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.

  • 25 minutes 37 seconds
    If Tariffs Are So Great, Why Are There So Many Exemptions?

    President Donald Trump loves tariffs. But according to a new analysis from Politico, more than half of US imports right now are not subjected to them. To find out why, we spoke to Paroma Soni. She's a data and graphics reporter at Politico, where she covers trade, immigration, agriculture and politics.And later in the show, two mass shootings occurred over the weekend — one in Sydney, Australia and another at Brown University in Rhode Island. We talk to Talib Reddick, president of Brown University's Undergraduate Council of Students.

    In headlines, peace discussions continue on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine, Republicans scramble to pass healthcare legislation before the end of the year, and some GOP members want to introduce new affordability legislation to save their seats in the midterms.

     

    Show Notes:


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    15 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 22 minutes 8 seconds
    ICE Polices The American Dream

    The Trump Administration has put billions of dollars into building an immigration superstructure meant to punish those who have done nothing wrong and intimidate everyone else – including legal immigrants and US citizens. Weirdly enough, that’s proving not to be very popular. According to new polling from the Associated Press, Trump is now deeply underwater on the subject of immigration – with 60 percent of respondents opposing his handling of the issue. So to talk more about what’s happening with immigration, from the Administration’s plans for 2026 to its many horrifying offenses, we spoke to Aaron Reichlin-Melnick. He’s a Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council.

    And in headlines, dueling healthcare bills fail in the Senate, nature-lovers push back on plans to make President Trump the face of their National Park adventures, and Disney becomes the first major studio to license its characters to OpenAI’s video generator.This holiday season, gift someone a Friends of the Pod subscription or treat yourself. Learn more at crooked.com/friends. Subscribing is the best way to support independent progressive media.

    Show Notes:
     


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    12 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 22 minutes 43 seconds
    The GOP’s Plan For Your Healthcare

    Monday is your deadline to pick an insurance plan on the Affordable Care Act marketplace – and there is still zero plan to ensure that the enhanced subsidies that make those premiums affordable – or, more affordable – will stay in place. But that won’t stop Congress from trying! The Senate is expected to vote today on two healthcare plans — one from Republicans, and one from Democrats. For details on what’s in those proposals, some of the plans formulating in the House, and whether any of them stand a chance of passing, we spoke with Julie Rovner. She’s the chief Washington correspondent at KFF Health News and host of KFF Health News' "What the Health?" podcast.

    And in headlines, the Federal Reserve lowered its key interest rate for the third time in a row, President Trump uses the U.S. military to seize an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, and a new proposal could require travelers from all over the world to hand over their social media for vetting before entering the U.S.A.

    Show Notes:


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    11 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 19 minutes 56 seconds
    Billionaires Brawl Over Warner Bros.

    We’ve been talking about the Paramount Skydance/Warner Brothers Discovery/Netflix Billionaire Boys Club Spectacular for a few days now. But it’s really worth digging into the details to understand how all of this could reshape our media diets – and our politics. If Netflix buys Warner Bros. Discovery, that could be very bad news for Hollywood. But if Paramount buys Warner Bros. Discovery, the Trump-supporting Ellisons would own: CBS, CNN, HBO, Paramount, DC Studios, TNT Sports, Warner Bros., Oracle and a whole bunch more. It’s basically a big, complicated mess — so to unpack what it means for consumers and why on earth President Trump is involved, we spoke to Ben Smith. He’s co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor, and host of the Mixed Signals podcast.

    And in headlines, Trump brings his economic message to the American people on the first stop of his affordability tour, the Supreme Court hears arguments over campaign finance limits, and will Americans follow Australia’s footsteps and ban social media for children?

    Show Notes:
    Check out Mixed Signals – https://tinyurl.com/ycxvkz6f
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    For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday


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    10 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 22 minutes 56 seconds
    The Vax Wars Are Here

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is likely to reverse its long-standing recommendation that all newborns be immunized against Hepatitis B. We spoke with Demetre Daskalakis, the former director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, about the long-term impact of the proposed changes, how parents should respond, and whether we should all worry about vaccine recommendations coming from this administration.

    And in headlines, the Supreme Court could greatly expand the presidential power over independent federal agencies, Paramount launches a hostile takeover bid to pry Warner Bros. Discovery from Netflix, and President Donald Trump saves American farmers from tariffs by using… tariffs?

    Show Notes:
     


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    9 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 21 minutes 14 seconds
    Why Trump’s Got A Big AI Problem

    The Trump Administration has gone all in on artificial intelligence. It doesn’t hurt that AI’s biggest backers also happen to run the biggest companies on earth. Oh, and they also happen to have donated millions of dollars to Trump’s presidential campaign, inaugural committee, and even his fancy new ballroom. But it turns out that while Trump and his billionaire friends love AI, a lot of Republicans don’t — a fact that’s preventing him from getting rid of what little AI regulation exists. To talk more about Trump, AI, and why Republicans aren’t yet sold on the wonders of chatbots, we spoke to Gerrit De Vynck, a tech reporter for the Washington Post.

    And in headlines, lawmakers share what they saw in a video of the infamous “second strike” on an alleged drug trafficking boat, a longstanding newborn vaccine recommendation is in jeopardy, and the Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments for ending birthright citizenship.

