Explore every episode of the podcast What A Day
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| Is Trump Escalating The War In Iran? | 02 oct. 2026 | 00:21:08 | |
The Group of Seven wealthy democracies said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks — starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel. The announcement comes as Trump’s trade battles and his war in Iran have increased U.S. prices for oil and other goods ahead of next month's midterms. To discuss the latest on the war and what's happening in the Middle East, Jane speaks with Tommy Vietor, co-host of Pod Save the World. Show Notes:
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| Are Democrats Saying The Right Things To Win? | 01 oct. 2026 | 00:27:21 | |
The midterms are next month, and President Donald Trump's approval rating on issues like the economy is slipping. But are Democrats capitalizing on it? Is their messaging keeping pace with the moment? On today's show, Jane sits down with Sarah Longwell to discuss how Democrats can communicate their policy ideas more effectively and connect with voters. Longwell is the author of the new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time. Show Notes:
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| The ICE Surge Isn't Over | 30 sept. 2026 | 00:24:06 | |
The Venezuelan man who was shot in the back by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin, Texas, last week has been charged with assaulting an officer. Burundi is the latest country to accept U.S. deportees to a country they have no relationship with, and the U.S. Supreme Court says third-country deportations are ok, for now. A lot is going on in the world of immigration. Jane talks about it all with Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR National Correspondent who covers immigration. Show Notes:
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| Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era with Jacob Weisberg | 29 sept. 2026 | 00:27:46 | |
Let's talk about cowards. The people who surrendered to President Donald J. Trump's Administration – and why. Jane talks to Jacob Weisberg, author of the new book, “Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era, ” about five principal factors playing into the dynamics of “cowardice and capitulation." Show Notes:
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| Trump's Government-Sponsored Ad Campaign | 28 sept. 2026 | 00:20:22 | |
If you watched NFL football on Sunday, you may have seen President Donald Trump's new ad campaign, featuring a 2024 Trump ad. The ad was re-released and shown dozens of times, paid for by the US government. Trump is fixated on making the midterms about him. Jane talks to political commentator and YouTube host Adam Mockler about whether this will help or hurt the GOP candidates. Show Notes:
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| Can Trump Purge The Voter Rolls Now? | 25 sept. 2026 | 00:19:28 | |
The Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling today lifting restrictions on a controversial federal voter database. The order grants President Donald Trump a win, for now, in his aggressive campaign against noncitizen voting. So what does this mean for the midterms? To find out, we spoke with Norm Eisen, co-founder of Democracy Defenders Action. Show Notes:
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| Should You Trust Midterm Polling? | 24 sept. 2026 | 00:27:14 | |
With the midterms just around the corner, new polls are hitting the headlines every day. But why are there so many polls, and what can they actually tell us? On today's show, Jane talks with Galen Druke, co-host of Crooked's new podcast, Still Counting, about what he's seeing in the latest polling and what it could mean for November. Show Notes:
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| Secretaries of State Prepare For A Midterms Showdown | 23 sept. 2026 | 00:21:09 | |
The Constitution says states, not the federal government, run elections. But the Trump administration is trying to mess with the midterms. Jane talks to Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar about what states are doing to protect elections for their constituents. Show Notes:
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| The Elections That Changed the World with Dana Bash | 22 sept. 2026 | 00:28:32 | |
President Donald Trump delivered a very Trumpian speech before the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly today. He, of course, touted the United States as being the hottest country and made more threats of "annihilation" toward Iran in the midst of the ongoing war. Trump said that he believes the two nations will make a deal right after the midterm elections. To talk about pivotal elections in history, Jane speaks with CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash about her new book, "The Elections That Changed The World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live." Show Notes:
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| Trump's Media Ban Backfires | 21 sept. 2026 | 00:23:09 | |
MSNOW, CNN, and Politico are suing the Trump Administration after it banned their reporters from the White House press pool. President Donald Trump said on Friday, "I don't want them in my office," because of the news organizations' coverage. Erin Ryan talks to Will Sommer, Senior Reporter for The Bulwark and author of the False Flag newsletter, about Trump's latest attacks on the media. Show Notes:
