Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock is heading back to D.C. for a full 6-year term, after defeating Republican challenger Herschel Walker in Tuesday’s special runoff election. Warnock’s victory now gives Democrats an outright majority in the Senate with 51 seats, and brings a whirlwind midterm cycle to a close. And in headlines: the suspect in the Club Q mass shooting was charged with over 300 counts, a Manhattan jury convicted the Trump Organization of tax fraud, and Indonesia’s parliament passed a...
Dec 07, 2022•22 min
Today is election day in Georgia’s Senate runoff. Voters are headed to the polls to decide between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker, in a race that could give Democrats an outright majority in the Senate. This Wednesday marks one year since the state of Hawai’i ordered the U.S. Navy to defuel its Red Hill fuel facility, after thousands of gallons of jet fuel contaminated the local water supply. Keoni DeFranco, an O’ahu-based community organizer, join...
Dec 06, 2022•18 min
The rule-making arm of the Democratic National Committee voted to reshuffle the presidential primary schedule, making South Carolina the first state to hold a primary in the 2024 elections. The new order will change which voters have an outsized voice in selecting the Democratic nominee for president, and the issues that candidates will center in their campaigns. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in Moore v. Harper on Wednesday, a high-stakes case that could endanger free and fair elect...
Dec 05, 2022•22 min
In this special bonus episode of What a Day, we look back on the life and legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, and the first woman to seek a major party nomination for president. She would have turned 98 earlier this week. Host Juanita Tolliver sat down with Representatives Barbara Lee and Ayanna Pressley, and biographer Dr. Anastasia Curwood for a candid conversation about Chisholm's trailblazing legacy. Show Notes: Shirley Chisholm | Anastasia C. Curwood - UNC...
Dec 03, 2022•21 min
President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program is headed to the Supreme Court. While the plan is blocked for now, the justices will hear arguments in February to decide whether the administration has the authority to cancel federal student loan debt for millions of borrowers. Crooked’s new workplace advice podcast “Work Appropriate” covers everything from how to deal with pushy bosses, to the systemic issues that plague many industries. Host Anne Helen Peterson tells us how a period of burn-...
Dec 02, 2022•21 min
House Democrats voted unanimously Wednesday to make New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries their new leader – making him the first Black person to lead a party in Congress. Meanwhile, the House passed legislation that would force rail companies and labor unions to accept a tentative deal to avert a nationwide rail strike — and while progressives pushed for a separate bill to guarantee paid sick leave, it faces an uncertain future in the Senate. And in headlines: the FDA is reportedly planning to a...
Dec 01, 2022•21 min
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a directive to city agencies on Tuesday to begin involuntarily hospitalizing unhoused people who are, presumably, suffering from mental illness – a move sharply criticized by mental health experts and homeless advocates. Today would have been Shirley Chisholm’s 98th birthday. She was the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to seek a major party nomination for president. Rep. Barbara Lee of California, Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachuset...
Nov 30, 2022•25 min
Protesters in China continue to voice their discontent over the country's strict "zero Covid" policies. And while authorities have eased restrictions in some cities in an effort to quell public anger, Beijing isn't backing down from the overall strategy. It's been three weeks since Election Day, but in one Arizona county and two in Pennsylvania, the GOP remains in a state of denial about the results. And in headlines: the gunman who killed 10 Black people in a racist mass shooting in Buffalo ple...
Nov 29, 2022•21 min
A mass shooting left five people dead and dozens of others injured last week at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ bar that’s served as a safe space for the Colorado Springs queer community for over 20 years. Just days later, a gunman opened fire in a Virginia Walmart, killing six people. Both shootings have raised questions about the state of gun violence in the U.S. and how we can prevent such tragedies from happening again. And in headlines: protestors took to the streets in China over the country’s strict CO...
Nov 28, 2022•17 min
After leading congressional Democrats for over 20 years, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she won’t be seeking a leadership role in the next Congress. Her decision to step down is expected to pave the way for a new generation of leaders to fill the caucus’s top ranks. Congresswoman Karen Bass is the next mayor of Los Angeles, after beating out billionaire Rick Caruso. She will become L.A.’s first woman mayor, and the second Black mayor in the city’s 241-year history. And in headlines: worker...
