WNBA star Brittney Griner is set to testify in Russian court today for the first time since being detained back in February at a Moscow airport. Her defense team hopes that her guilty plea will be taken into account by the court as a mitigating factor in its sentencing. Russia said on Tuesday that it will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024. This would end decades of partnership between the country and NASA – which is led by the United States – and Russia will reportedly build...
Jul 27, 2022•15 min
Pope Francis apologized on Monday to a crowd of survivors, advocates and others in Alberta, Canada, for the Catholic Church’s historic role in the mistreatment, abuse and even death of Indigenous children throughout the country. We wanted to put the spotlight on Indigenous people and how they reacted to the Pope’s apologies after decades of working for this moment. And in headlines: a sixth, lesser-known co-defendant in the Central Park Five case was exonerated; Myanmar’s military executed four ...
Jul 26, 2022•13 min
About 71 million Americans live in places that were dangerously hot on Sunday. Temperatures from Texas to Arkansas, from Washington DC to Massachusetts faced temperatures that were so high that they were a public health risk. Pope Francis arrived in Canada on Sunday for what he has called a “pilgrimage of penance” to acknowledge and apologize for the wrongdoing done to Canada’s Indigenous people by the Roman Catholic Church. One of his focuses is the historical abuse that children endured at the...
Jul 25, 2022•20 min
President Biden tested positive for COVID. He’s fine, but remember — everyone 6 months and over is eligible for vaccination, so get yours today. The January 6th Committee met in prime time last night for its final hearing of the summer. They went moment-by-moment over the 187 minutes where former President Donald Trump failed to stop the mob. Brian Beutler, Crooked’s own Editor-in-Chief and host of the pod Positively Dreadful, joins us to recap the hearings so far. And in headlines: the House pa...
Jul 22, 2022•23 min
A bipartisan group of senators announced a new bill on Wednesday that aims to protect election integrity. The legislation would make it clear that former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election was not okay. Monkeypox cases are spreading throughout the U.S. and the vaccine rollout has hit some bumps. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, host of Crooked’s “America Dissected,” tells us what we need to know about the outbreak. And in headlines: President Biden issued executive orders to addre...
Jul 21, 2022•20 min
The House passed the Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday with bipartisan support. The law would mandate that all states recognize same-sex marriage and formally repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act, which federally outlawed same-sex marriage. Meanwhile the White House is hoping to pass a “slimmed down” version of Biden’s domestic policy bill through Congress soon. But to do it, they need the support of West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin — the same man who dealt a huge blow to the Presid...
Jul 20, 2022•20 min
Heat waves are devastating people in Europe and North America this summer. In the U.K. it’s hotter than the Sahara Desert, and in the U.S. 35 million Americans are currently living in places with excessive heat warnings this week. The ACLU published “thousands of pages of previously unreleased records” on Monday about the government surreptitiously collecting people’s private information without a warrant. The report shows that the Department of Homeland Security — including border protection an...
Jul 19, 2022•22 min
None of the 400 law enforcement officials on location at the Uvalde mass school shooting in May did anything for over an hour to stop the gunman who eventually killed 21 people, mostly children. That’s according to a new report released by Texas officials on Sunday. Patients around the country are reportedly having medical care delayed or denied over concerns from doctors and hospitals. Those providers fear that treating some pregnancy-related medical emergencies would run afoul of the abortion ...
Jul 18, 2022•19 min
The House will vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act today in an effort to codify abortion rights — but without a Democratic majority in the Senate as well, it probably won’t go anywhere. Congresswoman Barbara Lee joins us to discuss what Democrats can actually do on a federal level to protect access to abortion right now. A 10-year-old rape victim in Ohio had to cross state lines to Indiana a few weeks ago to get an abortion. Her story has garnered national attention recently, specifically ...
Jul 15, 2022•21 min
Consumer prices are up 9.1% over this time last year, according to new inflation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the highest inflation rate in 40 years. President Biden landed in the Middle East on Wednesday and will be there until the end of the week. His administration is focused on building support among Israeli leadership for the Iran Nuclear Deal. And in headlines: School surveillance video of the Uvalde school shooting was released, Sri Lanka’s freshly ousted president fle...
Jul 14, 2022•14 min
As the U.S. sees another rise in COVID cases, White House officials are working to give all adults access to a second vaccine booster shot. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and host of Crooked’s “America Dissected,” tells us what we need to know about the Omicron sub-variants driving the current surge in cases. And in headlines: California residents can now sue gun companies when their products cause harm, Twitter officially sued Elon Musk, and this year’s Emmy nominations were announced. S...
Jul 13, 2022•20 min
The House Select Committee investigating January 6th is back in action with another hearing today. Dan Pfieffer, co-host of Crooked’s “Pod Save America,” gives us a refresher on what we’ve learned so far and what to watch for today. And in headlines: Russia is ramping up its attacks on eastern Ukraine, a Minnesota judge struck down most of the state’s abortion restrictions, and actress Lea Michele will replace Beanie Feldstein in the Broadway revival of "Funny Girl." Show Notes: Crooked Coffee i...
Jul 12, 2022•18 min
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