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| The Kennedy Center Still Stands, For Now | 18 sept. 2026 | 00:24:53 | |
A federal judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide notice before making any major physical changes to the building, on Thursday, including demolishing it, as President Donald Trump has threatened. But why is Trump so obsessed with the Kennedy Center? And what will he do if his name doesn’t end up being enshrined on the building? To find out, Jane speaks with Arts & Government reporter at The Washington Post, Jonathan Edwards. Show Notes:
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| Fed Up: Kevin Warsh Defies Trump | 17 sept. 2026 | 00:29:49 | |
On today's show, we get into a rebellion at the heart of President Donald Trump's empire, led by some of the least rebellious guys you can think of: the finance geeks at the Federal Reserve. Greg Walters is joined by labor economist and policy consultant Kathryn Anne Edwards to talk about Trump the Fed, gas prices, and you. Show Notes:
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| Fox News Forgets Trump’s Failed War | 16 sept. 2026 | 00:22:21 | |
For a third time, the U.S. House has voted to end the Iran war, approving a war powers resolution that would halt President Donald Trump's ability to continue military action without congressional approval. And apparently the American people agree. According to new polling shared exclusively with Pod Save the World, 75 percent of independents think Trump is doing a bad job handling the conflict. So what is Trump's favorite television network saying about Iran these days? To find out, Jane speaks with Matt Gertz, Senior Fellow at Media Matters. Show Notes:
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| Texas GOP Rebukes Candidate's Racist Comments | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:23:23 | |
One of the biggest elections everyone is watching this year is the Texas Senate race. But the race that's getting a lot of attention right now for allegations of bigotry is the Railroad Commissioner race. The Republican who wants the job spent his weekend complaining about non-white students at a University of Texas at Austin football game. To learn more, Jane spoke to Robert Downen. He’s a Senior Writer for Texas Monthly based in Austin. Show Notes:
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| Bernie & Bannon Agree: AI is Dangerous | 14 sept. 2026 | 00:26:59 | |
A string of recent warnings from AI industry insiders, including a former Anthropic employee who puts the odds of human extinction at over 10 percent in the next 10 years. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are feeling pressure to do something. And tomorrow we're going to see a very rare spectacle: Senator Bernie Sanders, lion of the progressive movement, sharing a stage with Steve Bannon, the MAGA bomb-thrower, at what they're calling a "Pro-Human Assembly." You don't see that kind of bipartisanship very often in DC these days. But will it be enough? Will the literal possible end of humanity spur Congress to do something? Our guest host, Greg Walters, talks with Burgess Everett, Semafor's congressional bureau chief, about whether lawmakers plan to do anything. Show Notes:
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| Still Counting: Trump vs. The BLUE WAVE: A Midterm Extravaganza | 12 sept. 2026 | 00:22:45 | |
Nate Silver, Clare Malone, and Galen Druke discuss the most competitive Senate races heading into the midterms in this excerpt from their new podcast, Still Counting. To hear the rest, head over to Still Counting and subscribe! New episodes drop every Wednesday evening. You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery. | |||
| More Than True Crime Content with Elizabeth Smart | 11 sept. 2026 | 00:22:55 | |
In June 2002, a 14-year-old girl named Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her Utah home and held captive for nine months. She endured abuse and torture before police finally rescued her. Now, she's an advocate for other survivors, and she has a new true crime podcast, "The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart," which centers on their stories. Jane talks to her about what she's learned about getting through one of the worst things imaginable. "The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is available every Monday on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard. Show Notes:
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| The Forgotten Victims of Sept. 11 | 10 sept. 2026 | 00:30:52 | |
Friday marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. And earlier this week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the release of records related to the government’s response in the aftermath of the attacks, as well as the settlement of two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch. On today’s show, Jane speaks with Andrew Carboy, an attorney for 9/11 Health Watch, about the survivors of 9/11 and the devastating health problems they have faced over the past two and a half decades. Show Notes:
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| The High Stakes Politics of College Sports | 09 sept. 2026 | 00:27:24 | |