Nov 18, 2022•20 min
Whether we like it or not, the 2024 campaign season has officially kicked off, after Donald Trump announced he’s running for president for the third time. But many of his allies are already eyeing the exits. Tensions have eased after NATO officials said a missile that killed two people in Poland came from neighboring Ukraine – not from Russia as originally suspected, though world leaders say the Kremlin is still to blame for the deadly explosion. And in headlines: a Senate bill to protect same-s...
Nov 17, 2022•15 min
Republicans have essentially secured a House majority for the next two years. But the GOP is in disarray, as members vying for leadership positions point fingers at who's to blame for their midterm losses. Young voters turned out in historic numbers this election cycle to support Democrats. Victor Shi, strategy director for the Gen Z-led nonprofit Voters of Tomorrow, explains how young people helped beat back the anticipated “red wave.” And in headlines: President Biden said it’s “unlikely” that...
Nov 16, 2022•24 min
48,000 academic workers across the University of California’s 10 campuses walked off the job on Monday in the nation’s largest strike of the year. Labor historian and UCLA professor Toby Higbie tells us how we got here and what’s at stake. As winter approaches, experts are warning of a “tripledemic” of RSV, COVID, and the flu. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, host of Crooked’s “America Dissected,” explains why it’s happening, and what you can do to protect yourself and your community. And in headlines: a sho...
Nov 15, 2022•19 min
Democrats have officially retained their majority in the U.S. Senate, after incumbent Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto held off a challenge from her Trump-endorsed Republican challenger, Adam Laxalt. Meanwhile, the governor’s race in Arizona is still too close to call, though Democrat Katie Hobbs holds a slim lead over Republican Kari Lake — and it could be days before a winner is declared. We explain why the vote count is taking so long, and why it’s not unusual to wait for results in Ariz...
Nov 14, 2022•16 min
As the vote count continues from Tuesday's midterm elections, both parties are eyeing next month's Senate runoff in Georgia, but Arizona and Nevada are also in the spotlight. Democrats can clinch control of the Senate if incumbents win in at least two of those states. The Supreme Court this week heard arguments in Haaland v. Brackeen , a case challenging the Indian Child Welfare Act. Rebecca Nagle, host of Crooked's "This Land" podcast, explains why it could ultimately upend other legal protecti...
Nov 11, 2022•21 min
Pollsters and pundits warned there would be a “red wave” of Republican victories on Election Day, but the results tell a different story. We share some of the big wins for Democrats that have been called so far. Democrat Raphael Warnock is once again heading into a runoff election in the Georgia Senate race. Tia Mitchell, the Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, tells us what voters in that state can expect in the weeks ahead. And in headlines: Brittney Griner was trans...
Nov 10, 2022•22 min
Election Day has wrapped, but now the wait begins as votes are counted and results pour in from across the country. We walk through what we know so far, and what to watch in some key races. And in headlines: Tropical Storm Nicole is tracking toward Florida, the January 6th committee interviewed Donald Trump’s driver from the day of the insurrection, and someone in Southern California won the record $2 billion Powerball jackpot. Show Notes: AP News: 2022 midterms live updates – https://tinyurl.co...
Nov 09, 2022•16 min
Today is Election Day. And Shaniqua McClendon, Crooked’s political director, explains what you need to know if you’re voting today – from what to bring to the polls, to how to respond to voter intimidation. And in headlines: Ukraine accused Russian forces of looting and occupying empty civilian homes in Kherson, a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin admitted to interfering in U.S. elections, and Facebook’s parent company is set to lay off thousands of employees. Show Notes: When We All Vote...
Nov 08, 2022•18 min
Elon Musk, who recently acquired Twitter for $44 billion, laid off about half of the company’s staff on Friday. The move also impacted teams that moderate content on the site. New York Times technology reporter Mike Isaac says that’s raising concerns about how well the platform can combat misinformation ahead of the midterm elections. And in headlines: the UN’s annual climate summit opened in Egypt, President Biden’s top national security advisor has reportedly been in talks with his Russian cou...
Nov 07, 2022•21 min
In the run-up to the midterm elections, Republicans have made crime a central issue in their attacks against Democrats. But the fear tactics aren’t backed up by facts. North Korea tried to launch a powerful long-range missile on Thursday, following an intense volley of short-range missile tests earlier this week. And with tensions already high in the region, there’s concern that North Korea may attempt a nuclear weapons test. And in headlines: former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was shot ...
