For the first time since March 2022, the Federal Reserve decided to pause interest rate hikes. The Fed – which has raised interest rates ten times in the past fifteen months – said it wants to take some time to evaluate how the economy is reacting to previous rate increases. On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted Daniel Penny in connection to the death of Jordan Neely. Penny – a former marine – was charged with second degree manslaughter last month after he fatally choked Neely – an unhoused Black ...
Jun 15, 2023•21 min
At a Miami courthouse Tuesday, former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 felony counts that he allegedly kept classified documents from his time in office. The historic case makes Trump the first-ever former U.S. president to be criminally charged by the federal government. L.A. Times senior legal affairs columnist Harry Litman joins us to talk about what comes next, and the complications ahead. And in headlines: a Russian airstrike killed at least 11 people in Ukrainian president V...
Jun 14, 2023•26 min
Former President Donald Trump will appear in federal court in Miami today to be arraigned on 37 federal counts over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. It’s his second court appearance as a criminal defendant this year – and he is expected to plead not guilty. SB 1718, a sweeping anti-immigration law signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, takes effect next month. It bears striking similarities to a ballot measure passed by California voters almost 30 years ago called Proposition 1...
Jun 13, 2023•20 min
The Justice Department on Friday unsealed a 49-page federal indictment against former president Donald Trump. He faces 37 felony counts, including 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act. We’re joined by Kate Shaw, professor of law at the Cardozo School of Law and co-host of Crooked’s Strict Scrutiny podcast, to dig into the charges and what comes next. And in headlines: a section of the I-95 highway in Philadelphia collapsed after a tanker truck caught fire, “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski died by s...
Jun 12, 2023•22 min
In a social media post on Thursday, former president Donald Trump said he has been indicted on federal charges. Trump faces at least seven counts in connection with the classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home last year. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court voted to uphold the Voting Rights Act and reject Alabama’s congressional map, saying that the state legislature improperly diluted the political power of Black voters in the state. Melissa Murray, NYU law professor and co-host of Cro...
Jun 09, 2023•25 min
Smoke and haze from wildfires burning in Canada have blanketed much of the eastern United States. Several cities, including New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C., remain under air quality alerts, and forecasters warn that dangerous conditions could linger for days. Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law is back in the spotlight, after the woman accused of fatally shooting Ajike “AJ” Owens, was arrested Tuesday night. Authorities say Owens, who was Black, was shot through the front door...
Jun 08, 2023•21 min
The Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine collapsed on Tuesday, unleashing floods and forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. While the cause of the collapse remains unclear, both Russia and Ukraine have blamed the other for the dam’s explosion. In a win for trans rights, a federal judge in Florida partially blocked a law that bans trans youth from receiving puberty blockers and other forms of gender-affirming care. In a 44-page ruling Tuesday, Judge Robert Hinkle called the ban a politi...
Jun 07, 2023•21 min
Hundreds of people crowded Atlanta’s City Hall yesterday to give public comment ahead of a city council vote over the proposed police training facility that activists call “Cop City.” The vote would decide whether or not to allocate $31 million in public funds to help build the facility, which has drawn widespread opposition. Another group of Latin American migrants arrived in Sacramento on a chartered jet Monday morning – the second flight of migrants to land at the state’s capital in the past ...
Jun 06, 2023•17 min
President Biden signed the bipartisan debt ceiling bill into law, averting default and an economic crisis just days before the June 5th deadline posed to lawmakers. The final legislation – which passed swiftly through the House and Senate last week – suspends the nation’s debt limit until 2025. Nearly 300 people were killed and more than 800 others were injured in a train accident in Eastern India on Friday. While the government has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, the mass...
Jun 05, 2023•17 min
In a blow to unions and organized labor, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a concrete company seeking to sue the Teamsters union for the profit they lost during one of its strikes. Advocates say the decision could prevent workers from exercising their right to strike nationwide. The Senate voted to block Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, advancing the Republican-led legislation that nullifies the plan and repeals the current freeze on student loan repayments and interest. The bill now ...
Jun 02, 2023•20 min
Former Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence are expected to launch their 2024 presidential campaigns next week, joining the already crowded field of Republican candidates. They’ll be going up against frontrunners Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, both of whom are on the campaign trail in Iowa. The Supreme Court is expected to issue rulings in several cases that will have huge social implications nationwide — from elections and voting rights to student loans, affirmative action, ...
Jun 01, 2023•21 min
The debt limit deal struck between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is headed to a full House vote today despite hard-right Republicans opposing the legislation. Lawmakers have until June 5th to reach a consensus to avoid a default. A drone attack hit Moscow Tuesday morning, marking the first strike in a Russian civilian area since the Kremlin launched its Ukraine invasion last year. The attack comes after Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has seen a relentless onslaught of bombing over t...
May 31, 2023•23 min
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