College football is back and so is Congress. What does one have to do with the other? More than you think. Jane talks to veteran college sports analyst Paul Finebaum, host of The Paul Finebaum Show, about the Protect College Sports Act and why some members of Congress have taken an interest in sports this session. Show Notes:
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| Will The GOP Come To Trump-a-Palooza? | 08 sept. 2026 | 00:24:37 | |
President Donald Trump is going all in on... President Donald Trump. And he's hoping GOP lawmakers will do the same at their midterm convention in Dallas this week. Jane talks to Antonia Hylton, host of the new MSNOW show, "The Assignment," about Trump's strategy for the midterms. Show Notes:
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| Why The Tech World Is Spooked About AI | 04 sept. 2026 | 00:28:49 | |
On today's show, our guest host, Todd Zwillich, talks with Nate Soares, co-author of If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, and the President of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, about recent AI hacks, the great AI debate, and Vice President JD Vance's comments about the end times on the Bryce Crawford Podcast. Show Notes:
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| No One Can Escape The Time Tax | 03 sept. 2026 | 00:25:19 | |
Here at What A Day, we’re keeping an eye on the midterms — which are likely to hinge on which party can tackle the skyrocketing cost of living. On today’s show, Jane speaks with The Atlantic’s Annie Lowrey about why it's so damn expensive and complicated to be low-income in America. Show Notes:
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| Timing Is Everything For Maine's Troy Jackson | 02 sept. 2026 | 00:18:25 | |
On today's show, Jane talks with Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson about what he thinks it will take for him to beat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November’s midterms. Show Notes:
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| Democrats Zero In On Midterms | 01 sept. 2026 | 00:31:13 | |
The House passed a short-term measure today to fund the federal government into early December, a move designed to avoid a chaotic shutdown as lawmakers campaign for reelection. On today's show, Jane speaks with Slow Boring’s Matt Yglesias about what Democrats need to do – and avoid – to make November really count this year. Show Notes:
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| Donald Trump Dreams of Empire | 31 août 2026 | 00:28:55 | |
In case you missed it, President Donald Trump announced a deal that would give the United States a stake in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves on Friday. And over the weekend, the United States and Iran exchanged fire for the first time in a month. The Bulwark’s Tim Miller joins What A Day host Jane Coaston to break down Trump’s increasingly imperial adventures! Jane and Tim also take a moment to say goodbye to a right-wing activist who cheered on deportations and then got himself deported. Show Notes:
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| Trump’s Obsession With Trump | 28 août 2026 | 00:23:01 | |
In the last year and a half, President Donald Trump has put his name, image, or both, on a whole host of things — federal buildings, passports, the resident National Park pass, the administration’s child savings accounts, the under construction border wall, and of course, the Kennedy Center. But why? Why is Trump so obsessed with seeing his name on pretty much everything that isn’t nailed down (and a lot that is)? To find out, we spoke with Alex Wagner, host of Crooked Media’s Runaway Country. And in headlines, the Iran war hits the six-month mark, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh suggests the central bank may have to raise interest rates, Trump announces a U.S. Space Academy, and Trump plans to send Vice President JD Vance to Ground Zero for the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Show Notes:
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| Some Aid Workers Turn To Sex Work Amid USAID Cuts | 27 août 2026 | 00:18:36 | |
Yesterday, we heard from former USAID administrator Dr. Atul Gawande about the lives lost because of the gutting of the United States Agency for International Development. On today's show, we focus on people in Nepal and their experiences before and after the cuts to foreign assistance. In Nepal, USAID helped fund organizations whose efforts centered on fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. And some of those organizations employed transgender aid workers, who are living in a country where existing outside the gender binary is generally forbidden. But after the cuts to USAID, many of these trans women have resorted to sex work – putting themselves at risk for the same disease they worked so hard to stop. To learn more about their stories, we spoke with Kristen Gelineau, a global investigative reporter for the Associated Press who visited Nepal in the spring. And in headlines, hundreds of people have been killed in flash floods that swept through the Nepal-China border, President Donald Trump announced Lake Ontario will now be known as Lake America, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gets ready to leave the White House.
