President Biden signed an executive order on Friday to try to protect access to abortion, but it’s not the solution many reproductive rights advocates were seeking. Then on Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators protested the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade over the weekend in D.C. to pressure Congress to codify abortion-related care into law. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed on Friday while giving a speech in the Japanese city of Nara. Now, as the country griev...
Jul 11, 2022•17 min
Embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he’ll be stepping down after three years in office. This comes after many members of the government have lost confidence in his leadership over several scandals throughout his career. After 140 days in custody, WNBA star Britney Griner appeared before a Russian judge and pleaded guilty to the criminal charges against her. As charged, she faces up to 10 years in a Russian penal colony. And in headlines: Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 yea...
Jul 08, 2022•20 min
During an Independence Day parade this Monday, a 21-year-old man in Highland Park, Illinois shot and killed at least seven people and injured many more. We discuss the latest developments and the stories of the victims, who ranged in age from 8 to 88 years old. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Mississippi abortion provider at the center of the case that brought down Roe, officially closed its doors after a judge refused to block the state's trigger law from going into effect. Laurie Bert...
Jul 07, 2022•21 min
The Supreme Court issued a ruling on Thursday that limits the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to combat climate change. Our friends at Crooked’s Hot Take podcast recorded such a great episode about climate and the courts this week that we decided to share the episode in this feed too. We’ll be back with our regular episodes next week - until then, check out this week’s Hot Take and be sure to look out for new episodes of that show every Friday. https://crooked.com/podcast-series/h...
Jul 01, 2022•2 hr 43 min
The Supreme Court issued more rulings on Wednesday — one of which dramatically increased the power that states have over Native American tribes and tribal lands. We walk through what was decided yesterday and what’s still to come as the court finishes up its term. In headlines: Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to the largest prisoner exchange since the war began, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and Britney Griner’s detention in Russia was extended for the fourth time. And Gid...
Jun 30, 2022•20 min
The latest House January 6th hearing was perhaps the most explosive to date with testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, the top aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. We walk through some of our biggest takeaways from the surprise hearing. The fight to preserve abortion access continues in several states. Kelley Robinson, the executive director of Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund, joins us to discuss what advocacy organizations like hers are doing on the ground to protect access. An...
Jun 29, 2022•26 min
The Supreme Court issued more rulings on Monday. There have also been several legal challenges to the trigger laws set to go into effect in states like Louisiana and Utah once the court overturned Roe last Friday. Today is the 53rd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. In honor of the drag queens of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera who were central to the fight for LGBTQ equality, we walk through the history of drag and politics. We talk to actor and activist Terence Smith about his ...
Jun 28, 2022•34 min
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to overturn Roe v Wade on Friday, and throughout the weekend people took to the streets. We hear from you, our listeners, about how you’re affected by the news. And Leah Litman, co-host of Crooked’s Strict Scrutiny, joins us to answer some of the big legal questions we have about the ruling. In headlines: Russian forces rampaged across Ukraine, G7 leaders announced a $600 billion global infrastructure program, and the melting-down of a bronze Robert E. Lee statue was ...
Jun 27, 2022•25 min
The Supreme Court announced more rulings on Thursday — one of which dealt a huge blow to gun control advocates. The court struck down a New York State law that had a strict permitting process for people who wanted to carry concealed guns in public. Leah Litman, co-host of Crooked’s Strict Scrutiny, joins us to discuss what this ruling could mean for the rest of the country. The January 6th House committee held its final hearing of the month on Thursday. The focus was on how former President Dona...
Jun 24, 2022•29 min
The Senate unveiled a highly-anticipated, bipartisan gun control bill on Tuesday. The chamber voted 64-34 in a procedural vote to allow for its quick passage, which some hope will happen as soon as Saturday. Chip Brownlee, a reporter at The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on gun violence in America, joins us to discuss key parts of the legislation. And in headlines: a huge earthquake in Afghanistan left over 1,000 people dead, Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShaun Watson settled with mos...