    Show Notes:
     


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    8 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 25 minutes 3 seconds
    Rep. Jim Clyburn Offers A Historical Warning

    The Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, released a new survey this week in an attempt to figure out who, exactly, is a Republican these days. The takeaways? Newer Republican voters are more conspiratorial, more likely to be racist and antisemitic, and more likely to support the use of political violence. And they are pulling the GOP in their direction. This trend worries South Carolina Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn, who has written a new book, “The First Eight,” about the eight Black South Carolina Congressmen who preceded him in office. All of them were Republicans at a very different time for the party. Representative Clyburn became the ninth Black Congressman from the state when he was elected in 1992 – nearly a century after the last of the First Eight served in office. We spoke with Representative Clyburn about why it felt so urgent to write this book now.

    And in headlines, the Supreme Court allows Texas to use its gerrymandered Congressional map in the midterms, President Donald Trump holds a photo op to misleadingly tout peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and new data reveals the dramatic scale of our affordability crisis.

    Show Notes:


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    5 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 22 minutes 11 seconds
    Hegseth Takes His “Secretary of War” Title Too Seriously

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been under fire for his continually evolving explanations and blame-shifting regarding a September attack on an alleged “drug boat” in the Caribbean. Following a report from the Washington Post, the Associated Press found that the Pentagon was indeed aware that there were two survivors after the initial attack on the boat — and still carried out a follow-up strike. At the same time, the Trump administration has gone from denying a second strike ever happened to blaming the second strike on an admiral. Pressure on the Pentagon is building and Nevada Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen is among the many members of Congress calling for Hegseth to resign. We spoke with Senator Rosen about Hegseth’s failures and what she thinks needs to happen to protect America’s service members.

    And in headlines, President Donald Trump pardons a Democratic congressman indicted on white collar crimes, Republican infighting escalates in the House, and ICE targets Somali immigrants in Minneapolis.

    Show Notes:


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    4 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 22 minutes 17 seconds
    President Trump Is Disconnected From His Beloved Base

    President Trump is old, and it shows. But in his second term in the White House, he's not just old – he's cloistered. After building his political career on massive rallies, he's spent significantly more time this year on international travel and hanging out with billionaires, and significantly less time with the Americans who actually voted for him. Could that be why he's spent way more energy focused on getting America psyched up for a war with Venezuela and building a new ballroom than pretty much anything his base supported him for? To find out, we spoke to Jonathan Lemire, staff writer at The Atlantic and co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW, about his piece called "The Bubble-Wrapped President."

    And in headlines, the president holds another perfectly normal cabinet meeting, more immigration judges get pink slips, and the Trump administration threatens to cut off SNAP payments in most Democratic-led states next week… unless those states turn over detailed personal records on aid recipients.

    Show Notes:
     


     


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    3 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 17 minutes 49 seconds
    With Next Phase Of Ceasefire Unclear, Gazans Brace For Winter

    It's been nearly two months since the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect. The ceasefire is intended to be the first phase of an overarching plan to bring peace to the region after two years of war. But the next steps in the plan seem murky at best. Over the weekend, the Washington Post reported that countries that had planned to deploy troops to Gaza to keep the peace as part of an International Stabilizing Force have backpedaled on their commitments. Meanwhile, Gazans are continuing to struggle – reeling from massive flooding and increasingly cold weather. For more on the current conditions in Gaza, we spoke with Mohammed Aklouk, a coordinator for the Norwegian Refugee Council who lives in Gaza with his family.

    And in headlines, Luigi Mangione's lawyers attempt to get key pieces of evidence thrown out in his New York state trial, a federal court rules that Alina Habba has been serving unlawfully as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, and Indiana Republicans continue their push to assist President Donald Trump's calls for partisan gerrymandering.

    This holiday season, gift someone a Friends of the Pod subscription or treat yourself. Learn more at crooked.com/friends. Subscribing is the best way to support independent progressive media.

    Show Notes:


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    2 December 2025, 8:30 am
  • 25 minutes 46 seconds
    Trump Capitalizes On The National Guard Shooting

    Two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot just a few blocks away from the White House, on Wednesday. One of the two shooting victims, 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, died of her injuries on Thursday. The alleged shooter is a 29-year-old man from Afghanistan who served in a “Zero Unit,” an Afghan military force that helped the US military. He moved to the United States in 2021 as part of a Biden-era program to help Afghan nationals who had assisted US troops. He was living in Washington State with his family before making the cross-country trip to commit the attack, and he’d reportedly been struggling with mental health issues for years. For more on what role, if any, mental health considerations might have in the judicial process and the overall effectiveness of the DOJ under U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, we spoke to Ken White. He’s a federal criminal defense attorney, former federal prosecutor, and the co-host of the legal podcast, Serious Trouble.

    And in headlines, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pursues peace between Ukraine and Russia at a lavish Miami golf club, Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz defends himself after a New York Times report detailed massive fraud targeting his state’s social services programs, and the person who drew Alabama’s new state Senate map is… an 18-year-old?

    Show Notes:


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    1 December 2025, 8:30 am
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