into question the justice's willingness to skirt ethical guidelines — including those around financial disclosure.And in headlines: the death toll continues to rise as rival military groups fight for power in Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum, Writers Guild of America West members overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, and the Love Is Blind Season 4 reunion is finally on Netflix after the live event didn’t air when promised.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

Apr 17, 2023 • 20min
No Fox Given
The defamation lawsuit brought by the election technology company Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News is scheduled to start on Tuesday. Crooked news contributor Max Fisher tells us what’s at stake, and what we can expect over the next few weeks.And in headlines: a shooting in Alabama left at least four people dead and 28 others injured, French President Emmanuel Macron signed into law his controversial plan to raise the country’s retirement age, and lawmakers in Montana approved a statewide ban on TikTok.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

Apr 14, 2023 • 21min
It All Went Down in the Discord
The FBI has arrested 21-year old Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard suspected of leaking classified government documents on Discord early last month. The materials revealed sensitive information about the war in Ukraine, and how the U.S. spies on some of its allies.A federal appeals court partially blocked the decision by a Texas judge to suspend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, but with tightened restrictions. The Justice Department is now asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on the conflicting decisions over the abortion pill.And in headlines: President Biden announced a plan to expand healthcare access to DACA recipients, Missouri Republicans are threatening to defund public libraries in the state, and New York Mayor Eric Adams has appointed the city’s first-ever ‘rat czar.’Show Notes:Where Can I Get an Abortion? | U.S. Abortion Clinic Locator – https://www.abortionfinder.org/Vote Save America | Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/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

Apr 13, 2023 • 18min
Poetic Justins
In a unanimous vote, county officials sent State Representative Justin Pearson back to his seat in Tennessee’s House of Representatives. His reinstatement comes less than a week after he and another Black Democratic colleague were expelled for leading a protest on gun reform.And in headlines: California Senator Dianne Feinstein will temporarily give up her seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Donald Trump is suing his former lawyer Michael Cohen, and NPR has decided to ditch Twitter after the platform mislabeled the news organization.Show Notes:Vote Save America: Support Democracy in Tennessee – https://tinyurl.com/96xf7xthWhat 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

Apr 12, 2023 • 20min
Ain’t No River Wide Enough
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a lawsuit against Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, accusing him of a “brazen and unconstitutional attack” on the criminal prosecution and investigation of former President Donald Trump, and organizing a “transparent campaign to intimidate and attack” the D.A.The Biden Administration has laid out two tough options it may take to solve the Colorado River water crisis, though both would lead to dramatic water cuts to states like California, Nevada, and Arizona.And in headlines: President Biden signed a bill formally ending the COVID-19 national emergency, county officials will decide whether or not to reappoint Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson, and the FBI issued a warning about the dangers of "juice jacking" at free phone charging stations.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