Jun 23, 2022•19 min
The January 6th House committee held its fourth hearing on Tuesday, and we learned more about the effort to overturn the election by former President Donald Trump himself as well as two Republican congressmen. Arizona’s House of Representatives Speaker Rusty Bowers testified that the pressure applied by Trump and his team was continuous, and that they weren’t taking no for an answer. It’s been a month since the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, but we’re still learning more about...
Jun 22, 2022•22 min
We're about halfway through the January 6th committee hearings scheduled for this month. Yesterday, the committee focused on former President Trump’s efforts to pressure then Vice President Pence to not certify the 2020 election results. Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America, joins us to discuss what we learned from the new evidence the committee presented. In headlines: the Abbott baby formula plant in Michigan shut down again, Pakistan’s government asked citizens to lower their tea consump...
Jun 17, 2022•21 min
The Supreme Court released opinions on Wednesday in six different cases across a range of issues including veterans’ benefits, Medicare reimbursements, and gambling on tribal lands. Those six decisions did not include the case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, but in the meantime abortion access has already ended in many states. A disastrous combo of warm weather and rain in recent days caused unprecedented flooding and mudslides in Yellowstone National Park. Homes near the park were swept away i...
Jun 16, 2022•17 min
Inflation is at a four-decade high, and on Monday, stocks fell to their lowest levels since March 2021. We break down what’s happening in the economy, why, and what you need to know about what the Federal Reserve might do in response at its meeting today. Russian troops are reportedly in control of as much as 80 percent of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk. Jack Crosbie, a correspondent for Rolling Stone, joins us to discuss what he saw on the ground when he was in eastern Ukraine last week....
Jun 15, 2022•25 min
The second public January 6th hearing was yesterday. The House committee focused on the lie that the election was stolen and how that fueled the attack on the Capitol. A 16-year-old was essentially sentenced to life in prison in 1996 under Tennessee’s harsh criminal justice system. Our very own Josie Duffy Rice shares her work that follows the story of Almeer Nance, who was sentenced to 51 years in prison for felony murder despite never having pulled the trigger. In headlines: Ohio pursues a 'mo...
Jun 14, 2022•26 min
Protesters in hundreds of cities around the country rallied against gun violence, last weekend. And on Sunday, a bipartisan group of Senators announced a deal to increase gun safety measures. If passed, it would lead to enhanced background checks, pave the way for additional red flag laws in states, and more. The overall scope of the Senate package, however, falls short of the strong measures that President Biden and others demanded. San Francisco voters recalled progressive District Attorney Ch...
Jun 13, 2022•22 min
Last night was the first of several public hearings by the January 6th House committee, with the purpose to get the insurrection and the bigger effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election back on people’s radars. Congressman and committee member Adam Schiff, joined us before the hearing to explain what he hopes Americans will learn. And Andrea Bernstein, co-host of the “Will Be Wild” podcast, joined us afterwards to discuss her takeaways. And in headlines: the Justice Department launched a...
Jun 10, 2022•25 min
The January 6th House committee finally begins its hearings tonight. The committee intends to lay out what happened on the day of the insurrection, the larger effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election and future elections. Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America, joins us to discuss what to expect and look out for. And in headlines: the House voted to advance stricter gun control measures, Moderna is seeking FDA approval for an Omicron-specific COVID booster, and San Francisco voters r...
Jun 09, 2022•21 min
Congressmembers yesterday and today are hearing from the family members of the victims of recent mass shootings across the country. They’re there to essentially beg lawmakers to act on both gun violence and white supremacy. The World Bank issued a bad prognosis for the global economy yesterday, saying that a recession is going to be difficult to avoid for a number of countries. This is happening as a result of a lot of conditions: Russia’s war in Ukraine, international supply chain issues, infla...
Jun 08, 2022•21 min
As abortion access continues to decline on the local level, lawmakers and advocates across the country are devising new ways to protect abortion access as much as they can, where they can. Chito Vela, an Austin City Councilmember, joins us to discuss what he’s doing to decriminalize abortion in Austin, Texas, should Roe be overturned. And in headlines: Seven states have primary elections today, a federal grand jury charged five members of the Proud Boys with seditious conspiracy, and UK Prime Mi...
