What A Day

As we celebrate the beginning of Black History Month, conservatives are actively and aggressively silencing educators’ ability to talk honestly about history. Book bans are gaining steam with schools banning everything from "The 1619 Project," to Toni Morrison’s "Beloved," to Art Spiegelman’s "Maus." Journalist and activist George M. Johnson joins us to discuss the issue from an author’s perspective after their book, "All Boys Aren’t Blue," was targeted for removal in at least 14 states.And in headlines: A Georgia judge rejected plea agreements in the federal hate crime trial of Gregory and Travis McMichael, the FDA granted full approval of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, and The New York Times announced it had acquired Wordle.Show Notes:NYT: "Book Ban Efforts Spread Across the U.S." - https://nyti.ms/3uah9wKOrder "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson - https://bit.ly/34qKfNCFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whatadayFor a transcript of this episode, 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.

Concerns of a possible Russian invasion into Ukraine continue to mount, with Britain moving this week to broaden the sanctions it could impose in case of a Russian offensive. The U.S. has reportedly considered its own set of sanctions, which could have severe ramifications for individuals in Russia and conceivably others in Europe as well. Michael McFaul, the former US Ambassador to Russia, joins us to discuss everything we know and everything we don’t.And in headlines: New data suggests the omicron wave in the U.S. may have peaked, a massive winter storm in the Northeast left over a hundred thousand people without power over the weekend, and numerous celebrities have joined Neil Young’s boycott of Spotify.Show Notes:NYT: “U.S. Sanctions Aimed at Russia Could Take a Wide Toll:” – https://nyti.ms/3s6znfJWAPO: "Ukraine’s Zelensky’s message is don’t panic. That’s making the West antsy" - https://wapo.st/3obGK4JAL: "Police in this tiny Alabama town suck drivers into legal ‘black hole’" - https://bit.ly/3ARQBBFFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whatadayFor a transcript of this episode, 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.

President Biden reaffirmed his commitment to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court yesterday, and said that he would announce his choice by the end of February. Plus, Justice Stephen Breyer formally announced his retirement. We were joined by Dan Pfeiffer, former White House Communications Director during the Obama administration and one of the hosts of Pod Save America, to discuss the impact the SCOTUS shakeup could have for Democrats as we head into midterm election season.And in headlines: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the military to install measures to prevent civilian deaths caused by American airstrikes, countries across the globe advised their athletes to bring temporary cellphones to the Beijing Winter Olympics, and a study claimed that even when gas stoves are turned off, they often continue to leak unburned methane into their surroundings.Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whatadayFor a transcript of this episode, 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.

The 83-year-old Justice Stephen Breyer intends to retire at the end of this Supreme Court term in June, according to multiple reports yesterday. The oldest justice on the court, Breyer has been under enormous pressure to retire while Democrats have the slimmest control of the Senate. Leah Litman, a law professor at the University of Michigan and co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny, joins us to discuss what comes next. And in headlines: San Jose passed the first U.S. law requiring gun owners to carry liability insurance and pay an annual fee, France’s National Assembly voted unanimously to ban 'conversion therapy,' and a rogue SpaceX rocket is expected to crash into the Moon.Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whatadayFor a transcript of this episode, 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.

Russia conducted a series of military drills yesterday while Ukraine received a shipment of weapons including antitank missiles from the U.S. These were some of the latest turns since diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Russia have faltered and now both are accusing the other of ratcheting up tensions. Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security adviser in the Obama administration and co-host of Pod Save the World, joins us to discuss how we got here and what’s next. And in headlines: Pfizer announced that it has begun testing a new vaccine designed to target the omicron variant, British police opened an inquiry into a series of parties held at 10 Downing Street during COVID lockdown, and Neil Young threatens to pull his discography from Spotify if the company doesn't drop Joe Rogan.Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whatadayFor a transcript of this episode, 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.

The Supreme Court announced yesterday that it will hear cases on the right of universities to consider race in admissions. The court has historically ruled that universities have a limited right to consider an applicant’s race during the admission process, but the court’s conservative majority could upend decades of precedent. Lawyer and journalist Jay Willis joins us to discuss what we can expect, what this might mean for affirmative action, and the future of higher education.And in headlines: NATO said that its allies are sending military reinforcements to Eastern Europe amid tensions at the Ukrainian border, the Burkina Faso military announced that it seized control after overthrowing President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, and four attorneys general filed a privacy lawsuit against Google.Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whatadayFor a transcript of this episode, 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.

New U.S. cases of COVID are down slightly from the peak brought on by the Omicron variant. Average daily cases are closer to 700,000 than 800,000, which is where they were earlier in the month, and hospitalizations are at a record high but have started to level off. We look at the numbers and discuss new data on the efficacy of booster vaccine doses.The Sarah Palin v. The New York Times libel case goes to trial today. Palin filed the suit after the New York Times suggested that an ad placed by Palin's PAC was linked to the shooting of former Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords in 2011. We review the case and its potential to change how we think about First Amendment protections for journalists.And in headlines: A fire in the Palo Colorado Canyon area forced hundreds of people to flee their homes along the California coast, a Saudi-led airstrike killed at least 87 people in a Yemen prison, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern canceled her own wedding because of COVID.Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, 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.

A number of inquiries into former President Trump’s interference in the 2020 election are advancing. Yesterday, the House committee investigating last year’s insurrection asked Ivanka Trump to testify. Meanwhile, a Georgia District Attorney asked a judge to convene a special grand jury in a separate, ongoing criminal investigation into the former president. Famed fashion journalist and editor André Leon Talley passed away this week at age 73. He was American Vogue’s first Black male creative director and editor-at-large. We look into Talley’s life and legacy, as well as how he paved the way for Black and brown folks in the industry today. And in headlines: Democratic lawmakers asked Biden to change his counterterrorism strategy on drone strikes, the Supreme Court rejected another attempt to overturn Texas’ six-week abortion ban, and the CIA said that a foreign country is most likely NOT responsible for cases of Havana Syndrome.Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, 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.

Today is the first anniversary of President Biden taking office. Yesterday, he held his first formal news conference in months to discuss his administration’s accomplishments and progress over the past year. We share our biggest takeaways from the speech that covered COVID to Congress to Afghanistan, and more. Verizon and AT&T agreed to turn on nationwide 5G service yesterday, except near airports and runways due to ongoing safety concerns from the Federal Aviation Administration. Despite this decision, some flights were canceled yesterday. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants CWA, joins us to discuss workers’ safety concerns.And in headlines: the Supreme Court denied Trump’s request to block the release of White House records pertaining to the January 6th insurrection, two abortion-rights advocacy groups threatened to pull support from Senator Kyrsten Sinema for standing in the way of voting rights legislation, and the University of Michigan reached a $490 million settlement with over 1,000 survivors of sexual abuse by one of its former sports doctors.Show Notes:WIRED: “Why Airlines Are Fighting the 5G Rollout” – https://bit.ly/3fHVTG1Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, 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.

Tensions between the U.S. and Russia are rising after last week’s summit in Geneva ended with no resolution between the two countries over Ukraine. We hear an excerpt of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s exclusive interview with Pod Save The World just hours before he went overseas yesterday to meet with Ukraine’s president and Russia’s foreign minister.Tomorrow, jury selection is expected to start in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights: Tou Thao, J. Keung, and Thomas Lane. All three were on the scene when their fellow officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, and failed to stop him from kneeling on Floyd's neck. And in headlines: Rudy Giuliani was subpoenaed by the House panel investigating the January 6th insurrection, Tonga gave its first status update after a volcano eruption and tsunami devastated its islands, and a federal judge approved a plan that would resolve Puerto Rico’s bankruptcy and restructure its $33 billion debt.Show Notes:Hear Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s exclusive interview with Pod Save The World – https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, 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.