As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close this May, we’re joined by Brian Beutler, Crooked’s Editor in Chief and host of Crooked’s Positively Dreadful, to talk about maintaining our mental health when the news gets bad, and how to stay hopeful in light of it all. Show Notes: What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/cof...
May 30, 2023•15 min
Every May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States. The occasion was created to celebrate both Asian and Pacific diasporas — but the “PI” in “AAPI” is often erased despite the term’s intention to include them. As the month comes to an end, Kristian Fanene Schmidt, the executive director and co-founder of the Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK), joins us to talk about how Pacific Islander communities are represented in entertainment — and h...
May 26, 2023•23 min
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially entered the 2024 presidential race. In a glitchy announcement on Twitter Wednesday, DeSantis said he’s running for president to lead a “great American comeback,” and he’s using the slate of harmful, regressive laws he’s passed in Florida as evidence that he can get that job done. The ACLU’s Gillian Branstetter, who’s been keeping tabs on his legislative record, joins us to explain the dangers of the DeSantis agenda. And in headlines: debt ceiling talk...
May 25, 2023•24 min
A year ago today, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. As the community of Uvalde, Texas marks the grim anniversary, families of the victims continue to demand answers – and accountability – from law enforcement and elected leaders. Shannon Watts, founder of the gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action, joins us to discuss what needs to be done to stop America’s gun violence crisis. And in headlines: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to announce hi...
May 24, 2023•25 min
More than 100 trans youth from across the country gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol on Monday for Trans Prom – a demonstration to center and celebrate trans joy. They were supported by parents, allies and trans adult – including WAD host Tre’vell Anderson – who spoke with some of the youth organizers at the steps of the Supreme Court. And in headlines: an historic deal has been reached to keep the Colorado River from running too dry, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott announced his 2024 presid...
May 23, 2023•21 min
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Japan for the G7 summit, where he met with world leaders to continue lobbying for more military support for his country. And just hours after his arrival, Russian officials said troops had captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, a claim Zelenskyy denied. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are back at the negotiating table today to continue debt ceiling discussions as the June 1st deadline looms closer. If bo...
May 22, 2023•19 min
Publishing giant Penguin Random House and literary organization PEN America — along with a group of authors, students, and parents — sued Florida’s Escambia County School District and school board for banning books about race and LGBTQ+ issues from its libraries. Banned author George M. Johnson joins us to talk about the fight to free their book, All Boys Aren’t Blue , from censorship. And in headlines: Senator Dianne Feinstein’s condition is worse than what was previously disclosed, Disney canc...
May 19, 2023•22 min
As the clock ticks closer to the June 1st default deadline, top aides to President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are working toward an agreement by Sunday. Meanwhile, Democrats are already looking into other last-ditch efforts – including a petition to force a debt ceiling vote in Congress, and even urging the president to invoke the 14th Amendment. On Wednesday, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments over the abortion pill mifepristone. The three judges on the historical...
May 18, 2023•20 min
A former aide to Rudy Giuliani has sued him for alleged sexual assault, harassment, wage theft, and other misconduct. In a 70 page lawsuit filed Monday, Noelle Dunphy says she has recordings of the former Donald Trump attorney making sexist, racist and anti-semitic remarks, and claims he tried to sell off presidential pardons for $2 million a piece. Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, made his debut on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. During his testimony before a Senate Judiciary subcommitte...
May 17, 2023•21 min
As debt limit negotiations continue between Republicans and the Biden Administration, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen repeated her warning that the U.S. government could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1st. And if a deal isn’t reached before then to avoid default, it could have catastrophic consequences for the global economy. Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that defunds diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at public colleges and universi...
May 16, 2023•19 min
Turkey’s presidential election is likely heading to a runoff on May 28th. Neither incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan – who’s been in power for two decades – nor his rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, have cleared the 50% threshold to win. The results will determine if Turkey, a NATO ally, will continue its autocratic backslide, or take a more democratic path. Nearly two weeks after putting Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway train, Daniel Penny surrendered to police on Friday to face...
May 15, 2023•16 min
Today marks the official end of Title 42, the Trump-era border policy that allowed U.S. border officials to expel asylum-seekers on public health grounds. We talk to Dara Lind, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, about the end of the policy, and what the restrictions that the Biden administration is putting in its place. Republican-controlled state houses across the country continue to push anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, including Montana, where lawmakers have banned gender affirming ca...
May 12, 2023•25 min
Today marks the official end of the nationwide COVID-19 public health emergency. It was declared in January 2020, when just six cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the U.S. Now, more than three years later, more than 1.1 million people in the United States in total have died from the virus. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, host of Crooked’s America Dissected, joins us to talk about what the end of the emergency will mean for many Americans. And in headlines: the Trump-era border policy Title 42 officiall...
May 11, 2023•24 min
A Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing – and later defaming – writer E. Jean Carroll, ordering him to pay her a total of $5 million in damages. Though Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women over the years, Tuesday’s verdict in the civil case marks the first time he has faced legal repercussions for such allegations. New York Representative George Santos is facing criminal charges and could appear in federal court as soon as today....
May 10, 2023•15 min
Award-winning journalist and What A Day host Tre’vell Anderson has officially added “author” to their many accolades. Their debut book, We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV & Film , is out today, along with the audiobook and an accompanying limited series podcast. Tre’vell walks us through their process writing the book, the stories within it, and their message to future generations of Black trans kids. And in headlines: a New York jury will begin deliberations today over whether...
May 09, 2023•26 min
Eight people were killed and at least seven others were wounded Saturday after a gunman opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas – making it the 200th mass shooting of the year, and the second deadliest since the Monterey Park attacks in January. King Charles III was officially crowned Saturday as Britain's first new reigning monarch in 70 years. Royal watcher Kristen Meinzer tells us how Charles' coronation was different from when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended to the throne, and...