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| The Deadly Dismantling Of USAID | 26 août 2026 | 00:24:22 | |
It’s been more than a year since Elon Musk and the DOGE boys fed the United States Agency for International Development – or USAID, into a QUOTE “woodchipper.” And since then, according to reporting from NPR and other outlets, the dismantling of USAID has resulted in the deaths of more than 700,000 people. That’s because USAID worked globally to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, end childhood malnutrition, battle infectious diseases and help women have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Dr. Atul Gawande was a USAID administrator under the Biden Administration, leading the Bureau of Global Health. Now he’s warning what the gutting of the agency means for the world, and for America. And in headlines, Meta agrees to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement, Bill Gates warns about the dangers of artificial intelligence, and U.S. Sen. Darline Grahamwins the Republican nomination to replace her late brother on South Carolina’s general election ballot. Show Notes:
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| Why Is CBP Detaining American Citizens? | 25 août 2026 | 00:21:44 | |
We’ve all seen how Customs and Border Protection has run roughshod over the civil rights of immigrants both legal and undocumented alike across the country. But if you’re an American citizen, you might not think that these abuses could ever happen to you. In fact, maybe the only time you’ve ever even seen Border Protection agents has been at the airport. And yet, that’s where journalist Matthew Petti got detained for hours by Border agents. Now he’s trying to figure out what happened and how to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. We spoke with Matthew about his experience with CBP and your rights as an American at the airport. And in headlines, Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion worth of American goods, two people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, and a federal judge rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid for prison release. Show Notes:
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| Trump's Tariff Tirade Targets Our Friends Up North | 24 août 2026 | 00:24:20 | |
President Donald Trump is back at it with his nonsensical trade wars, and this time he’s targeting one of our closest allies: Canada. After trade negotiations crumbled at the eleventh hour, Trump’s 50% tariffs on scores of Canadian imports kicked in over the weekend. Meanwhile, Trump is also threatening to make moves that could lead to the U.S. being involved in a trade war with China. Here to break down what, if any, political strategy is in play for the White House is MS NOW’s Eugene Daniels. And in headlines, a new poll has found that more Americans are smoking marijuana than ever before, a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln says his father has been taken into ICE custody, and the Defense Department said U.S. forces have attacked another vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people accused of trafficking drugs. Show Notes:
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| How Trump Increasing The National Debt Impacts You | 21 août 2026 | 00:22:47 | |
The United States national debt reached a record-breaking $40 trillion dollars this week. If you spread out that debt to every resident of the U.S., we would each owe more than $115,000 dollars. So how did we get here? To find out more about what our big bad debt means for you, we spoke with Scott Lincicome. He’s the vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute. And in headlines, Trump-fixer-turned-frenemy Michael Cohen hosted the president on his radio show, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier is relieving the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln, and a Texas court slashes a $50 million judgment against Infowars founder Alex Jones to about $6 million. Show Notes:
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| The Age Of Self-Optimization | 20 août 2026 | 00:23:23 | |
Americans spend nearly $30 billion a year on plastic surgery procedures, including fillers and Botox. And there's probably no better example than the White House, where the "Mar-A-Lago face" – a very specific, very smooth, very… augmented appearance – runs rampant. But maybe that's starting to change. Faced with actors, actresses, influencers, and AI, some people are starting to forgo their pursuit of aesthetic perfection in favor of something a little more natural. But does that mean more people are going to go without Botox – or will more people want procedures that don't make them look like they had Botox? To find out, we spoke with Amanda Mull, senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek. And in headlines, the national debt surpasses a record $40 trillion, North Korea launches multiple short-range ballistic missiles, and the U.S. has sent 20 deportees to Liberia as part of a new deal. Show Notes:
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| The Reality Of Being Trapped On The USS Lincoln | 19 août 2026 | 00:21:31 | |
You may have heard about the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln — the carrier where sailors have been facing food shortages and broken toilets. They’ve gone without a traditional port call for eight and a half months, and counting. But they’re not the only vessel facing long deployments and concerning conditions. In May, the USS Gerald Ford finally returned to port in the U.S. after 11 months at sea – the longest deployment since the end of the Vietnam War. Those months away from home featured a massive fire that raged for hours onboard, and – you guessed it – plumbing problems. So to talk more about what our men and women in uniform are facing because President Donald Trump started a war of choice, we spoke with Colorado Democratic Representative Jason Crow. And in headlines, Trump delays 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports, the Ebola outbreak in Congo reaches 5,000 cases, and college students at some universities can now pay their tuition using PayPal or Venmo. Show Notes:
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| Is Democratic Socialism Taking Over The Party? | 18 août 2026 | 00:21:37 | |
You’ve probably heard a lot about the Democratic Socialists of America this year. Political figures who are either members of the organization or associated with its beliefs are running in primaries across the country, sometimes even winning against their more moderate opponents. But what does D.S.A. want? Does the organization want to elect more left-leaning Democrats – or replace them? Is this a left-wing Tea Party movement? Or something else entirely? To find out, we spoke to Charles Homans. He’s a reporter for The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine who just did a deep dive into D.S.A. And in headlines, President Trump and his son-in-law disagree over whether the U.S. is negotiating with Iran, Meta is on trial in California for its platforms’ harms to children, and OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens. Show Notes:
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| Reining In The Congressional Culture of Harassment | 18 août 2026 | 00:18:31 | |
The fact that the US Congress is absolutely rotten with creeps is one of the worst-kept secrets in Washington. From former Representatives like California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales, to sitting lawmakers like North Carolina Republican Representative Chuck Edwards – it turns out sexual misconduct is bipartisan, and so is the pushback. A bipartisan effort fronted by Florida Republican Kat Cammack and New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez aims to rein in the frathouse behavior of their colleagues. To discuss what’s on the table, we called up Grace Panetta, political reporter with The 19th. And in headlines, Trump blames vandals for ruining a patch of grass on the National Mall, Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to pledge that he’ll operate independently from the White House, and the Supreme Court rejected another request to throw out a jury’s 2023 finding that Trump sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll and later defamed her. Show Notes:
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| Politics In The Paint | 14 août 2026 | 00:22:54 | |
The Women’s National Basketball Association has been making the headlines lately. In fact, according to a Media Matters report, since the end of June, Fox News has devoted at least 206 segments to the WNBA. But why are the likes of Sean Hannity and Bret Baier suddenly paying such close attention to women’s basketball? To get to the bottom of how the most LGBTQ-friendly sports league became a favorite subject of the right-wing media, we spoke with Leah Asmelash, a culture writer for CNN. And in headlines, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier is headed to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, Luigi Mangione pleads guilty, and Cards Against Humanity wants you to join its “Official Elon Musk is a Sad Little Bitch with No Friends Monument Design Committee.” Show Notes:
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| MAGA Media’s Trump Slump | 13 août 2026 | 00:22:33 | |
Donald Trump’s poll numbers are trash — and numbers for right-wing influencers on YouTube, Twitter and elsewhere are going down the tubes, too. As the New York Times reported at the end of last month, some of the biggest names in right-wing media are experiencing massive declines in clicks and views to their content. David Pakman is the host of the David Pakman Show on YouTube – and he’s been thinking a lot about the algorithms that control what we watch, read, listen to and think about. He stopped by to talk about how right-wing media has become a victim of its own success. And in headlines, Karoline Leavitt is leaving the White House at the end of the month to spend more time with her family, U.S. inflation declined slightly last month and what’s behind Zohran Mamdani’s approval rating after eight months in office. Show Notes:
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| Is Wisconsin A Warning for Democratic Socialists? | 12 août 2026 | 00:20:48 | |
On Tuesday, Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong narrowly lost to Milwaukee’s county executive, David Crowley, in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. Now, the somewhat unknown is facing Republican Representative Tom Tiffany in November — but Crowley he may not have an easy time winning over the Democrats who voted for Hong. For more on what Democrats can learn from the race, we spoke with Holly Otterbein, senior politics reporter at Axios. And in headlines, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has convened a special grand jury in Washington, D.C., Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks to individuals, and the Trump administration plans to spend at least $900 million on White House construction. Show Notes:
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| What The Special Elections In The South Mean For The Midterms | 11 août 2026 | 00:24:41 | |
It’s voting day in states across the country – including in two Southern states that have already voted once this year. In South Carolina, Republicans will select their new Senate nominee after Lindsey Graham’s sudden death. And in Alabama, voters in several congressional districts are heading back to the polls after the Supreme Court told the state to use a map from 2023… despite that map being struck down by lower courts for being racially discriminatory. All of this is happening in the orange-tinted shadow of Donald Trump — but the South isn’t owned by the 47th president. For more, we spoke to Mitch Landrieu. He’s the former mayor of New Orleans and one of the hosts of Crooked Media’s newest podcast, Long Play, which examines politics in the ever-changing South. And in headlines, Trump signs an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations, a Syrian court sentences ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his brother to death by abstentia, and a new report reveals The White House asked the Department of Justice to try charging the man accused of vandalizing the reflective pool with a different crime after his case was dropped. Show Notes:
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| Netanyahu Bucks Trump's Board Of Peace | 10 août 2026 | 00:23:30 | |
Last month, Trump bragged that the Board of Peace had accomplished a monumental breakthrough: an agreement for the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza. However, this “agreement” didn’t really stand much of a chance because Hamas and the Israeli government were stuck in a classic standoff. And on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned down the deal. So not only are we nowhere near a peace deal, we’re not even close to peace. To talk more about the failures of Trump and the Board of Peace, we spoke with Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace with a focus on U.S. foreign policy. He is a former State Department Middle East negotiator in both Republican and Democratic administrations. And in headlines, more states are gearing up for primary elections tomorrow, Trump scoffs at Iran’s demand for reparations, and the Patriot Games have kicked off in Ohio. Show Notes:
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| The Hidden Cameras You Can't Avoid | 07 août 2026 | 00:18:27 | |
Automated License Plate Readers have been sweeping the country, with cameras popping up outside of stores and alongside roads in communities big and small. The largest manufacturer of those cameras is Flock, with around 100,000 readers in use across the country. According to Flock, the cameras are a boon to law enforcement. But as they become more prevalent, people are protesting their use – even blocking their views or destroying them. NewsNation reportedearlier this week that 23 jurisdictions have cancelled contracts with Flock, citing privacy concerns. And as tech reporter Drew Harwell wrote for The Washington Post, some law enforcement officers are even using Flock cameras to stalk exes. And in headlines, the U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, the Senate overwhelmingly approves a Russian sanctions package, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement says its field officers across the country will have body-worn cameras by the end of September. Show Notes:
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| Tucker Carlson's Vision For America | 06 août 2026 | 00:20:33 | |
In a livestream Wednesday night, Tucker Carlson laid out some ideas for what he thinks would make Americans’ lives better – a vision, you could call it. And while he didn’t say that he’s going to run for President in 2028, a lot of people think he should – including some of Trump’s most prominent former allies. So we asked The Bulwark’s Will Sommer: What’s really behind Tucker Carlson’s long rant? And in headlines, a Senate committee votes to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, Uganda’s Defense Minister wins parliamentary approval to deploy troops to Gaza, and WK Kellogg says it will remove artificial colors from all its cereals by the end of 2026. Show Notes:
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| Jon Favreau Ranks Michigan Primary Hot Takes | 05 août 2026 | 00:19:47 | |
It was a big night for Michigan Democrats, as progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed beat US Representative Haley Stevens in the race for a seat in the Senate this fall. But what did we actually learn from El-Sayed’s victory? Was this a win for progressives? A shot at the establishment? Is he too liberal to win in November? And what does this say about the midterms? Everyone has an opinion… but not all of them are good. To hear more about which takes we should be listening to, we spoke to Jon Favreau. He’s the co-host of Pod Save America. And in headlines, President Trump tells reporters a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come this week, the US is seeing more possible cyber attacks targeting water systems, and the Trump Administration is giving tariff refunds! But Americans are unlikely to see any of the money. Show Notes:
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| A New GOP Scandal Erupts | 04 août 2026 | 00:22:00 | |
Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller is facing serious allegations of spousal and child abuse from his former wife, Emily Moreno. Miller has denied all of the allegations, and as of our recording on Tuesday, he’s shown no indications that he wants to resign from office – even as several Senate Republicans have said he should quit. But Miller is not the only House Republican under the microscope for bad behavior — something that isn’t making life any easier on House Speaker Mike Johnson just a few months before the midterms. For more, we spoke to Jake Sherman, co-founder of Punchbowl News. And in headlines, the Senate Judiciary Committee votes to advance acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination, Michigan voters head to the polls, and the Iran war has reportedly almost eliminated the U.S. stockpile of long-range precision missiles. Show Notes:
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| The Panic Over Progressive Dems | 03 août 2026 | 00:21:17 | |
You’ve probably heard a lot about the Democratic Socialists and progressives running for office nationwide – and maybe even more about how establishment Democrats are terrified of them. A lot of that concern is because they think they’ll lose to their Republican counterparts. But many Republican candidates running for statewide office this term are in a league of their own… and not in a good way. So are establishment Democrats right? Will progressive candidates push voters to Republicans – even if they're the least qualified people around? To find out, we talked to Dan Pfeiffer. He’s the co-host of Pod Save America and the author of the Message Box newsletter on Substack. And in headlines, Iran and President Trump disagree over whether negotiations are back on, two Republican senators clear the way for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation, and the Michigan Department of Health announces the first confirmed deaths related to the ongoing cyclospora outbreak. Show Notes:
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| 1: Georgia: The New Bellwether | 01 août 2026 | 00:24:38 | |
Georgia has become one of the most closely watched states in America, but its story didn't begin with the last election. Jen, Mitch, and Errin explore the history, communities, and political forces that transformed Georgia into the center of the national conversation. Through interviews with civic leaders, elected officials, and everyday Georgians, they examine how the state's civil rights legacy, rapid growth, and changing electorate continue to shape both Southern politics and the future of the country. Guests: Sen. Jon Ossoff, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, LaTosha Brown (Black Voters Matter), Kyle Tibbs-Jones (The Bitter Southerner) | |||
| Trump's Presidential Payday | 31 juil. 2026 | 00:21:24 | |
About a month ago, the Antwerp World Diamond Center, which deals with a large percentage of the world’s diamonds, made Donald Trump a very special gift purportedly for America’s 250th birthday. Then, just last week, the Trump Administration coincidentally exempted natural diamonds from its new sweeping global tariffs. Not a great look. It’s no secret that the Trump Administration is steeped in deals aimed at getting the President, his family, and his political organizations paid. As the Wall Street Journal reported, Trump is routinely asking for cash from companies and donors so he can build his ballroom or future design projects. The funnel of money aimed at this White House can be almost overwhelming. So what can we do about it? We spoke to Amanda Carpenter, a writer and editor at Protect Democracy, who has some ideas. And in headlines, July is on track to become the hottest month on record for the entire United States, about 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s tiny Ceuta territory in just 24 hours, and oil companies are profiting from the Iran war and the rising cost of gas. Show Notes:
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| The Battle For Massachusetts' 8th District | 30 juil. 2026 | 00:23:57 | |
There are just 96 days until the November midterms — and while the battle between Democrats and Republicans is taking up a lot of headlines, many Democrats are also facing serious challenges from within their own party. Take Massachusetts's Eighth District, which includes parts of the city of Boston. Democratic Representative Stephen Lynch has represented the state in Congress since 2001 – and for much of that time, he hasn’t faced any serious primary challenges.But this year, he’s up against Patrick Roath, a 39-year old attorney who thinks that it’s time for a new generation in Congress. Today, we’re speak with both Patrick Roath and Representative Lynch about what they each think Democrats should do if they win back the House, and why they each are the best candidate for Massachusetts voters to send to Washington. And in headlines, the Iran war heats back up as United States and Iran continue to fire barrages of missiles, Trump’s approval rating among voters has dropped to 32 percent, and President Trump says he may temporarily pull acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination for the full-time AG position. Show Notes:
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| Senator Raphael Warnock On Where Morality Meets Politics | 29 juil. 2026 | 00:24:46 | |
We don’t often talk about what the most moral path forward for the Senate, or Congress, or hell, politics in general might be — but it would probably look more like doing something about ensuring everyday Americans can afford groceries and less like going to war with Iran. Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock gives this a lot of thought in his new book, “The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America,” where he lays out some of the biggest problems facing our country. We speak with Senator Warnock about his book and how we might move forward together. And in headlines, the U.S. and Iran trade strikes after days of calm; the Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady despite persistently high inflation and a spike in energy prices caused by the Iran war; and Dr. Anthony Fauci pleads the fifth to more than 100 questions posed by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members. Show Notes:
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| Trump's Lonely War | 28 juil. 2026 | 00:24:18 | |
Today marked the start of two days of services for the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, with President Donald Trump joining foreign leaders at Washington National Cathedral for the funeral. Graham was arguably one of the biggest supporters of the Iran war. But now, he's gone – and the war he helped start is becoming increasingly unpopular. The Economist reported earlier this month that the war in Iran is America's least popular conflict since public poll tracking began. And thanks to a virtual Pentagon blackout on information, there's a lot we don't even know about this war in the first place. So, to talk more about the Iran war, we spoke with Tom Bowman. He's the Pentagon correspondent for NPR. And in headlines, wildfires across France and Spain have driven roughly 330,000 people from their homes and vacation sites; Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear sent Kentucky Republican Senator McConnell a letter demanding that he prove that he can do his job; and a conservative activist group released audio tapes that appear to show former President Joe Biden sharing classified information with a biographer. Show Notes:
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