

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

Aug 30, 2022 • 17min
Understanding Trump's Request For A "Special Master"
A federal judge has indicated that she may appoint a “special master” to review the documents that the FBI seized from Mar-A-Lago earlier this month. We go over what that means, and what it means for the Justice Department's investigation into former President Donald Trump.NASA was set to blast off the debut flight of its Artemis I mission to the moon on Monday, but engineers were forced to delay the launch over apparent engine problems.And in headlines: Iraqi leader Muqtada al-Sadr said he’s retiring from politics, the Federal Trade Commission sued a data broker for allegedly selling information that could track user locations, and teachers in Columbus, Ohio voted to end their days-long strike.Show Notes:Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 29, 2022 • 20min
Kaiser Mental Health Care Workers Strike For Change
The Justice Department released the affidavit that led to the FBI search on former President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago. Although the document was heavily redacted, it does indicate that Trump had highly classified information about sensitive intelligence gathering, and that the FBI had reason to believe he was trying to obstruct the investigation into those records.Over 2,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health workers in Northern California remain on strike. Today marks their 15th day since taking to the picket lines to protest huge caseloads and long wait times for their patients. Alexis Petrakis, a Kaiser therapist who’s on strike in the San Francisco Bay Area, tells us what changes she and her colleagues want to see from the health care giant.And in headlines: flash floods and landslides in Pakistan have killed over 1,000 people since mid-June, deadly fighting broke out in Libya between two rival militias, and NASA plans to launch its most powerful rocket yet to the moon.Show Notes:National Union of Healthcare Workers: Kaiser Strike – https://nuhw.org/kaiser-dont-deny/kaiser-strike/2022 Pakistan Floods Fundraisers (compiled by Ayisha Siddiqa): https://t.co/yCF1NcXah2Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 26, 2022 • 21min
Day Of The Affidavit
A redacted version of the affidavit that justified the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is expected to be released to the public today. We recap how we got here, and what could come from the unsealed document.It’s been two months since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and at least a dozen states have enacted near-total abortion bans, with “trigger laws” taking effect in three states just this week.And in headlines: the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was briefly cut off from Ukraine’s power grid, a federal court ruled that gender dysphoria is protected by disability law, and some L.A. residents are protesting the new Fast & Furious movie.Show Notes:Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 25, 2022 • 22min
Student Debt, You’re Cancelled
President Biden announced on Wednesday a plan that would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for millions of Americans, and $20,000 for Pell grant recipients. That will allow millions of borrowers to become debt-free, but critics say it won’t benefit those with larger balances nearly as much as full forgiveness – a goal that progressives have pursued for years. Braxton Brewington with the Debt Collective, an organization that works to empower student loan borrowers, joins us to discuss the decision’s impact, and why more needs to be done.And in headlines: a Russian missile strike killed at least 22 people at a train station in central Ukraine, the Uvalde school district fired its police chief, and a new study shows that long COVID has taken out as many as 4 million Americans from the workforce.Show Notes:The Debt Collective – https://debtcollective.org/Associated Press: “Biden’s student loan plan: What we know (and what we don’t)” – https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-program-explained-d248f3b049c292856bb1c74be6aedef2Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 24, 2022 • 25min
Ukraine Celebrates A Somber Independence Day
Today is Ukraine’s Independence Day, marking 31 years since it broke from the Soviet Union. It also comes six months since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and Ukrainian officials are concerned that new strikes could come on the symbolic date.California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation on Monday that would have allowed three California cities to open overdose prevention sites – though Newsom said during his campaign in 2018 he was “very, very open” to the harm reduction strategy.And in headlines: prosecutors dismissed all charges against the two Atlanta police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks, a federal jury convicted two men for leading the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and a whistleblower alleged that Twitter misled regulators about how it fights hackers and spam.Show Notes:NY Times: “Eric Adams After Dark: A Private Table and Tarnished Friends” – https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/22/nyregion/eric-adams-la-baia-zero-bond.htmlVote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 23, 2022 • 20min
Protecting Your Data In A Post-Roe World
A teenager and her mother are facing criminal charges for allegedly violating Nebraska's abortion ban, and police used their Facebook direct messages as evidence to charge them. Sara Morrison, senior reporter for Vox's Recode, tells us how easy it is for law enforcement to obtain your personal data from the internet and use it against you — even when it comes to making a health care decision like abortion.And in headlines: Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was charged under that country's anti-terrorism laws, nearly 4,500 school staffers in Columbus, Ohio went on strike, and Dr. Anthony Fauci announced he will officially step down from public service in December.Show Notes:Electronic Frontier Foundation: Security and Privacy Tips for People Seeking An Abortion https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/06/security-and-privacy-tips-people-seeking-abortionVox: “Should I delete my period app? And other post-Roe privacy questions.” – https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/7/6/23196809/period-apps-roe-dobbs-data-privacy-abortionVox: “What police could find out about your illegal abortion” – https://www.vox.com/recode/23059057/privacy-abortion-phone-data-roeVote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 22, 2022 • 19min
Now That's What I Call Climate Chaos
Extreme weather is taking a toll around the globe, with intense storms battering parts of Europe, and historic drought revealing long-submerged relics in other regions. China is also wrestling with one of its hottest, driest summers on record.A bitter recall campaign forced Chesa Boudin, San Francisco's progressive district attorney, out of office in June. But critics of his replacement, Brooke Jenkins, say her new policies are troubling.And in headlines: a car explosion killed the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, Singapore will repeal a law that bans sex between men, and Rep. Liz Cheney said former Vice President Mike Pence should testify before the January 6th committee.Show Notes:Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 19, 2022 • 21min
Tip Of The Weisselberg
A federal judge in Florida announced Thursday he is "inclined" to release parts of the affidavit that led to the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago earlier this month. That means it could be made public, giving the Justice Department a week to submit its redactions. Meanwhile, Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, pleaded guilty to tax evasion – and agreed to testify in a broader investigation of the company.And in headlines: Israeli forces raided the offices of seven Palestinian rights groups, the U.S. boost its supply of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine, and a federal judge ordered Starbucks to re-hire seven employees fired for union organizing.Show Notes:National Vulnerability Database: “Rhythm Nation” DoS resonant-frequency attack – https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38392Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 18, 2022 • 20min
Better COVID Messaging? We'll CDC About That
CDC director Rochelle Walensky announced Wednesday the agency is making big structural and cultural changes, following widespread criticism over its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, host of Crooked’s America Dissected, joins us to discuss what that overhaul will look like, and why it matters.And in headlines: a deadly explosion erupted at a mosque in Kabul, Liz Cheney hints at a White House bid after her defeat in Wyoming's House Republican primary, and former Vice President Mike Pence said he’d consider testifying before the January 6th committee.Show Notes:Abdul El-Sayed on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/abdulelsayedVote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Aug 17, 2022 • 19min
A Gay Doctor Talks Monkeypox
The CDC recently reported that new monkeypox cases in New York City appear to be slowing down, though new cases are slowly rising nationwide. Dr. Carlton Thomas, an advocate for queer health and sex positivity, joins us to talk about the stigma surrounding the disease, and safer sex practices for people who are at higher risk for exposure.And in headlines: President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, former Trump White House lawyers were interviewed by the FBI over sensitive documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago, and millions of Americans can soon buy a hearing aid without a prescription.Show Notes:Doctor Carlton (TikTok: @drcarlton) - https://www.tiktok.com/@doctorcarltonMonkeypox Vaccination Access Project - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QO55TTeO6ZKrC0yw_LvIrKU56wb1r7rX9kAW_WsLLtQ/Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday