Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner burst into the national spotlight last year with a campaign centering around his supposed working class bonafides and promises to fight the establishment. He easily won his primary despite multiple scandals, ranging from problematic Reddit posts to “unsettling” behavior from past partners. Then, on Monday, Politico published the most serious allegation yet — that Platner allegedly broke into a partner’s home while drunk and sexually assaulted her. He denied the allegations and dropped out of the race late Wednesday evening. There are a lot of questions about what comes next. To find out more, we spoke with Dave Weigel, political reporter at Semafor.

And in headlines: President Donald Trump threatens to unleash more military strikes against Iran, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a man in Texas, and a federal judge orders $5 million to be released to E. Jean Carroll in her sex abuse and defamation case against Trump.

Show Notes:

• Dave Weigel's work – https://www.semafor.com/author/david-weigel
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected]

NATO’s most important global summit has begun in Turkiye. It’s an event where the world’s leaders meet, mingle, and above all, try to keep President Donald Trump from doing something inconceivably stupid… like threatening to pull troops from Europe if the US does not gain control of Greenland. But NATO has even bigger problems: Russia’s war in Ukraine and the threat Russia poses to the entire coalition. So to talk more about NATO, Trump, and how the summit is trying to keep the president of the United States from throwing an epic temper tantrum, we spoke with Felicia Schwartz, diplomatic correspondent for Politico.

And in headlines: Democrats are calling for Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner to drop out of the race in light of a sexual assault allegation against him, a new lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration has been illegally sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, and French President Emmanuel Macron met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus restoring official diplomatic ties.

Show Notes:

• Felicia Schwartz's work – https://www.politico.com/staff/felicia-schwartz
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected]

America’s 250th birthday celebration on the National Mall had everything. Thunderstorms! Heat warnings! Flyovers! President Donald Trump giving a speech well after 11PM Eastern because of those aforementioned thunderstorms that forced attendees to find shelter! A speech where he ranted about… communism. So yeah, it was a strange Fourth of July — which makes sense, because the Trump administration has tried to make it… all about Trump. And as much as Trump wants us to believe otherwise, he doesn’t define what it means to be an American. So to discuss patriotism, the Fourth of July, and where the country goes from here, we spoke with Symone Sanders Townsend, co-host of MS NOW’s “The Weeknight,” and the podcast “Clock It with Symone & Eugene.”

And in headlines: Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is accused of sexual assault, he has denied the allegation; Iran mourns the death of its supreme leader; and Trump may or may not have gotten a FIFA red card overturned.

Show Notes:

• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected]

Today, we bring you an episode from Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams. Stacey Abrams has committed her career to bold political advocacy and voting rights. In this episode, Stacey opens the show by answering audience questions about the Supreme Court's recent Voting Rights Act ruling and what it means for our democracy. Then she's joined by Jane Fonda, who explains why she's revived the Committee for the First Amendment, a group originally supported by her father in the 1940's. Stacey and Jane also discuss the Trump administration's attacks on Jimmy Kimmel, why the Warner Bros.-Paramount merger is so dangerous, and what Jane has learned after decades of activism, including her actions during the Vietnam War. Catch Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams, every Tuesday, on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Learn & Do More

• Be Curious: To learn more about Jane Fonda's extraordinary history of art and activism, check out the documentary Jane Fonda in Five Acts from HBO.  
• Solve Problems: You can get involved in the fight against the consequences of the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Voting Rights Act. Check out the Louisiana-based organization Power Coalition for Equity and Justice at powercoalition.org to learn about volunteer opportunities. The organization Civic Tennessee at https://www.mobilize.us/civictn/ also has volunteer opportunities available.
• Do Good: The ACLU continues to be a powerful resource in its fight for Free Speech. Visit ACLU.org and check out their campaigns in support of free speech and expression.

July 1 is the start of big changes for colleges, universities and you – if you have student loans. Because of last year’s ugly Republican One Big Beautiful Law, there are new caps on student loans for graduate and professional programs, as well as for undergraduate students. And if you were enrolled in a Biden-era student loan plan known as Saving on a Valuable Education or SAVE, you need to look for other repayment options — because the Trump administration is ending that program. To learn more about what’s shaping the biggest changes impacting higher education, we spoke with Senior Higher Education Reporter for The Hechinger Report, Jon Marcus.

And in headlines: the House of Representatives is once again a big, fat, failure; President Donald Trump took a ride in his new Qatari "Bribe Force One"; and will Trump's July 4th celebrations include 250 pardons for 250 years?

Show Notes:

• Check out Jon's work – hechingerreport.org/author/jon-marcus/
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that would have made the children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visitors non-citizens — rendering them effectively stateless. And while six Supreme Court justices struck down that executive order today, three sided with Trump. So what does this ruling mean — and what’s next for the issue of birthright citizenship? To find out, we spoke to Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union. She argued before the Supreme Court in favor of birthright citizenship.

And in headlines, the Supreme Court issues major rulings on trans rights and campaign finance, Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. returns to D.C. after four months away, and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought testifies before a House appropriations subcommittee on federal spending.

Show Notes:

• Learn more about the ACLU – www.aclu.org
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

On Monday, we got four more decisions from the nation’s highest court, and they were… well, confusing. For example, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump can fire federal independent agency commissioners, but he can’t fire a governor at the Federal Reserve – which is also an independent agency. We also got a surprisingly good ruling on mail-in voting, and a separate victory for privacy and the Fourth Amendment. So is there any method to the seeming madness in the Supreme Court’s decisions this term? To find out, we spoke to Kate Shaw. She’s a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania and co-host of Crooked Media’s Strict Scrutiny.

And in headlines, Trump says the U.S. will meet with Iran in Qatar on Tuesday for further negotiations, Russian President Vladimir Putin admits Russia is facing fuel shortages in its war with Ukraine, and the WHO names Europe the fastest-warming continent on the planet.

Show Notes:

• Check out Strict Scrutiny – youtube.com/channel/UCk-Km4tcqAbhpnbrvj1pJFw
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Vice President JD Vance has been given a job no one really wants: ending the incredibly unpopular Iran war. He’s been tasked with leading negotiations with Iranian counterparts to find a lasting solution that he thinks could QUOTE “transform the Middle East.” But there are many, many obstacles in his way. And as the US and Iran attempt to hammer out not just an end to the war, but a new nuclear deal, President Trump seems markedly uninterested in the whole thing. So for more on the mess that is trying to end the Iran war, we spoke with Tommy Vietor. He’s the co-host of Crooked Media’s Pod Save the World.

And in headlines, Moscow’s Defense Ministry says Ukraine launched a major Thursday night attack, ex-national security adviser John Bolton pleads guilty to a single count of illegally retaining national defense information, and New York City approves a rent freeze on one- and two-year leases for people living in about 1 million rent-stabilized apartments.

Show Notes:

• Check out Pod Save The World – www.youtube.com/@podsavetheworld
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

As so many World Cup fans are discovering ranch dressing and enjoying their visits to the U.S., the Supreme Court left a very different message for people who come to the U.S. for safety and protection: leave. In two 6-3 decisions today, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration can block asylum seekers at the border and withdraw deportation protections from immigrants fleeing violence and war in their home countries. For more on how the Court’s decisions will shape future U.S. immigration policy, we spoke to Andrea Flores. She’s a former Homeland Security official under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and the founder of Securing America’s Promise, a pro-immigration newsletter.

And in headlines, the White House formally requests $87.6 billion mostly to replenish the Pentagon , what the U.S. is doing to help after deadly earthquakes in Venezuela, and a new AP-NORC survey says most Americans are inundated with scam attempts on a daily basis. But you probably already knew that — just check your texts.

Show Notes:

• Check out Andrea's work – securingamericaspromise.substack.com
• Support Venezuela – https://tinyurl.com/426wdfpj
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

President Trump has one clear talent: pissing off his purported allies, like when he was supposed to sign a big bipartisan housing bill. Republicans were hoping to campaign on the legislation and show that they care about the number one concern of American voters: the high cost of living. But Donald Trump doesn't care. Wednesday morning, he abruptly canceled the signing ceremony without telling Republican members of Congress, declaring he won't sign the bill until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. This massive federal elections bill would require Americans to show their passport or birth certificate to vote. To talk more about how Trump seems determined to derail Congress, even when it hurts his own party, we spoke with Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.

And in headlines, the U.S. military reinstates flu shot requirements for recruits after an outbreak at a Texas Air Force base, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won big in Tuesday’s primary, and a federal judge permanently bars the Trump administration from implementing most of Trump’s first executive order on elections.

Show Notes:

• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

It’s been 10 years since the UK voted to leave the European Union — a decision with major political implications that most of the country regrets. Since then, neither the Labour Party nor the Conservative Party have been able to keep a leader in power. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned his post – becoming the sixth prime minister to quit in the last ten years. For comparison’s sake, the UK had just two prime ministers between 1990 and 2007. So what’s going on in the UK — and who’s up next for prime minister? To find out, we spoke to Nish Kumar, co-host of Crooked Media’s Pod Save the UK.

And in headlines, the US and Iran make conflicting claims over whether or not Iran is welcoming U.N. inspections of its nuclear sites, the Pentagon asks the Senate for roughly $80 billion to help pay for the Iran war, and no one wants to name their babies Donald. I wonder why!

Show Notes:

• Check out Pod Save The UK – www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday