Federal judges chose a new congressional map for Alabama on Thursday, after a major, two year legal fight. The final, court-approved map gives Black Alabamians more political power, and could also give Democrats an edge in 2024. Talks between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP resume today, after negotiations to end the Hollywood actor’s strike restarted earlier this week. It’s not clear if they’re close to a deal, but the use of artificial intelligence may be a major sticking point. And in headlines: the Bide...
Oct 06, 2023•17 min
Republicans remain divided over who should lead their delicate House majority after Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker. A vote for his replacement is set for next week – and so far, at least three Republicans have signaled that they want the job. Banned Books Week, an annual event to draw attention to the harms of censorship, has taken on new significance this year. Legislation in some GOP-led states has forced schools and libraries to pull many titles from their shelves, disproportionately ta...
Oct 05, 2023•23 min
In an unprecedented move led by far-right Republicans, Kevin McCarthy was voted out of his job as Speaker of the House. He later said he would not seek the position again, leaving the House GOP fractured and scrambling to find a new leader for their slim majority. The Supreme Court heard arguments in a major case against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The fate of the agency, which was created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, is on the line – though the justices appeared skept...
Oct 04, 2023•20 min
A testy and defiant Donald Trump showed up to court yesterday in Manhattan, for the first day of his civil fraud trial. The former president called the suit, brought by New York attorney general Letitia James, a “witch hunt,” though it could cost him control of his sprawling real estate empire. Laphonza Butler will be the new junior U.S. Senator from California, after she was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to replace the late Dianne Feinstein. Marisa Lagos, political correspondent at NPR mem...
Oct 03, 2023•22 min
Just hours before the Saturday night deadline, a bill to fund the government through mid-November passed both chambers of Congress and was signed by President Biden. The bill – which ensures the federal government can keep paying its workers for about 45 more days – included funds for natural disaster relief, but notably did not include any added funding for Ukraine. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving woman in the U.S. Senate, died Thursday night from natural causes at her home in Was...
Oct 02, 2023•25 min
Republicans held their first hearing Thursday in their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The six-hour hearing before the House Oversight Committee tried to make the case that the president benefitted from his son's business dealings – even though the Republicans' own witnesses said they didn't have any evidence to prove it. Meanwhile, the U.S. government notified federal workers that a shutdown is on the horizon if Congress doesn't reach a deal by 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday. The disruption...
Sep 29, 2023•21 min
The second 2024 GOP presidential debate took place yesterday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The pool of candidates was smaller compared to the last round, but it wasn’t any less chaotic. Erin Ryan, host of Crooked Media’s “Hysteria” podcast, and Brian Beutler, founder of the Off Message newsletter, join us to break it all down. And in headlines: the American soldier who crossed into North Korea in July was transferred to U.S. custody, a federal judge in Tex...
Sep 28, 2023•24 min
Capitalism is having a moment in our current political discourse. And believe it or not, we haven't always been so quick to openly bash – or defend – it. Noel King, co-host of Vox Media's Today, Explained podcast, and her team have been exploring the forces behind American capitalism in a four-part series called Blame Capitalism . She joins us to unpack how differently both sides of the political aisle are talking about our economic system ahead of the second GOP presidential debate. And in head...
Sep 27, 2023•20 min
The Writers Guild of America late Sunday evening announced a tentative agreement with the major studios. The Guild has said that it got most of what it wanted, including increased pay for writers on streaming content, minimum staffing requirements for TV shows, and guarantees from the studios over the use of artificial intelligence. We’re joined by WGA member Vicky Luu to talk about her reaction to the deal and more. And in headlines: the shooter who killed 23 people in a racist attack at an El ...
Sep 26, 2023•16 min
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is facing calls from fellow Democrats to resign, as he faces federal bribery charges – the second time he’s been prosecuted for alleged corruption in the past 10 years. Menendez is accused of accepting cash, gold, and other gifts to secretly help Egypt’s government. It’s been a cliffhanger weekend for Hollywood, as the Writers Guild of America announced late Sunday evening that a tentative deal has been reached with the major studios to end the ongoing writers str...
Sep 25, 2023•14 min
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington D.C. on Thursday to meet with President Biden and Senate leaders. Zelensky is trying to secure additional funding from the U.S. to help in the fight against Russian forces. But some Republican lawmakers are reluctant to continue financial support for Ukraine. Billionaire right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of News Corp. and Fox. His son, Lachlan, will come in to lead both companies. Murdoch’s exit caps a con...
Sep 22, 2023•19 min
Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. During the nearly six-hour hearing, pushed back against claims that the Justice Department is unfairly protecting President Biden and his son Hunter, who has been under investigation since 2018. The trial of two police officers accused in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain began in Colorado. A total of five first responders have been charged in connection with the 23-year old’s death, who d...
Sep 21, 2023•19 min
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the U.N. General Assembly yesterday, framing Russia’s aggression in Ukraine as a “genocide.” He’s also hoping to shore up support in Washington this week, amid skepticism from Republicans over whether to send Ukraine another $24 billion in aid. A New York City daycare owner and one of her relatives face federal charges after four children in her care fell ill – and one died – after they were exposed to fentanyl. Prosecutors say a kilogram of the d...
Sep 20, 2023•22 min
Five Americans detained in Iran for years are on their way back home as part of a rare agreement between the United States and Iran. In exchange, the U.S. released a group of Iranian prisoners, and restored Tehran’s access to some $6 billion dollars in oil revenues. Illinois became the first state in the nation to fully eliminate cash bail on Monday. The new law is a major win in the fight against criminalizing poverty, and includes other provisions that are expected to improve the way criminal ...
Sep 19, 2023•19 min
The United Auto Workers Union is on strike at all three of Detroit’s major automakers — General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. This is the first time in history it’s done that. Nearly 13,000 workers walked off the job at three auto plants across the country on Friday to fight for better wages and benefits as negotiations for a new labor contract continue. And in headlines: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted of all the impeachment charges against him, tens of thousands of protesters m...
Sep 18, 2023•16 min
September 16th marks the one year anniversary since the death of Mahsa Amini and the start of a women-led revolution in Iran. The 22-year-old died in custody at the hands of the so-called morality police after allegedly violating the regime’s dress code. And within days, Iranians filled the streets in outrage. We’re joined by Iranian-American journalist Suzanne Kianpour to talk about how Iran has changed one year later. And in headlines: Hunter Biden was charged on three criminal counts in feder...
Sep 15, 2023•22 min
Members of the United Auto Workers union are in the final countdown to reach a labor agreement with Detroit automakers. If agreements aren’t reached by 11:59pm ET Thursday night, then autoworkers will implement targeted strikes at plants run by General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un met up at a summit on Wednesday in Eastern Russia. After the meeting, Kim Jong Un vowed full support for Russia’s invasion and Putin offered ...
Sep 14, 2023•21 min
The government’s antitrust trial against Google kicked off yesterday as lawyers for the Department of Justice gave opening statements in their case. They argued that Google illegally created a monopoly with its titular search engine to squash competitors like Yahoo and Bing. We’re joined by Sara Morrison, senior tech reporter at Vox, to break down the case, why it matters and what comes next. And in headlines: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ordered a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden...
Sep 13, 2023•20 min
The 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack was yesterday, and officials around the country memorialized the nearly 3,000 people who were killed. Roughly 40 percent of the victims remain unidentified, but officials recently used DNA testing to discover the identities of two more of those killed in the attack. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial continued into its fifth day Monday, when his former chief of staff testified that Paxton had an affair with a woman named Laura ...
Sep 12, 2023•24 min
A destructive 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night and left 2,000 people dead and thousands injured. It’s the strongest to hit the country in over a century and rescue and recovery efforts have since been slow and tough. It's looking more and more likely that auto workers will go on strike starting this Friday. That’s unless United Auto Workers and the big three U.S. carmakers reach a deal by Thursday night. And in headlines: the Lahaina fire is officially 100% contained one...
Sep 11, 2023•16 min
In a new report, Hawai'i’s Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism estimates that because of the Maui fire damages, the state’s economy will lose about $1.9 billion through 2024. So while state tourism officials initially urged tourists to stay away from Maui, they’ve now started to encourage tourists to come back to other parts of Maui and other Hawaiian islands to boost the local economy. But that tourism comes with a price. Today, the Florida Supreme Court will hear a case t...
Sep 08, 2023•20 min
It's only been five weeks since Justice Janet Protasiewicz was sworn in to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but state Republicans are hell-bent on getting her kicked off the court before she even hears her first case. In their latest effort, Republicans in the state are floating the idea of impeaching Protasiewicz for statements she made about legislative maps. The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it will ban drilling in 13 million acres of wilderness in Alaska’s Arctic National Wild...
Sep 07, 2023•20 min
Interest on federal student loans has officially resumed, and payments are set to restart on October 1st. On Tuesday, however, a group of Senate Republicans introduced legislation to block President Biden’s Saving on Valuable Education Plan — or SAVE Plan — from going into effect, despite how it could help millions of people struggling to pay off their debt. For more, we’re joined by Braxton Brewington from the Debt Collective, a progressive organization fighting for full student debt cancellati...
Sep 06, 2023•21 min
COVID cases and hospitalizations are on the rise in the U.S., and experts are closely monitoring a new variant nicknamed “Pirola.” Plus, there might be a new, updated vaccine as early as next week. We’re joined by Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, host of Crooked’s America Dissected, to talk about the latest uptick and what to expect in the coming months. Show notes: What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available...
Sep 05, 2023•22 min
Two more leaders of the Proud Boys were sentenced yesterday for their roles in the January 6th insurrection. Joe Biggs was sentenced to 17 years in prison while Zachary Rehl was sentenced to 15 years. Plus, Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday in the Georgia criminal case where he’s accused of racketeering in his efforts to upend the 2020 presidential election results in the state. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas officially disclosed yesterday that Republican megadonor Harlan Crow f...
Sep 01, 2023•19 min
Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast yesterday morning and wreaked havoc in its wake. So far, it has left at least two people dead and caused major flooding and destruction. A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that Rudy Giuliani is liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers. They say their lives were upended after being targeted by Giuliani and Donald Trump after the 2020 election. And in headlines: Narcan will soon be available over the counter in th...
Aug 31, 2023•18 min
The Biden administration on Tuesday shared the first ten prescription drugs that it has chosen for price negotiations through Medicare. The Biden administration will try to lower Medicare prices for the drugs by negotiating with their respective manufacturers to ease the burden of their otherwise exorbitant costs. Former employees at Twitter – a.k.a. X – have filed thousands of arbitration complaints against the company in an effort to get the severance pay that they were promised. To date, more...
Aug 30, 2023•19 min
March 4, 2024 will be the first day for Donald Trump’s federal criminal trial in which he is charged with attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election results on January 6th. That trial date means it comes one day before the Super Tuesday primary. Tropical Storm Idalia is headed towards the U.S. and is expected to become a "major hurricane" by the time it hits Florida as early as tonight. Experts have warned residents to prepare for very severe weather, including a potentially deadly sur...
Aug 29, 2023•26 min
A white gunman shot and killed three Black people in a racist attack at a Dollar General store on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida. The attack is the latest incidence of racist gun violence perpetrated by a young, white gunman in the United States, and it is being investigated as a hate crime. Georgia Republicans have expedited the passing of a new state law that would allow the legislature to remove local prosecutors — particularly Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who recently indi...
Aug 28, 2023•23 min
Former President Donald Trump surrendered on Thursday at the Fulton County Jail on felony charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. He was released on a $200,000 bond. Meanwhile in the criminal case over mishandled classified documents, a former Mar-a-Lago employee who monitored the security cameras flipped on Trump after switching lawyers. Japan released the first batch of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, setting ...
Aug 25, 2023•21 min