Jun 07, 2022•17 min
There were at least five mass shootings this weekend in a matter of 27 hours, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This slate of recent mass shootings, which include Buffalo and Uvalde, has compelled Congressional lawmakers to try to take action on gun control. A group of bipartisan senators may present a package on gun restrictions as early as this week. For parents who lost children in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, there are few legal avenues for them to pursue accoun...
Jun 06, 2022•17 min
June is Pride Month, the unfortunate time when many corporations claim they support LGBTQ+ people, but also support politicians who actively work against LGBTQ+ rights. It’s not a new phenomenon – even before June, for example, activists called out Disney, which promotes itself as being gay-friendly. We talk about “rainbow washing” with journalist Fran Tirado, and how corporate pride can be done respectfully. And in headlines: President Biden delivered a prime-time address on guns, today marks 1...
Jun 03, 2022•23 min
A jury found that both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were liable for defamation in their lawsuits against each other. But the jury awarded significantly more in damages to Depp, and his team is treating it as a legal win. One contentious race in California’s primary election next Tuesday is for L.A. County Sheriff, in which incumbent Sheriff Alex Villanueva faces eight challengers. Although he ran as a progressive reformer in 2018, his time in office has been a huge disappointment and he has clash...
Jun 02, 2022•21 min
The first of several funeral services started for the victims killed by a gunman at a school in Uvalde, Texas. And over the weekend, the Justice Department said it would open a probe into the local law enforcement’s response to the mass shooting. Two former Minneapolis police officers on trial for aiding and abetting George Floyd’s killing asked a judge to delay and relocate their trial. In addition, two people filed federal civil rights lawsuits against Derek Chauvin and the city of Minneapolis...
Jun 01, 2022•27 min
Parents and other community members in Uvalde, Texas, are criticizing local police for its handling of the Robb Elementary School shooting where 21 people were killed on Tuesday. In addition, many are wondering why there were differences in the initial statements that officials had made, why it took so long for police to apprehend the gunman, and how the gunman was apparently able to enter the school through an unlocked door. In headlines: Oklahoma enacted the country’s strictest anti-abortion l...
May 27, 2022•28 min
Officials have not confirmed all the identities of the 21 victims – nearly all children – of the Robb Elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. However some family members have started to identify them publicly. Their deaths have sparked widespread outrage over Republicans’ staunch opposition to gun control measures. Nicole Golden, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, joins us to discuss her work advocating for gun reform in her state. And in headlines: Trump-backed candidates saw mixed res...
May 26, 2022•21 min
A gunman killed at least 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday. Officials say they expect the death toll to rise with additional victims hospitalized but in critical condition. Today, President Biden is expected to issue an executive order on federal police reform on the two-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd. The order will direct all federal law enforcement agencies to revise their use-of-force policies, create a national registry of off...
May 25, 2022•15 min
COVID cases are rising again in the U.S. In just the past month alone, the average number of confirmed cases has doubled according to the CDC. But with many people using at-home rapid tests where results don’t get reported to officials, the actual case count could be much higher. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, epidemiologist and host of Crooked’s “America Dissected,” joins us to discuss how to get an accurate estimate of the surge as we head into summer. And in headlines: The first Russian soldier convicte...
May 24, 2022•19 min
A federal judge ruled that the Biden administration could not end a pandemic-related border restriction program known as Title 42. It was set to expire today. The first shipment of infant formula from Europe arrived in Indianapolis on Sunday, one of the first signs of relief to the critical shortage in the U.S. Other shipments are expected later this week, as well, to help ease the burden. And in headlines: millions are now homeless and stranded in India and Bangladesh due to severe weather, the...
May 23, 2022•17 min
Oklahoma’s legislature passed the country’s strictest abortion bill. The ban goes further than Texas’ abortion law, and if signed by Republican Governor Kevin Stitt it would take effect immediately. After the New York State Court of Appeals declared maps drawn by the legislature unconstitutional, a court-appointed “special master” released a new set of Congressional districts for the state. The Brennan Center’s Michael Li joins us to discuss the chaos that erupted from New York’s newly drawn map...
May 20, 2022•21 min
