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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast In August, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the arrests of several people accused of illegally voting in the 2020 election. But newly released police body camera footage from some of those arrests debunk DeSantis' claims of mass election fraud. Women-led protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini are in their second month, and have become the biggest challenge to the Islamic Republic in a decade. Jasmin Ramsey, the deputy director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, tells us ...
Oct 20, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Biden promised to codify abortion access into federal law next year if voters elect more Democrats to the Senate and maintain their majority in the House. Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, joins us to discuss the historic investments her organization is making to mobilize voters ahead of the midterm elections. And in headlines: the U.S. will release another 15 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves, Brittney Griner spent her 32nd birthday in Ru...
Oct 19, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Another deadly round of Russian attacks hit Ukraine’s capital Kyiv early Monday morning – this time, from so-called "kamikaze" drones believed to be made in Iran. Military analysts believe Russia is relying on those weapons because its stockpiles of other weapons are running low. A new ACLU report found that Atlanta’s Fulton County jail is overcrowded — and many inmates haven’t even been charged with a crime. And as the city struggles to find a solution, the overcrowding issue has led to deterio...
Oct 18, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been one month since women began burning their hijabs and leading daily protests in the streets of Iran over the killing of Mahsa Amini. In that time, Iranian security forces have reportedly killed at least 233 protesters — including 32 children. The Biden administration soft-launched its student loan forgiveness application site over the weekend. This comes after President Biden announced the plan in August that would cancel up to $20,000 worth of federal student loans for individual borro...
Oct 17, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The House select committee investigating the January 6th insurrection held its latest — and potentially last — public hearing on Thursday, and voted to question former President Donald Trump about his role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. What a Day’s Juanita Tolliver recaps what we’ve learned so far, and what’s at stake with the midterm elections on the horizon. And in headlines: the Parkland school shooter was sentenced to life in prison, Social Security recipients will get their biggest cos...
Oct 14, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast A jury in Connecticut ordered Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay nearly $1 billion in damages to the families of eight victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. The verdict is the largest award to date for those families, who say they've suffered for years because Jones has repeatedly claimed the massacre was a “hoax.” Members of the Oath Keepers are currently on trial for seditious conspiracy, as more information comes to light about how right-wing, white nationalist militia groups a...
Oct 13, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat, is hanging on to his lead over his Republican opponent, Mehmet Oz. But Republicans are sharpening their attacks by questioning Fetterman’s health and fitness for office, after he suffered a stroke earlier this year. Things are heating up in Arizona's secretary of state race, where Democrat Adrian Fontes is squaring off against far-right MAGA Republican Mark Finchem to become the state’s top election official. Font...
Oct 12, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia launched its biggest attacks against Ukraine in months, targeting at least 14 regions – including civilian areas – on Monday. Vladimir Putin said the strikes were retaliation for a blast that damaged the only bridge connecting annexed Crimea to Russia. Nury Martinez stepped down as the L.A. City Council president, after she, two other council members, and a local labor leader were heard on a leaked recording making racist comments. Martinez is facing calls to resign, and the conversation ...
Oct 11, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over the weekend, 20 Russian missiles hit civilian areas of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 13 people and injuring 60 more. These air strikes followed an explosion on Saturday on the bridge between Russia and Crimea, which has both economic and symbolic importance. New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency on Friday after the city’s primary shelter system became overloaded, due in part to the influx of asylum seekers from Latin America. We discuss what Adams is and isn't doing ...
Oct 10, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Biden announced Thursday he will pardon federal marijuana convictions. The order will impact a few thousand people, since most cannabis convictions happen at the state level, but it will also revisit how cannabis is classified with other drugs under federal law. As Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia continues to gain ground, there are now signs of growing discontent from prominent Russian officials and supporters of the war. And in headlines: a mass shooting at a daycare center ...
Oct 07, 2022•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Biden visited Florida on Wednesday to survey the damage from Hurricane Ian, which has left at least 100 people dead in that state. So far, many of those victims are older adults. Dr. Sue Ann Bell, a disaster researcher at the University of Michigan, tells us why older people are especially vulnerable during natural disasters. The OPEC Plus coalition, led by Russia and Saudi Arabia, said it will cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, which is expected to push energy prices highe...
Oct 06, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Conservative leaders have rallied behind Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker, following a report that he paid for an abortion for an ex-girlfriend. It's one of the first October surprises to drop ahead of the high-stakes midterm elections. The federal government has a history of underfunding our election infrastructure, even though the people who run state and local election departments play a critical role in our democracy. Tiana Epps-Johnson, co-founder of the Center for Tech a...
Oct 05, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Puerto Rico on Monday, weeks after Hurricane Fiona tore through the island. The trip – and the pledges of support – was markedly different from when then-President Trump arrived after Hurricane Maria five years ago. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who is up for re-election in November, is embroiled in another controversy – this time, over a probe targeting a prominent local official, an outspoken critic of the sheriff. And in head...
Oct 04, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Florida's death toll from Hurricane Ian soared to at least 74 over the weekend, and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses still do not have electricity. President Biden plans to visit the state Wednesday, after a stop in Puerto Rico to survey damage from Hurricane Fiona. The Supreme Court begins its new term today, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson becoming the first-ever Black woman to serve on the bench. But she joins a divided, conservative-majority court, which is set to hear major ...
Oct 03, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast After leaving a trail of destruction in southern Florida, Hurricane Ian is expected to make a second landfall in South Carolina on Friday. Officials in Charleston are bracing for intense rain, higher-than-usual tides, and a storm surge across the state’s coast. Russian President Vladimir Putin today plans to formally annex separatist regions of Ukraine that supposedly voted to join the Russian Federation. Ukraine and its western allies have called it an illegal "land grab." And in headlines: a g...
Sep 30, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hurricane Ian reached Florida Wednesday afternoon as one of the strongest storms to hit the U.S. mainland in decades. Some 2.5 million residents of Tampa and Fort Myers were ordered to evacuate, but thousands stayed behind – even in areas expected to be inundated by extreme storm surge flooding. And in headlines: a human rights organization said at least 76 Iranian protesters have been killed in clashes with police since the death of Mahsa Amini, Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine “voted” i...
Sep 29, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hurricane Ian has knocked out power across Cuba and is barreling toward Florida, where it’s expected to intensify into a Category 3 or 4 storm. Mary Annaïse Heglar, co-host of Crooked’s “Hot Take,” explains how climate change is making hurricanes like Ian stronger, less predictable, and more dangerous. Texas attorney general Ken Paxton is up for re-election on November 8, but his legal troubles and controversial policies have cast doubt over whether he's fit to be in office. Rochelle Garza, Paxt...
Sep 28, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The British pound hit a record low against the U.S. dollar on Monday. We discuss the economic plan by new U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss that sent the currency tumbling, and how international markets are responding. Nearly complete results from Italy’s election showed a clear victory for a right-wing coalition – making it almost certain that the coalition's leader, Giorgia Meloni, will be prime minister. Her party has its roots in a post-World War II neo-fascist movement in Italy. And in headline...
Sep 27, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