May 08, 2023•26 min
On Thursday, four members of the Proud Boys – including former leader Enrique Tarrio – were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role in the January 6th riot. The trial was the last of three sedition cases brought by the Justice Department against key figures in the insurrection. Another report from ProPublica is raising questions about ethical standards for the Supreme Court. The independent newsroom found that billionaire Harlan Crow paid the boarding school tuition for Justice Clarence...
May 05, 2023•26 min
On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to assassinate President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin. Ukraine has denied the accusations, but Russia says it has the right to retaliate. An investigation by the Department of Labor found that McDonald's franchises in at least four states had employed over 300 children to work in their restaurants, including two 10 year-old workers in Kentucky. This comes amid a sharp rise in federal child labor law violations over the past five y...
May 04, 2023•18 min
With the debt ceiling deadline now projected for June 1st, House Democrats are taking action in case negotiations fail. The move would allow Democrats to collect signatures to force Congress to consider a “clean” bill to raise the debt limit and avoid a catastrophic default. Members of the Writers Guild of America are officially on strike after negotiations with Hollywood studios failed to reach a new contract. Alex O’Keefe, one of the writers behind the hit FX series “The Bear,” joins us from t...
May 03, 2023•24 min
The Writer’s Guild of America, the union representing thousands of film and TV writers, has called for a strike against Hollywood studios, after both sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. It’s the first major work stoppage to hit the entertainment industry since the 100-day strike of 2007-2008. And in headlines: JPMorgan Chase will acquire First Republic Bank, Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr sued over her removal from the House floor, and pilots with American Airlines h...
May 02, 2023•18 min
For more than two months, Nebraska State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh has filibustered nearly every single bill that has passed through the state legislature. It’s an effort to keep her Republican colleagues from following other red states to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth. Sen. Cavanaugh joins us to talk about how she’s managed to hold the floor – and keep fighting. And in headlines: authorities in Texas are searching for a man accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors, fightin...
May 01, 2023•23 min
Writer E. Jean Carroll, who is suing Donald Trump for allegedly raping her in 1996, faced hours of cross examination Thursday – leading to a heated exchange with Trump’s lawyer, who questioned her memory and actions surrounding the alleged attack. The Biden administration has announced plans to open migrant centers throughout Latin America in an effort to slow down the influx of migrants heading to the U.S. The announcement comes as Title 42, which border officials have used to turn away asylum-...
Apr 28, 2023•20 min
Montana Republicans voted to censure Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the first openly transgender person to be elected to the state’s legislature. The vote comes after Rep. Zephyr last week said supporters of a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for young people would have “blood on their hands.” And in Florida, Disney sued Governor Ron DeSantis for revoking the company’s long-standing control over its Disney World Resort. The suit claims DeSantis engaged in "a targeted campaign of government r...
Apr 27, 2023•21 min
There are growing calls for the Supreme Court to adopt stronger ethics rules. It follows revelations earlier this month that Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose gifts and lavish vacations paid by a major Republican donor, along with a new report from Politico involving a real estate deal between Justice Neil Gorsuch and a law firm that had business before the high court. Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls & Strikes, joins us to discuss what’s being done to address the allegations. And i...
Apr 26, 2023•20 min
In a series of high-profile cable news firings Monday morning, Fox News announced that the network agreed to part ways with top host Tucker Carlson — and just minutes later, news broke that CNN terminated longtime anchor Don Lemon after 17 years with the network. President Biden is expected to announce his 2024 bid for re-election as soon as today. Multiple outlets reported that he tapped White House Senior Adviser Julia Chavez Rodriguez as his campaign manager, signaling that he’s already geari...
Apr 25, 2023•24 min
The Supreme Court issued a decision preserving access to the abortion drug mifepristone, meaning access to the medication will likely remain unchanged at least into next year. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unveiled his plan to raise the debt ceiling last week. The proposal has a long list of demands that take aim at the Biden administration’s agenda — including cutting climate change investments, blocking student loan forgiveness, and adding work requirements for Medicaid and food stamp recipient...
Apr 24, 2023•15 min
The Pentagon is moving American troops to Sudan to prepare for a possible evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in the region. This comes amid a dayslong series of clashes between two warring military factions that has led to hundreds of deaths and injuries. Buzzfeed is shutting down its entire news division after elevating reporting that rivaled many more established, legacy media outlets for over a decade. The company will also cut another 120 people across its teams, laying off about 15% of its work...
Apr 21, 2023•24 min
In the latest in the fight against mifepristone, the Supreme Court has delayed its ruling on the abortion pill until Friday at midnight — extending the continued use of mifepristone for a couple more days. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court sided with Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed in his years-long effort to get post-conviction DNA evidence to try and prove his innocence. And in headlines: the mother of Tyre Nichols sued the city of Memphis and its police department over the death of her so...
Apr 20, 2023•21 min
The defamation trial brought by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News was called off after both parties agreed to settle for $787.5 million at the last minute. Crooked news contributor Max Fisher joins us to break down what happened and what comes next. And in headlines: The white homeowner who shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl turned himself in to Missouri authorities, a Russian judge ruled that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich must remain in pretrial detention, and Nebraska lawmakers...
Apr 19, 2023•24 min
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed a one-year debt ceiling increase on Monday, calling the idea a “responsible, sensible” solution — but it’s unclear if he has the support of his own party to pass the divisive measure. A new report from The Washington Post revealed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas claimed income for two decades from a now-defunct real estate firm. This is the latest in a series of recent reports that call into question the justice's willingness to skirt ethical guid...
Apr 18, 2023•22 min