Nov 04, 2022•22 min
President Biden on Wednesday made his closing argument to voters ahead of Election Day. In a speech delivered near Capitol Hill, where violent extremists attempted to overturn the 2020 election, he warned that America’s democratic traditions are on the line this midterm cycle. For our final installment of WAD The Vote, Rep. Sean Casten, the first Democrat to represent Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in decades, tells us how he entered politics, and why he’s running for a third term. And in ...
Nov 03, 2022•22 min
As Democrats make their final push on the campaign trail ahead of Election Day, election deniers are making their presence known in person. In Florida, two former members of the Proud Boys were hired as poll workers in Miami-Dade County – a third was dismissed because he’s facing charges for his involvement in the Jan. 6th riot. School board elections have a huge impact on local communities, but rarely get the same coverage as other, higher-profile races. Maria Salamanca, a progressive school bo...
Nov 02, 2022•22 min
The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday over two cases that will decide the fate of affirmative action at American colleges and universities. Jay Willis, the editor-in-chief of Balls & Strikes, tells us what’s at stake if the justices decide to overturn decades of precedent on the issue. And in headlines: federal prosecutors charged the man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Taylor Swift became the first artist ever to claim the top 10 slots on the Billboard Hot 100 char...
Nov 01, 2022•19 min
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 82-year-old husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked in their San Francisco home early Friday morning. The alleged assailant was reportedly looking for the Speaker – who was in Washington, D.C. at the time. The attack comes amid heightened fears of political violence before the midterm elections. In Nigeria, more than 600 people have died and 1.4 million others have been displaced from their homes due to severe flooding since September. Mary Annaïse Heglar, co-host of Croo...
Oct 31, 2022•20 min
Brazilians will vote for their next president on Sunday — an election that could be the most decisive in that country’s democratic history. The choice is between leftist challenger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. The U.S. economy grew 2.6% in the third quarter, but inflation is still driving up costs for essentials — including housing. Lindsay Owens, the executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, tells us why it’s hitting renters harder, and why addres...
Oct 28, 2022•23 min
Pennsylvania Senate candidates John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz met on Tuesday for one of the most highly anticipated debates of this midterm election cycle. They covered everything from abortion rights to fracking to immigration, in a race that could determine control of Congress. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently released a report on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed workplaces and its impact on workers' mental health. Dr. Murthy joins us to discuss those findings, and how busines...
Oct 27, 2022•20 min
Arizona election officials have referred at least six cases of alleged voter intimidation at ballot drop-off boxes to the Justice Department. The complaints describe groups of people – some armed with guns and wearing tactical gear – harassing and taking pictures of voters. Maxwell Frost, who is running for Florida’s 10th Congressional District, is on track to become one of the youngest members of Congress. He joins us to talk about his progressive platform, and what he hopes to accomplish if el...
Oct 26, 2022•20 min
There’s growing concern among Western countries that Russia could be planning a false flag operation in Ukraine – by deploying a so-called “dirty bomb” there, while blaming Ukraine. The Kremlin could use such an attack to justify an escalation in the war. Rishi Sunak won the fight to become Britain's next prime minister, making him the first person of color to serve in the role. This comes after Liz Truss’s abrupt resignation last week after just 45 days in office. And in headlines: a school sho...
Oct 25, 2022•18 min
A federal appeals court has temporarily put a hold on the Biden administration’s student debt forgiveness plan. The challenge comes from six Republican-led states, though the White House said borrowers should still apply for relief. The January 6th committee officially subpoenaed former president Donald Trump, a little over a week after the panel unanimously voted to issue it. It calls on Trump to hand over documents and appear for a deposition under oath – and could set up a historic legal figh...
Oct 24, 2022•19 min
Liz Truss abruptly resigned as Britain’s prime minister on Thursday, after just 45 days in office — making her the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the United Kingdom. Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills are moving through legislatures across the country, many of which specifically target transgender people. Oklahoma House Representative Mauree Turner — the first out non-binary state lawmaker in the country and the first Muslim member of the Oklahoma Legislature — tells us how they’ve...
Oct 21, 2022•25 min
